New York State — Should voters in New York choose to turn over their ballots on election day they will find not only ballot propositions on gambling and the exchange of land in the Adirondacks, but also four other propositions on which they will be able to vote.

Ballot Proposition Two is a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow disabled veterans who have been appointed to or promoted to a civil service position to be able to collect additional civil service credits.

The constitution currently grants veterans five points for an appointment and 2.5 points for a promotion; disabled veterans are entitled to an additional 10 points for an appointment and five points for a promotion.

According to Project Vote Smart, (votesmart.org) “Veterans are eligible for only one grant of additional credit, and so a veteran who is appointed or promoted before being certified as disabled currently is not eligible for the higher amount of credit he or she would have received if he or she had been certified as disabled before his or her appointment or promotion.

“This amendment would create an exception to the one-time-only additional credit rule. It would permit veterans who are certified disabled after having already received credit at one appointment or promotion, because of their status as veterans, to receive additional credit one more time after certification of their disability. After being certified disabled, a veteran would be entitled to an additional grant of credit equal to the difference between 10 and the number of points received at the initial appointment or promotion. This would bring the total additional points of civil service credit such a veteran can receive to 10 for either an appointment or a promotion.”

Proposition Three

Proposition Three would change the constitution to allow towns, cities and villages to construct or reconstruct sewer facilities and not include the debt incurred as part of the municipality’s constitutional debt limit.

According to Project Vote Smart, “The state constitution currently provides that indebtedness contracted on or after January 1, 1962 and before January 1, 2014, for the construction or reconstruction of facilities for the conveyance, treatment, and disposal of sewage shall be excluded from the constitutional debt limits of counties, cities, towns and villages. The effect of the proposed amendment would be to extend for 10 years, until January 1, 2024, the period during which sewer debt will be excluded from the constitutional debt limits of counties, cities, towns and villages.”

Proposition Four

Proposition Four would amend the state constitution to allow the resolution of a land dispute between private parties and the state regarding land in the forest preserve in the Town of Long Lake in Hamilton County.

Project Vote Smart says, “The state constitution generally forbids the lease, sale, exchange, or taking of any forest preserve land. The proposed amendment would allow the legislature to settle 100-year-old disputes between the state and private parties over ownership of certain parcels of land in the forest preserve by giving up the state’s claim to disputed parcels. In exchange, the state would get land to be incorporated into the forest preserve. The land exchange would occur only if the legislature determines that the land to be conveyed to the state would benefit the forest preserve more than the disputed parcels do.”

Proposition Six

Proposition Six would amend the state constitution to increase the mandatory retirement age of supreme court and appellate court judges to 80 years in some circumstances.

Project Vote Smart says, “Justices of the Supreme Court are currently required to retire in the year they turn 70 years old, but are eligible to continue to perform the duties of a justice of the Supreme Court for three additional two-year terms upon a certificate that their services are needed by the courts and that they are competent to perform the full duties of the office. The proposed amendment would make them eligible for two additional such two-year terms, upon the same certification of need and competence.Also, judges of the Court of Appeals are currently required to retire in the year they turn 70 years old. The proposed amendment would permit a judge who reaches the age of 70 while in office to remain in service on the court for up to 10 additional years in order to complete the term to which that judge was appointed.”