June 10th, 2010

By The Dispatch Staff

VERONA — There will be a “People’s Convention to Reform New York” town hall meeting tonight in the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Middle School gymnasium at 6:30 p.m.

New York State Assemblyman David Townsend, R-115 and Assemblyman Brian Kolb, R-129, will co-host the event, which is designed to inform constituents of the people’s convention and its purpose.

The proposition for a people’s convention is automatically on the ballot in New York State every 20 years. The next time it would appear on the ballot would be in 2017. A piece of legislation — The People’s Convention to Reform New York Act — has been introduced, which would move the proposition onto the ballot this year.

“Let’s decide now so we don’t have to wait another seven years,” Kolb said.

If the legislation passes and the voters pass the referendum, the convention would convene in June 2012.

The town hall tour has been stopping in places across New York, including Western New York, Hudson Valley and Long Island.

“The convention would come up with things for the voters to consider that could reshape their government,” Kolb said.

Recommendations made in the convention would still have to come back through to the voters in the form of a referendum, Kolb said.