S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 2196 2011-2012 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E January 18, 2011 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SALAND -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to votes on land acquisi- tion and building construction propositions by BOCES districts THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Paragraphs a and q of subdivision 2 of section 1951 of the 2 education law, paragraph a as amended by chapter 722 of the laws of 3 2005, paragraph q as added by chapter 795 of the laws of 1967 and such 4 section as renumbered by chapter 378 of the laws of 1972, are amended to 5 read as follows: 6 a. If the board of cooperative educational services determines to 7 submit a proposition to authorize the purchase or acquisition of sites 8 or additions thereto and real property and to construct buildings there- 9 on and to purchase buildings and construct additions thereto, or to 10 authorize the sale of any real property the title to which is vested in 11 the board of cooperative educational services and buildings thereon and 12 appurtenances or any part thereof, or to authorize the exchange of real 13 property held by the board of cooperative educational services for the 14 purpose of improving or changing school sites, to the qualified voters 15 of the board of cooperative educational services, then the board shall 16 call a meeting and submit to the qualified voters of the board of coop- 17 erative educational services such a proposition. VOTES SHALL OCCUR IN 18 POLLING PLACES, EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED, WITHIN THE AFFECTED BOARD OF 19 COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES DISTRICT, WHERE THE TRAVEL DISTANCE FOR 20 ANY RESIDENT WITHIN THE AFFECTED BOARD OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL 21 SERVICES DISTRICT SHALL BE SIMILAR OR APPROXIMATELY THE SAME, WITH A 22 MINIMUM OF AT LEAST THREE POLLING PLACES FOR BOARD OF COOPERATIVE EDUCA- 23 TIONAL SERVICES DISTRICTS IN A COUNTY WITH A POPULATION OF MORE THAN TWO 24 HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND ACCORDING TO THE LATEST FEDERAL CENSUS. The board 25 shall cause a notice of such meeting to be given by public notice of the EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05596-01-1 S. 2196 2 1 time and place of such meeting once in each week within the four weeks 2 next preceding such meeting, the first publication to be at least twen- 3 ty-five days before said meeting, in two newspapers if there shall be 4 two, or in one newspaper if there shall be but one, having general 5 circulation within the board of cooperative educational services, but if 6 no newspaper shall then have general circulation therein, the said 7 notice shall be posted in at least twenty of the most public places in 8 said board of cooperative educational services twenty-five days before 9 the time of such meeting. Such notice shall contain a statement of the 10 proposition or propositions to be submitted at such meeting AND THE 11 LOCATION OF EACH POLLING PLACE WITHIN THE AFFECTED BOARD OF COOPERATIVE 12 EDUCATIONAL SERVICES DISTRICTS. 13 q. If the board shall so determine it may cause the board of cooper- 14 ative educational services to be divided into election districts 15 provided that in each such election district the number of qualified 16 voters shall at least equal seven hundred. If such resolution be adopted 17 it shall divide the board of cooperative educational services into such 18 number of election districts as the board may determine, provided that 19 if circumstances will permit there shall be a schoolhouse in each 20 election district or in as many such election districts as possible. The 21 election districts so formed shall continue in existence until modified 22 by resolution of the board. Such resolution shall accurately describe 23 the boundaries of each such district by street, alley and highway or 24 otherwise. Meetings of the voters of the board of cooperative educa- 25 tional services shall be held thereafter in such election districts. 26 VOTES SHALL OCCUR IN POLLING PLACES, EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED, WITHIN THE 27 AFFECTED BOARD OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES DISTRICT, WHERE THE 28 TRAVEL DISTANCE FOR ANY RESIDENT WITHIN THE AFFECTED BOARD OF COOPER- 29 ATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES DISTRICT SHALL BE SIMILAR OR APPROXIMATELY 30 THE SAME, WITH A MINIMUM OF AT LEAST THREE POLLING PLACES FOR BOARD OF 31 COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES DISTRICTS IN A COUNTY WITH A POPULATION 32 OF MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND ACCORDING TO THE LATEST FEDERAL 33 CENSUS. The board shall designate the place within each election 34 district where the meetings shall be held. When the board of cooperative 35 educational services is divided into election districts, the board shall 36 cause the meeting to be held in each election district pursuant to the 37 provisions of this subdivision and shall appoint a chairman of the meet- 38 ing, clerks and assistant clerks of the meeting and inspectors of 39 election for each election district. The board shall designate the 40 election district in which the clerk of the board of cooperative educa- 41 tional services shall be present. Where the board of cooperative educa- 42 tional services has been divided into election districts, the inspectors 43 of election shall make a written report of the results of the ballot, 44 signed by all such inspectors, to the chief inspector of election of 45 each election district. The chief inspector of election of each election 46 district shall within twenty-four hours file such written report with 47 the clerk of the board of cooperative educational services. The board 48 shall thereupon within twenty-four hours tabulate and declare the 49 results of the ballot. 50 S 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 51 have become law.