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#Post#: 950--------------------------------------------------
The NY Government Reorganization & Citizen Empowerment Act
to the Rescue
DIR By: Doug K
Date: February 20, 2020, 5:19 pm
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The answer to Mr. Caswell's concern is simple...and already been
addressed here in New York State. It's called the NY Government
Reorganization & Citizen Empowerment Act (NYGRACE) a new law to
help residents out when excessive government is making it too
costly for NY Residents.
The Caswell home lies in Town of Perinton, AND the Village of
Fairport, which earns him, like most Erie Canal Village
residents, a "double" tax payment. One to the Village and the
other to the Town/County. And of course there is the School tax
as well.
And Mike Caswell is not alone... just about every resident in
Pittsford & Perinton is paying way above the average for Town
Municipal services compared to similar townships along the Erie
Canal.
The problem is that canal Village Municipalities will ALWAYS be
disadvantaged in serving the public efficiently, compared to the
Townships those villages are part of. This is especially true
for Villages along the Erie Canal, some of the oldest in New
York State. It's a result of "redundant" government & overhead
needed to manage an area of land.
The graph below shows there are two Towns who need to explain
why their costs are so much higher than the others with similar
demographics. Village Officials should take notice that this
type of information will not sit well with the small groups of
residents they serve. Can anyone working in Leadership of a
Village explain the benefits of staying incorporated as a
Village given how lopsided this data looks for them?
Towns & Villages are compared by Annual Budgets. Physical size
of the Towns & Villages and the number of residents that live in
these areas are listed by name, with area highlighted in red and
associated populations as a separate graph bar.
[attachimg=1]
As the graph shows there are areas of concern comparing Town to
Town data. Seems a few towns are not running very effectively
in how the residents are served, and what value residents are
receiving for Tax Dollars they spend.
Also what is shown is how disproportional the Villages Annual
Operating Cost are in comparison to the Towns they are located
within. Combined Village budgets exceed those of the towns even
though those Villages have far less area to manage, about 5%,
and only a third of the total population that Towns have to care
for.
Here's a cost breakdown PER RESIDENT for Towns & Villages
between Buffalo & Syracuse
[attachimg=5]
Because of situations JUST LIKE THIS, New York State passed a
law in 2010 (NYGRACE) to empower citizens to start their own
efforts to reduce government layers and reorganize local
municipalities to gain efficiency and lower overall taxes paid.
Because of the obvious fact that some Village Officials may be
reluctant to "dissolve themselves" away, NY State enabled
Village RESIDENTS to ask for a Vote of Dissolution that could
force the Village to consider the proposal. It's meant to help
eliminate the burden of small VILLAGE government on NY Citizens
by giving the power back to them to push for Reorganization or
Dissolution of unnecessary layers of bureaucracy.
This website explains the purpose and idea behind this
consolidation.
HTML https://www.dos.ny.gov/lg/publications/ConsolidationDissolutionLaw.pdf<br
/>
There have been studies on the NY Govt. Consolidation process
and several Villages have voluntarily dissolved to save their
residents undue hardship, They have consolidate services, and
now have their Townships take the lead role in managing
municipal services for the residents living in those villages.
Some villages have put the Village Dissolution question up for a
vote, as directed by the NYGRACE Act. Some village votes have
resulted in Villages dissolving, and others have not, when
voting was in favor of keeping villages in place.
How could anyone could ignore the obvious fact that Villages
Leaders are overcharging their residents compared to what the
Townships have already demonstrated is possible? Is it good
business for those Villages to turn a blind eye to this fact? Is
it in the best interest of the residents those Village Leaders
serve to ignore the fact they have perhaps become more burden
than benefit?
If given a choice, most Village Officials will be unwilling to
put themselves out of a job and dissolve their villages
voluntarily. That is covered in a nice study on this topic, by
the Rockefeller Institute of Government.
HTML https://rockinst.org/issue-area/dissolving-village-government-in-new-york-state/<br
/>
[attachimg=2]
Here is a website devoted to explaining the various branches of
NYS Government and the role of County, City, Town & Village,
HTML https://www.dos.ny.gov/lg//handbook/html/village_government.html<br
/>
Finally, there is a NYGRACE Handbook Guide that is available to
help facilitate the dissolution & consolidation of a Village.
What is interesting to note is the section on Taxes.
HTML https://www.brockportny.org/files/NYCOM_document_on_dissolution.pdf<br
/>
[attachimg=3]
Here's a nice website as well... it outlines the importance of
preparing a proper petition for a public vote and why.
HTML http://labergegroup.com/2017/02/08/village-dissolution/
[attachimg=4]
MOVING FORWARD WITH VILLAGE DISSOLUTION:
Sadly, the issue of poorly run, inefficient, village governments
is once again just going to divide neighbors, put villagers at
odds with each other and maybe pit Town vs Town or Town vs
Village. Many opposing canal change will make their own 'facts'
up, deny the issue with Village Operation cost, and try to play
on the sympathy of Canal Life being "lost". That was the case
with the recent work being done by the Canal Corporation on it's
Erie Canal Earthen Embankment Integrity Program work, some will
fight just "because".
Many Canal Villagers will fight change tooth & nail, not because
they think it's best to keep an expensive Village in place. They
will resist this change, like most, because they are scared of
the "unknown".
What would life be like without the Canal Village they have had
all these years...? I know the answer to that one...
Life without Brockport, without Fairport & Pittsford, life with
any NY village DISSOLVED will be far less expensive for the
residents & taxpayers unfortunate enough to have homes within
the limits of an Incorporated Erie Canal Village
#Post#: 959--------------------------------------------------
Re: The NY Government Reorganization & Citizen Empowerment
Act to the Rescue
DIR By: Tayllor M
Date: February 26, 2020, 8:56 am
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Do you think the 45000+ Perinton residents will be happy to
accept any tax increase so that 2000+ Fairport residents can get
a tax decrease? Seems kind of selfish to me.
#Post#: 961--------------------------------------------------
Re: The NY Government Reorganization & Citizen Empowerment
Act to the Rescue
DIR By: Doug K
Date: February 26, 2020, 12:05 pm
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That is a GREAT question... thanks. But I have one question in
return.
[size=12pt] Being Selfish? On "who's" part?
Is it the Villager, who's been picking up the tab for 1-2 square
miles of Town Land since he bought his home? The fact that just
about everyone in the Town uses the village at some point should
matter here. These folks are only asking for fairness but
perhaps some may say they are being selfish.
Or are you referring to the Town's People, who might selfishly
vote against this change, thinking that this inequality should
continue? Why wouldn't it be fair to eliminate redundant efforts
in government, what possible reason could be given? Would anyone
pay twice a Wegman's for food... once at the checkout and
another time leaving the building? Why do Villagers have to pay
two different governments in the same Township? This issue, like
most things, all depends on which side you are viewing the
problem from... and of course how much it's costing you for that
view.
Just to be clear...here are the numbers for Towns and Villages
centered around Rochester
[attachimg=1]
In the end it's really up to the VILLAGE if they want to
dissolve... the Town will not be included in any vote for a
Village to dissolve, brought forward by Village residents.
[attachimg=2]
But the case of other NYS Govt Reorganization methods a
Town-Village CONSOLIDATION is another matter, and one that
should be the method used IF all parties can agree on that
course to take. This would fold essential parts of the Village
into the town, and also prompt a full Town/Village vote. And I
suppose some in the Town could say it's unfair or selfish but in
the end what's fair for all in the Town will prevail.
Remember of course that if the Town's People want to lead a
campaign to try and stop the Consolidation effort, the Village
residents can simply band together and FORCE the hand of the
Town by simply dissolving the Village using the Guidelines in
the Govt Reorganization Act and voting themselves out of
existence.
That would most likely be the most disruptive to all parties but
could be how it's done... if people start changing the subject
from what is FAIR to discussions about being selfish or whatever
other reason people want to make up to justify this money being
needlessly spent to keep an "extra" layer of management, sorry,
Government running in an already overtaxed State.
What Should be Done...
Each affected Town should offer to work on their Village
Consolidation or Dissolution voluntarily. After all, in many
cases it has been the VILLAGE NAME that most people associate
with a given Township. Villages have become the focal point for
much local Town activity and usually have a collection of
historical buildings, parks, and other Town amenities. Towns
people should be reluctant to "throw the baby out with the bath
water" and lose those parts of it's identity forever linked with
the Village name, instead working on a fair solution for all in
that town.
Incorporated Villages in NY State ARE redundant layer of
government in NY State, there is NO doubt. But what is being
"dissolved"is the COST of the village, not the name, and
certainly not the community spirit. The village name can still
be used by the Town to promote itself, along with it's Canal
Heritage. It just won't have an associated village costs a
currently only small group of taxpayers subsidize. The entire
TOWN should share the burden of these small spaces within their
Towns... Or at least that what the State of New York Lawmakers
Said when they passed this Law
And those who volunteer their time and energy in the Village
won't disappear either, they will more than likely seek to take
active roles in Town Government and support Town initiatives.
Town Boards will get a breath of new life, Town Volunteers that
are over-burdened now will have people they can look to for
ideas and help.
Why is it that everyone seems to jump immediately to what is
presumed to be "lost" with something like Village Consolidation
or Dissolution and not understand that there are most likely
many more things gained for everyone's benefit.
The path towards Positive Change should NOT be this difficult
folks, maybe stop looking at the glass "half-empty"?
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