§ 703. Petition by residents or property owners to initiate annexation of territory. 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.