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 Village GRACE page, the most recent blog covered what is the best one for "empowered citizens" to learn just how local government works, and why too much of it is killing NY State.
Click the IMAGE to READ THAT BLOG
I had a chance to re-read the guide that Andrew Cuomo wrote, about how New York State Government Reorganization Acts changes would allow the people of the state to control their own Tax destiny. Taxpayers like you and me, can simply request that their local village government consider having a Village Reorganization Plan created to see how much taxes could be reduced by letting the Town Government manage the Village space.
READ THAT GUIDE HERE
In the end the question for every Town & Village resident comes down to this:
What is the best choice for village residents, and also the TOWN that the Village is a part of, Village Consolidation or Village Dissolution?
The answers you will hear depend quite a bit on who is answering.
If you ask the Town Leaders, they will most likely say it's a good question, they want whats best but won't answer. Mostly so they don't start a "war" with Village Mayors and that local government.
Seems to be an unstated agreement not to criticize the other tax supported government.
If you ask a Village official they will tell you that it will be death, doom & destruction if the Village dissolves...they never seem to talk about Consolidation.
They will tell you that the Police will go, crime will go up, property values will plummet, and that it's working now...so don't fix it. Of course they are also gainfully employed by those tax dollars that the residents "contribute".
These folks will never tell the truth when it comes to a choice of keeping or losing their jobs... it's called human nature.
You would think that the Village Leaders would understand that moving towards Consolidation would save some of what they have, and give a voice in the Town Government. The best choice anyone would make after reading the guide is simple.
Village Mayors & other elected and non-elected employees keep "hoping" that the taxpayers listen to their story and don't vote for dissolving their jobs with the Village.
They could be proactive, and insure that the Town & Village are "united" with everyone's best interest in mind. They should take a moment to read the other word... Consolidation.
Offering to consolidate the Village with the Town is the BEST choice for any Village Mayor to make for their taxpayers, if they are honestly working for the BEST interests of the residents they serve.
It serves all the residents, Village & Town alike, equally.
It also complies with the wishes of the NY Legislation who said local governments need to reduce in size and in overall count.
Village Mayors could each help subtract one, from the equation, getting NY State one step closer to lower taxes for all... simply say it's time to CONSOLIDATE the Village & Town into something that NYS says is needed:
And most importantly, it starts the process to get the Village Reorganization Plan created so that ALL taxpayers can see what's best for them.