Section 126-A. Joint hospitals for cities, towns or villages

Two cities in
  the  same  county  or  adjoining  counties,  or  a  city and one or more
  villages located within the same county or adjoining counties or two  or
  more  villages  located  within the same county or adjoining counties or
  two or more towns in the same county or adjoining counties or a city and
  one or more towns located within the same county or  adjoining  counties
  or  one  or  more towns and one or more villages (including a village or
  villages within one or more of  such  towns)  located  within  the  same
  county  or  adjoining counties, subject to approval at a general county,
  town, city or village election in each of said counties,  towns,  cities
  or  villages,  by  a majority of the voters qualified to vote and voting
  upon the proposition therefor, may  jointly  acquire  real  property  by
  purchase,  lease  or  condemnation  for  the purpose of this article and
  establish,   construct,   equip,   maintain   and   operate   for   such
  municipalities  jointly  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this
  article, a public general hospital for the care  and  treatment  of  the
  sick,  and by appropriate resolution and subject to like approval by the
  voters as provided in this section, any two cities, towns or villages as
  above specified, may by  appropriate  action  of  the  governing  board,
  create  a  joint  hospital  for  such cities, towns or villages as above
  specified of any existing hospital, established,  constructed,  equipped
  and operated by one of such cities, towns or villages and enlarge or add
  thereto.
    The  ordinance,  local  law  or  resolution  providing  for such joint
  action, either in the establishment of  a  new  joint  hospital  or  the
  creation  of  a  joint  hospital  or  addition  thereto,  of one already
  existing by one of such cities, towns, and villages, shall be adopted by
  the  local  governing  board  of  a  city,  town  or  village  of   each
  municipality  and  the  board  of  managers  as specified in section one
  hundred twenty-seven hereof shall be composed of  members  appointed  by
  the  supervisor  of the town, the mayor of the city, or the mayor of the
  village of each of said cities, towns or villages in proportion  to  the
  ratio of the assessed value of each of the cities, towns, or villages to
  the  other;  or  in the event that any such city joins with an adjoining
  town or towns, village or villages, to effectuate the purposes  of  this
  section, and the proportion of cost, debt service and operating expenses
  to  be  borne  by  each  such  municipality is fixed by agreement in the
  aggregate in the ratio which the equalized assessed  valuation  of  each
  such municipality bears to the total equalized assessed valuation of all
  municipalities joining in such project, or is fixed by agreement so that
  such   city   shall   bear   a  greater  proportion  and  the  remaining
  participating municipalities a lesser proportion  thereof  respectively,
  then the apportionment of the number of members of the board of managers
  as  specified  in  section  one  hundred  twenty-seven  hereof  shall be
  determined by the ratios established by such agreement.  The  ordinance,
  local  law  or  resolution may specify matters as to which the action of
  the board of trustees shall require the joint approval of such governing
  bodies or boards. The ordinance, local  law  or  resolution  also  shall
  prescribe the proportions of the cost of such project to be borne by the
  municipalities  respectively, based upon the ratio of the assessed value
  of each city, town or village to the whole. In a town, wholly or  partly
  containing  a  village  or  villages joining with it for the purposes of
  this section, the proportion of the cost of such project to be borne  by
  such  town  may,  however,  be  based  upon  the ratio that the assessed
  valuation of such town outside such village or  villages  bears  to  the
  whole.  The  moneys  to  be paid shall be provided in the same manner as
  hereinbefore prescribed in this article. The  ordinance,  local  law  or
  resolution  of the governing board may be amended from time to time with

  the concurrence of each of such governing board of each of said  cities,
  towns  or  villages.  A  joint  hospital established under this article,
  shall be within the county in which the city, town, or village,  or  one
  of them is located.
    Whenever two or more cities, towns or villages shall establish a joint
  hospital  as  herein  provided,  all  other  provisions  of this article
  respecting hospitals, if applicable, shall apply to such joint hospital.
    Two or more cities, towns or villages as  hereinabove  specified,  may
  under  the  provisions  of this article by appropriate resolution of the
  respective boards of said city, town, or village, and  subject  to  like
  approval  by  the  voters  as  provided in this section, provide for the
  joint operation and management only of an already existing  hospital  in
  one of such cities, towns or villages.
    In  the  event  that  a town and a village wholly contained within the
  territorial limits of such town are joined  for  the  purposes  of  this
  section,  the  proportion of the cost and debt service of the project to
  be borne by the village and town may, by  written  agreement,  be  based
  upon  the  following  ratios: (a) The proportion which the village shall
  bear shall be based upon the ratio which the assessed valuation of  that
  portion  of  the  town  lying  within  said  village  bears to the total
  assessed valuation of the town; (b) The proportion which the town  shall
  bear  shall be based upon the ratio which the assessed valuation of that
  portion of the town lying  outside  such  village  bears  to  the  total
  assessed  valuation  of  the  town.  Such  agreement  shall be made upon
  authorization therefor by the governing boards of such town and  village
  and  shall  be  executed  by  the supervisor and mayor, respectively, in
  behalf of such town and village. Such agreed  proportion  of  cost,  and
  debt  service  therefor,  to be borne by such village shall be raised by
  taxation upon the real estate located within the  village.  Such  agreed
  proportion  of cost, and debt service therefor, to be borne by such town
  shall be raised by taxation on real estate located in the  town  without
  the  territorial  limits  of  the  village.  The  assessed valuations of
  property to be used in determining the above ratios shall be taken  from
  the  latest assessment-roll of the town prior to the time such agreement
  is entered into and as shown therein at the time of the  completion  and
  filing  of  such  assessment-roll.  The  cost  of  operation of any such
  hospital for which the cost and debt service has been  apportioned  upon
  the  above  basis  shall  be  apportioned  annually  prior  to  December
  thirty-first in each year for the next calendar year  and  in  the  same
  manner  as  the  cost  of  the  project  as herein provided and for such
  purpose the latest preceding town assessment-roll shall be used, and the
  assessed valuations of property to be used shall be as shown therein  at
  the  time  of  the  completion and filing thereof. In the event that any
  such town and village join with an adjoining town or towns to effectuate
  the purposes of this section, the proportion of cost, debt  service  and
  operating  expense  to  be borne by such town and village may by written
  agreement be fixed in the aggregate in the  ratio  which  the  equalized
  assessed  valuation  of  such town bears to the total equalized assessed
  valuation of all towns joining in such project.   The proportion  to  be
  borne  by  the other town or towns shall likewise be determined upon the
  basis of equalized assessed valuations. Any such agreement shall be made
  upon authorization therefor by the governing boards of such village  and
  towns and shall be executed by the mayor and supervisors of such towns.
    In  the event that any such city joins with an adjoining town or town,
  village or villages, to effectuate the purposes  of  this  section,  the
  proportion  of  cost,  debt service and operating expense to be borne by
  each such municipality may, by agreement, be fixed in the  aggregate  in
  the   ratio   which  the  equalized  assessed  valuation  of  each  such

  municipality bears to the total  equalized  assessed  valuation  of  all
  municipalities  joining  in  such project, or such written agreement may
  provide that such city shall bear a greater proportion thereof  and  the
  remaining  municipalities a lesser proportion thereof respectively to be
  fixed  in  such  agreement.  Any  such  agreement  shall  be  made  upon
  authorization  therefor  by  the governing boards of such municipalities
  and shall be executed by the mayors of the city  and  villages  affected
  and by the supervisors of the town affected.
    Equalized  assessed  valuations  shall  be  determined  from  the last
  available equalization rates fixed  and  determined  by  the  state  tax
  commission  and  in effect at the date of such written agreement, or, in
  the case of the annual apportionment of operating expense, at  the  time
  of such apportionment.