703 - Petition for annexation.

§  703.  Petition  for  annexation.  1. Territory in one or more local  governments adjoining one or more other local governments may be annexed  to the latter pursuant to the provisions of this article.    A  petition  for  such  annexation, describing the territory, stating the approximate  number of inhabitants thereof, and signed (1) by  at  least  twenty  per  centum  of  the  persons residing therein, if any, qualified to vote for  officers of the city or town in which such territory is situated or,  if  such  territory  is situated in a village, for officers of such village,  or (2) by the owners of a majority in assessed  valuation  of  the  real  property  in  such territory assessed upon the last preceding assessment  roll of, or utilized by, the local government or governments in which it  is situated, may be presented to the governing board or  boards  of  the  affected  local  government  or  governments  in which such territory is  situated and a certified copy or copies thereof to the  governing  board  or boards of the local government or governments to which it is proposed  to annex such territory.    2.  The  petition  must also be authenticated as to all the signatures  upon each separate sheet by appending at the bottom  of  such  sheet  an  affidavit  of a witness as to the subscription thereof, substantially as  follows:   State of New York       )                          )  ss.:  County of ...........   )   (name of witness) being duly sworn, says: I reside at .......... in  the  .......... of .......... (fill in residence) in the state of New York; I  know  each  of the persons whose names are subscribed to the above sheet  having ............. (fill in  number)  signatures;  and  each  of  them  subscribed the same in my presence.                                           ............................                                            (Signature of witness.)    Sworn to before me this ....   day of ............ , 19....   ............................   (Official title of officer)     3.  If  the petition is signed by the owners of a majority in assessed  valuation of the real property in such territory assessed upon the  last  preceding  assessment  roll  of, or utilized by, the local government or  governments in which the territory is situated, there must  be  attached  to  the  petition  a  certificate  of  an  assessor  responsible for the  preparation of such assessment roll certifying to such facts. If  signed  by  at  least  twenty  per centum of the qualified resident electors, as  defined in subdivision one of this section, there must  be  attached  to  the  petition  a  certificate  of  the  board of elections of the county  containing such territory, certifying to such facts.