Rockland County Sues State Over Moving Local Elections To Even Years

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Rockland County officials have filed a lawsuit challenging New York's new law that requires local elections to occur only in even numbered years — to coincide with state and federal elections.

Rockland, where local elections are in "off" years when state and federal elections are not being held, filed the suit April 22.

The change violates the county's charter, it cuts terms down a year for officials currently serving, and it will diminish the importance of local races, County Executive Ed Day said in a news release.

“This law is another attempt to override local charters, laws, and control in a home rule state and the oath I took is to our Federal and State Constitutions, our charter, and the people of Rockland County not Governor Hochul,” Day said.

“Local governments are the most responsive and responsible to the everyday person and play a vital governance role for drinking water, social services, sewage, zoning, schools, roads, parks, police, courts, jails, trash disposal — and more- and we have a constitutional right to say how our local officials are chosen," he said Thursday.

Day alleged most of the state legislators who voted for the law represent cities which are not affected and will continue to keep their current election cycle, while suburban and rural legislators, representing communities that are affected, voted 2 to 1 against.

One of those suburban lawmakers who voted for the change, State Sen. James Skoufis.

Day called Skoufis out in January, while state lawmakers were considering the bill, and wrote an op-ed piece for Patch. SEE: County Executive’s Corner “Local Elections Stolen From The People”

"We the people decide to have local elections and it should not be up to Albany to change it and if they are then I think the Governor of New York or Senator James Skoufis should lose a year of their term as well," he said in that column.

Skoufis also wrote an op-ed for Patch. SEE: Op-Ed: Local Elections Enshrined for the People

"Substantially higher voter turnout is realized with presidential or gubernatorial races on the ballot," Skoufis said in the column. "The facts: A study conducted by the Harvard Election Law Clinic, where researchers analyzed 16 New York counties, including Sullivan, Ulster, Orange, and Rockland, found that off-cycle (odd-year) elections significantly depressed voter turnout. This was true for all voters, but especially for voters of color and younger voters."

Rockland County Attorney Thomas Humbach said in the news release that state leaders who support the law must have a low opinion of voters.

"Without citation to any evidence, the State believes voters are incapable of voting once a year due to being confused and fatigued," Humbach said. "I do not know about the constituents of the Governor and the sponsors of this bill, but the voters of Rockland County believe in the democratic process, understand that local elections are important (after all for most middle-class people, half of their taxes and more of their services come from local government) and can handle voting once a year."

County officials said Rockland residents deserve to hear from their local candidates and worried that national races would drown out local concerns.

They also said it wasn't fair to move local elections up a year, thus shortening the terms of currently elected officials.

“The election manipulation without representation, forcibly removing our right to self-govern and limiting the next term of the County Executive and Legislature to three years instead of four years required by our laws, and reducing Town and Village officials by a year is wrong,” Day said. “By filing this suit, we are standing up for home rule and putting the State on notice that we have the right to control our own destinies.”

MORE READING: Rockland Sues the MTA Over Congestion Toll In Lower Manhattan.