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#Post#: 2036--------------------------------------------------
Is it time for some local Village Residents to start a Secession
Movement?
DIR By: Doug K
Date: March 13, 2022, 12:38 pm
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The key word is SECESSION, and it's definition is as follows:
the act of becoming independent and no longer part of a country,
area, organization, etc.
Example: Norway's secession from Sweden in 1905
And in New York State, and active movement of secession may be
the ONLY way that "we the people" can get control of "our
village governments".
BUT FIRST SOME HISTORY:
Villages and Village Governments started forming along the Erie
Canal Corridor, at the turn of the 19th century, as the Erie
Canal opened up the NY wilderness to all parts west. It is the
oldest form of government, for a then new fledgling country at
the time, and served it's purpose, to unite a group of people
who gathered near intersections of roads & the new Erie Canal
commerce.
As more and more people arrived in NY, many Villages grew into
larger municipalities called Cities, and areas around those
early Villages became Towns, with their own Town Governments and
responsibilities for those living in the area. Town governments,
along with Village legislators were all supported by the taxes
of those living within their boundaries.
More growth resulted in the forming of Counties, and eventually
States were designated from smaller territories within. Each of
those, County & Start, came with even more needs for formal
governing bodies, and more need to charge homesteading citizens
for running those "public municipalities".
And the result for New York State, from all of this "we the
people" governing...
We are one of the MOST expensive States to live in, in this
Country, and it's mainly due to the COST to operate all these
various forms of government, there are FOUR levels here from
Village to Town to County to State.
And so NY Lawmakers saw fit to pass a Bill into Law, 10 years
ago, that would help REDUCE the size of the taxpayer burden, by
trying to reduce the amount of "redundant government oversight".
READ ABOUT THIS ON OUR MAIN WEBSITE
HTML https://ecna.us/nys-govt-reduction-act-village-dissolution/
Local Village government can be virtually eliminated with a new
Law, the Government Reduction and Citizens Empowerment Act, that
allowed VILLAGE RESIDENTS the opportunity to "dissolve" their
local Village Governments with a simple vote. Or the Village
Government could "voluntarily" consolidate itself into the Town
it was located within, and simply end the wasteful practices
themselves.
Of course that would mean the Village Mayors would have to give
up their position of power over the local Taxpayers.
And many of those MAYORS did not like that idea at all, and so
started the "internal battles" between Towns and Villages in New
York State, that still plays out today... all at the EXPENSE of
the poor Taxpayers in those VILLAGES!!!
Towns Supervisors & elected leaders KNOW they should be pushing
harder on local village mayors to do what's right for the
citizens of their town, but it's easier to avoid the fight, and
look the other way... after all, with or without the Village the
Town still get's it's "slice of the pie"...taxwise.
But they could be getting so much more without the Villages they
"own", NYS has given $1,000,000 incentives to Towns that help to
ELIMINATE redundant governments
Is Village Secession an Option?
That seems to be the million dollar question it seems, on in the
case of many Erie Canal Villages, the $6 - $10 million dollar
question, as that is the operating budget average for many
western NY Village Governments. And just an FYI: Most of that,
about 85% goes to pay salaries, benefits and retirements for
Village Employees, with a small amount going towards "public
endeavors".
So the question is can a PORTION of a New York State Village
petition the Village Government for a VOTE by it's citizens to
redraw the Village Boundaries, where it makes sense to do that,
for economic reasons that support the NYS Government Reduction
act?
Normally a Petition for Village Referendum Vote only requires
signatures gathered from Village Residents who are legally able
to Vote and also pay taxes on properties inside that Village.
And the Government Reduction Act made those signature canvassing
requirements, if it involves a consolidation or dissolution,
much easier.
But when it means that only a "portion" of a NYS Village is
affected by a proposed change, are there different rules?
Is it possible to move PART of a Village, it's taxpayers, and
residential/commercial property of of Village Government into
the Town?
That would also mean all of the cost of upkeep and maintenance
of that portion, who already has some jurisdiction over it.
And those "lucky" residents, the ones who VOTED themselves OUT
of the Village, well they will eliminate their often EXPENSIVE
village tax bill in favor of a small increase in their Town &
County tax bills paid every January?
And they will be SAVING money with no June Village Tax Bill...
forever.
There will be MORE on this topic in the next post, for now
please mull this over... and understand if it will help your
taxes paid to NY Government.
The ECNA intends to show why new versions of Brockport and
Fairport Village Boundaries will be more inline with a 21st
century Erie Canal Village, and help alleviate some of the
"over-taxation" that is plaguing NY and it's upstate residents
most.
#Post#: 2037--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is it time for some local Village Residents to start a
Secession Movement?
DIR By: Michael Caswell
Date: March 13, 2022, 1:21 pm
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Well said Sir!
#Post#: 2038--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is it time for some BROCKPORT Village Residents to start a
Secession Movement?
DIR By: Doug K
Date: March 13, 2022, 1:37 pm
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Like we said...it's time for Erie Canal Neighbors, those living
hand to mouth trying to pay THREE DIFFERENT tax bills every
year, to take control of their Village Government running amok.
And specifically BROCKPORT, NY.. a quaint NY State Erie Canal
Village that has now become a money pit to the 8000 or so
residents that live their.
The local town (Sweden, NY) has a $6.2 million dollar annual
budget to maintain, operate & improve the 34 square miles within
the town boundary.
The VILLAGE of Brockport also has a $6.1 million dollar annual
budget to maintain, operate & improve the 2.2 square miles
within the village boundary
One seems very efficient, the other, maybe not so much... but
wages, benefits and salaries are paid...for BOTH.
And Brockport Village seems to solve the problem by simply
"expanding" it's size, well beyond what a normal "village
square" might look like.
Here's a map of the Brockport Village Boundary Lines NOW:
[attachimg=1]
Notice how the top part, above the Erie Canal, seems to be
experiencing "village crawl"? It's expanded far beyond what
might constitute "natural boundaries" in favor of chasing
"taxpayer funding" for it's antiquated government and it's
refusal to accept it will NEVER grow up to be a City. Just how
far away are those edges of the Village... well over a mile
away.
[attachimg=2]
And did you happen to note the Northeast CORNER of the Village
Boundary? It's resembles the mouth of a Halloween Jack-O-Lantern
the way it seems to skip houses, then add some to the village
tax rolls. What is the logic applied here, the fairness?
One homeowner is in the village while BOTH his neighbors on
either side are not paying that same Village Tax bill.
And in one case, the House is in the Town, and the Garage is
half in the Village...wonder what that annual tax bill looks
like?
[attachimg=3]
So what will fix the problem here in Brockport?
Maybe it's time for the residents of the "north side" of
Brockport Village to "stand up" and say "no more"! It would seem
that is the BEST solution since there is a HUGE difference in
what happens in the "main" village compared to what the
"outcasts" get who live NORTH of the Erie Canal.
Maybe it's time for a NEW map to drawn for Brockport Village and
end all of this discrepancies with what qualifies a property to
be in the Town or the Village.
At a minimum it would let the Village Government know they have
to address these excessive taxation issues and STOP running away
from their responsibility to New York State, and it's LAWS on
how much government is the right amount for "we the people".
Maybe this is a BETTER map for a 21st century Village of
Brockport... about HALF it's current size
[attachimg=4]
Hopefully the Brockport Village Government would figure out how
to REDUCE their tax burden on those poor souls left to pay for a
redundant, ineffective, local government, that has outlived it's
usefulness to it's residents and our State. If not, maybe this
will help those elected village officials see the light and
"dissolve Brockport" for the good of all mankind.
In this new boundary for Brockport, all of the property NORTH of
the Erie Canal would be turned back over to the Town of Sweden,
to be added onto their Tax Rolls as "full paying" Townies. The
Village tax bill they used to pay...GONE!
[attachimg=5]
So the REAL QUESTION here is simple.... What side would you be
on?
There are approximately 675 Single Family residents living north
of the Erie Canal inside the current Village Boundary
There are hundreds of other residents living in this section
occupying one of the 35 larger multi-family apartment complexes
as well
There are over 35 major business (or buildings), many part of
the University of Rochester complex in Brockport, that would all
LEAVE the heavily taxed Village domain and become part of the
Town of Sweden Tax Scrolls... a huge savings that maybe can pass
down to consumers.
Just maybe all it takes is a group of concerned people,
canvassing these Brockport neighborhoods with petitions, to
collect voter signatures, that will FORCE the Village Government
& Mayor Blackman to call for a Referendum Vote to achieve this
change to the size of the Village Boundary.
Let's call it the Right-size Brockport Village Referendum
#Post#: 2039--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is it time for some local Village Residents to start a
Secession Movement?
DIR By: Michael Caswell
Date: March 13, 2022, 5:34 pm
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Looks to me like a lot of favoritism.
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