SB 353 — AN ACT CONCERNING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Senate General Assembly CommitteeFile Bill No.

353442 January Session, 2021 LCOSenate Bill No.

3559353 ReferredSenate, toApril 14, 2021 The Committee on GOVERNMENTGovernment ADMINISTRATIONAdministration ANDand ELECTIONSElections Introducedreported by:through SEN.

(GAE)FLEXER ANof ACTthe CONCERNING29th MUNICIPALDist., ELECTIONS.Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

(2)SB353 After/ JanuaryFile 1, 2022, in any municipality where such municipal LCO 3559 \\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2021SB-00353-R01 of 4 SB.docx Committee Bill No.

353442 election1 isSB353 heldFile onNo. the first Monday of May of the odd-numbered years, in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the legislative body of such municipality may determine by a majority vote to hold such municipal election on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November of the odd-numbered years.

442 (2) After January 1, 2022, in any municipality where such municipal election is held on the first Monday of May of the odd-numbered years, in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the legislative body of such municipality may determine by a majority vote to hold such municipal election on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November of the odd-numbered years.

Except as provided in sections 9-164b to 9-164f, inclusive, as amended by this act, 9-187 and 9-187a, in the absence of such action by such legislative body, the terms of any such officers which do not terminatewithinthreemonthsaftersuchfirstorasubsequentmunicipalterminatewithinthreemonthsaftersuchfirst orasubsequentmunicipal election held under [said] section 9-164, as amended by this act, shall be extended to the municipal election next held after the expiration of such terms, or to such date, within seventy days after such election, on which the terms of municipal officers generally begin in such municipality, at which election successors shall be elected for the terms provided for by law or for such other transitional terms as are necessary to provide the rotation required by law.

The clerk of the municipality, in preparing the list provided for under section 9-254, shall set forth such terms or transitionalSB353 terms/ therein.File No.

LCO442 35592 {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2021SB-00352SB353 ofFile 4 R02-SB.docx } Committee Bill No.

353442 Sec.transitional terms therein.

Sec.

As to any board or commission of a municipality with a rotating membership, some of the members of which, prior to [the] any change [to a uniform] in a municipal election date for such municipality under section 9-164, as amended by this act, were elected for terms beginning approximately one year after the date of their election, the legislative body of such municipality may provide for such conforming changes in the beginning date of the terms of office as are designed to continue the rotation with regard to such office as it existed prior to such change, and in the absence of such action by such legislative body, the beginning date of the terms of such office shall be so changed by the clerk of the municipalityinpreparingthelistprovidedforundersection9-254.Withmunicipalityinpreparingthelistprovidedfor undersection9-254.With respect to any board or commission of a municipality with a rotating membership established under sections 8-1, 8-4a, 8-5 and 8-19, the authority empowered to prescribe the term of office of the members of such board or commission, if it is authorized under said sections to provide for an odd-numbered year term, may further provide for deferred terms by prescribing which terms are to begin approximately one year from the date on which the terms of municipal officers generally begin in such municipality.

[After January 1, 1970] On or after January 1, 2022, any municipality may [by charter, or by vote of the legislative body approved at a referendum of the electors to be held within thirty days thereafter,] change the date of its municipal election [by designating the alternate date specified in] in accordance with the provisions of section 9-164, as amended by this act, [as the date of the municipal election, provided (1) no such charter provision adopted, nor such vote of such legislative body so approved, within six months prior to any municipal election may be effective with respect thereto, and (2)] provided in changing fromSB353 the/ NovemberFile municipal election date specified in section 9-164, LCO 3559 {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2021SB-00353 of 4 R02-SB.docx } Committee Bill No.

353442 as3 amendedSB353 byFile thisNo. act, to the May municipal election date therein specified, the terms of incumbent municipal elected officials shall be diminished to conform to such change but for a period of not more than nine months.

442 from the November municipal election date specified in section 9-164, as amended by this act, to the May municipal election date therein specified, the terms of incumbent municipal elected officials shall be diminished to conform to such change but for a period of not more than nine months.

4 January 1, 2022 9-164c GAE Joint Favorable LCOSB353 3559/ {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2021SB-00353-File 4No. of 4 R02-SB.docx }

442 4 SB353 File No.

442 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None Explanation This bill requires each municipality to hold its biennial municipal election in November of odd-numbered years unless its legislative body votes by a two-thirds majority to hold the election in May of odd- numbered years, effective January 1, 2022.

After January 1, 2022, the bill authorizes any municipality holding its biennial municipal election in May to instead hold the election in November through a majority vote of its legislative body.

This bill has no fiscal impact as it shifts election costs from May to November in odd-numbered years.

The bill has no fiscal impact on the state.

The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to inflation.

SB353 / File No.

442 5 SB353 File No.

442 OLR Bill Analysis SB 353 AN ACT CONCERNING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

SUMMARY Effective January 1, 2022, this bill requires each municipality to hold its biennial municipal election on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of odd-numbered years unless its legislative body votes by a two-thirds majority to hold the election on the first Monday in May of odd-numbered years.

After January 1, 2022, the bill authorizes any municipality holding its biennial municipal election in May to instead hold the election in November through a majority vote of its legislative body.

It eliminates provisions in current law that (1) allow municipalities to change the date of their biennial municipal election by vote of their legislative body approved at a referendum or by charter and (2) prohibit municipalities from changing an upcoming election’s date within six months before its occurrence.

The bill extends, to municipalities that change their election date, existing law’s provisions on transitioning and deferring terms of office.

It also makes several technical changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

January 1, 2022, except that most provisions on transitioning and deferring terms of office are effective upon passage.

TRANSITIONING AND DEFERRING TERMS OF OFFICE Table 1 below summarizes existing law’s transition provisions and their application under the bill (it appears some of these provisions may overlap).