Having been cooped up inside like most folks, due to the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic confinement, the chance to catch up on some old reading material was a welcome relief from a long, cold winter. Much of this government reduction information is covered in these blog posts, FAQs, and the…
"Some business associations fear the property taxpayer — already burdened by some of the highest taxes in the country — could be on the hook for filling the yawning gaps created by the pandemic." Click the link below to read more: Could Property taxpayers in New York Feel the…
If you look long enough at a problem "the dots" seem to magically connect themselves... This statewide government reorganization effort, which takes a hard look at the smallest level of local government with Incorporated Villages, is really part of a much larger effort for Reforming Government in NY State.…
Citizens Guide to Village Petitions covers everything from laying out Village Reorganization Petition paperwork, to creating cover pages & signature sheets. This handbook explains everything needed for a group of EMPOWERED CITIZENS to take back control of Village Government. A must read if you plan to work on your own…
An Opinion Piece... one that should make you think. High New York State taxes, aren’t a myth. It’s not “fake news” or some hoax invented by someone looking for personal gain. The fact that New York State is the “highest taxed state to live in", for the entire country,…
This is a great podcast to listen to titled Power to The People by Dr. Lisa Parshall, one of the leading authorities on the New York Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act You can click the IMAGE to go to the Podcast website and listen as Dr. Parshall explains…
Just out, hot off the press!. Genesee Valley Pennysaver posted the first of our Village Reorganization ad campaign this week. You can read about it in their Digital Editions online. Click the link below, find us on lucky page 13. FAIRPORT - PENFIELD - WEBSTER EDITION …
By invoking the Elector-Initiated Village Reorganization effort, per NYS GRACE Act guidelines, huge tax savings are now within taxpayers reach. The elimination of VILLAGE TAXES is highlighted in the red column. Property taxes are analyzed by individual residencies street by street. Tax paid in 2004 and in 2019 are compared…
One of the main questions on the topic of Citizen-Initiated Village Reorganizations is about collecting village voter signatures. From who can sign a Reorganization Referendum petition, to how & where a list of voters is obtained. This is a critical step in the Village Reorganization Process that needs to be…
This is an interesting look at the problem of redundant local government in New York State, from the DIRECT cost to taxpayers...Village & Town salaries You see in the end it's about how efficient a government can be, and in NY, the State can mandate that efficiency down to…
We've created a new page on our website, for all of our New York Village Neighbors, who would like to use it as a landing spot for their local Village Reorganization work. As local villages throughout the state start considering following the advice of their lawmakers, a focal point…
One of the best papers on NY Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act was produced by the Rockefeller Institute on Government by Dr. Lisa Parshall. This look into the GRACE Laws, and in particular the Village Dissolution, shows how difficult the decision can become when Village Residents & Leaders forget…
When the NY Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment (GRACE) Act updated NY Government Laws in 2010, that should have sent a message loud and clear to all Towns & Villages Official across the state, that they should start considering some type of consolidation effort to help their tax paying residents…
There is an excellent article about Government Reorganization in New York by the Empire Center, a think tank that analyzes problems and offer solutions. This is from 2015 and discusses how the NY GRACE Law has "streamlined" the process to reduce local govt. CLICK the image below to see…
This is what Kevin Cahill from NY Assembly District 103 thought when the 2010 Government Reorganization And Citizen Empowerment Act was created. It is by far one of the best explanations we have come across. NY ASSEMBLYMAN WEBSITE Not only did Assemblyman Cahill help with getting the GRACE…
Once again, it's just numbers, and many have said they don't lie. But how many people talk about the real story behind those truthful numbers? Not many it seems, especially when it comes to outdated, redundant , expensive local government in New York State. It's not a hard concept to…
The 2010 New York State Government Reorganization Act is alive & working well. Continuing discussion on pluses & minuses of the 2010 NYS Government Reorganization and Citizens Empowerment Act (GRACE) that we covered here, have graphs showing a view about Village Dissolution. Take a look for yourself at the data…
Here's a slide show about Village Consolidation from the NYS Office of Local Government. It is a nice overview of the NY Govt. Reorganization Act. Much of this is motivated by the "citizen empowerment" part of this new law, that gave Village Residents the power to ask for FAIR tax…
Seems the Village of Macedon may hold the key to Village Dissolution The Village of Macedon has been run through the Erie Canal "wringer" trying to settle the issues of Village Consolidation and Dissolution. They have had many village votes, the residents have wrangled over the positives & negatives…
Governor Cuomo Announces $9.7 Million Delivered to Local Municipalities for Dissolving Duplicative Layers of Government Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that $9.7 million through the Citizen Empowerment Tax Credit has been delivered to 19 local governments across New York where voters approved a village dissolution within their boundaries.…
Lyons Village Dissolution: One year later Ms Joanne Greco, who used to be a member of the village board, said that she has always been against dissolution and fought for two years to prevent it. She was one of those who was skeptical about how much of a presence the…
‘What we would have changed? We would have done it sooner’ Village residents have seen their tax rate fall from about $17 to about $6 per $1,000 of assessed property with dissolution. The outside village residents were paying $1.86 per $1,000. Now they pay about $5 per $1,000 of…
I'm writing this post in response to recent activity from the ECNA Forum. I also have taken the time to look at some of the data I've shared here and see that it's even more obvious that people in Villages really should start grabbing the life line they have been…
There are 534 reasons why the NYS Government Reduction Act should matter to every taxpayer in NY State. Click the Image Below to see if More Note: Since the last census, 10 years ago, there have been 21 New York State Villages that have decided they will stop their own…
Here's a nice website as well... it outlines the importance of preparing a proper petition for a public vote and why using what has worked in the past is a good place to start. Click the Image to open the Webpage
You have asked... and here's the answers. Questions about where the Erie Canal Neighbors Association found its Town & Village data and how we made the graphs have been coming in for a few days now. Many canal residents want to know if what they are seeing is accurate...the answer…