New York Consolidated Laws, Local Finance Law - LFN § 34.00 Bond resolution may be subject to mandatory or permissive referendum;  cities

a. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph b of this section, neither the expenditure of money for an object or purpose for which it is proposed to issue obligations nor a bond resolution or capital note resolution shall be subject to a mandatory or a permissive referendum in any city.

b. Any city may adopt, in the manner provided by law, a local law requiring that all bond resolutions, or bond resolutions authorizing the issuance of bonds for such purposes or amounts as may be specified in such local law, shall be subject to a mandatory or a permissive referendum after such resolutions have been adopted by the finance board.  Such a local law shall prescribe the qualifications of the voters at and the procedure for such a mandatory or a permissive referendum and shall not itself be subject to a permissive or mandatory referendum.  The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to bond resolutions authorizing the issuance of bonds for the payment of judgments, or compromised or settled claims against such city, or awards or sums payable by such city pursuant to a determination by a court, or an officer, body or agency acting in an administrative or quasi-judicial capacity, or to provide sewage disposal or treatment facilities required by any order of the state commissioner of health or of the water resources commission directing compliance with standards, determinations or orders promulgated pursuant to article twelve of the public health law to prevent pollution of the waters of the state.