Voters in East Hampton Town can vote on three ballot propositions on Election Day, as well as during early voting, which started on Saturday and continues through this coming Sunday.
The first proposition is the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022. If passed, the Act would authorize the sale of New York State bonds up to $4.2 billion to fund environmental protection, natural restoration, resiliency, and clean energy projects to reduce the impact of climate change.
Capital projects that could be funded include restoration and flood risk reduction (at least $1.1 billion), open space land conservation and recreation (up to $650 million), climate change mitigation (up to $1.5 billion), and water quality improvement and resilient infrastructure (at least $650 million).
The second ballot proposition would amend the Suffolk County Charter to set a term limit of 12 years in total, served consecutively or nonconsecutively, for the offices of county executive and county legislator.
The third ballot proposition will ask voters whether or not they approve a .5-percent real estate transfer tax for the community housing opportunity fund. The .5-percent tax, should voters approve it, would be in addition to the 2-percent transfer tax on real estate transactions for the community preservation fund.
The Peconic Bay Region Community Housing Act, signed into law last year, authorizes the five East End towns to establish community housing funds to be financed by that transfer tax. If passed, it would become operational in January 2023. The proposition is on the ballot in East Hampton, Southampton, Shelter Island, and Southold Towns.
Should it pass, buyers of a property would pay the .5-percent transfer tax, with the first $400,000 exempt up to $2 million, beyond which the full purchase price would be taxable. First-time homebuyers would be exempt. Money could be spent to buy land and buildings, fund town-led or public-private construction projects for sale or rent, rehabilitate existing buildings, provide down payment and other financial assistance to buyers, offer loans to construct accessory dwelling units, create housing for employees of local businesses, purchase individual units within existing multi-unit housing complexes, and offer housing counseling.
