[Adopted 6-15-2004 by L.L. No. 20-2004]
It is the intention of the Town Board to exercise
its authority pursuant to Municipal Home Rule Law § 10(1)(ii)(a)(1),
§ 10(1)(ii)(a)(2), § 10(1)(ii)(d)(3) and Town
Law § 24 and § 24-a(1) any other applicable provision
of law now or hereinafter enacted, to supersede and/or expand upon
the applicable provisions of Town Law § 85 and any successor
law with respect to authorizing the Town Board instead of the Suffolk
County Board of Elections to draw ward district lines and to maintain
the term of office for all councilmen at four (4) years after a ward
system has been established.
(A)
Whenever a proposition shall have been adopted in
the Town for the establishment of the ward system and the election
thereafter of one (1) Councilman from each ward, the Town Board shall
divide the Town into four (4) wards and fix the boundaries thereof,
unless a proposition shall have been adopted to increase the number
of councilmen from four (4) to six (6), in which instance, the Town
Board shall divide the Town into six (6) wards and fix the boundaries
thereof. The Town Board shall divide the districts so that the number
of voters in each ward shall be substantially equal, with wards composed
of convenient and contiguous territory in as compact form as practicable.
No election district heretofore or hereinafter created under the Election
Law shall contain parts of two (2) or more wards. When the Town Board
shall have finally determined the boundaries of the wards, it shall
cause a map of the Town to be prepared, showing, in detail, the location
of each ward and the boundaries thereof. The original map so made
shall be filed in the office of the Town Clerk, and copies thereof
shall be filed in the offices of the County Clerk and the Board of
Elections of Suffolk County. The ward system shall be deemed established
after such filing is complete.
(B)
After a ward system shall have been so established,
the term of office of every Town Councilman shall terminate on the
31st day of December next succeeding the first biennial Town election
held not less than one hundred twenty (120) days after the establishment
of such ward system, and, at such biennial Town election, one (1)
resident elector from each odd-numbered ward shall be elected as Councilman
therefrom for a term of two (2) years, and one (1) resident elector
from each even-numbered ward shall be elected as Councilman therefrom
for a term of four (4) years, each such term to begin on the first
day of January next succeeding such election, and thereafter at each
biennial Town election there shall be elected successors to the Town
Councilmen whose terms are expiring for terms of four (4) years each
to begin on the first day of January next succeeding such election.
