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Erie Canal Neighbors Association
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DIR Return to: Town Taxes & Village Dissolution
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#Post#: 1038--------------------------------------------------
What do you like the MOST about Erie Canal Village Life - Take
our Poll
DIR By: Doug K
Date: April 2, 2020, 2:02 pm
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The ECNA is conducting a few polls, for members & guests,
regarding what people like most about living in older Villages
along the Erie Canal.
It's hopefully going to start a new conversation in our area
about the "value" we are getting for the high cost of having
this lowest level of New York State government still operating.
Even though NYS Lawmakers have already stated that Village
Government is a burden to taxpayers, and an unnecessary level of
legislation that can be consolidated or dissolved. They have
sited the excessive VILLAGE government as one of the reasons why
New York is the HIGHEST taxed state in America
Lawmakers said all this in 2010 when they passed the New York
State Government Reorganization And Citizen Empowerment Act, or
GRACE
You can read about that here:
HTML https://ecna.us/nys-govt-reduction-act-village-dissolution/
[attachimg=1]
If own a home and you live in any Village within New York State,
you are "blessed with having to pay an "extra" Property Tax
every year. It's used to support local Village Government, it's
called the Village Tax, and the majority of it pays for a
redundant layer of government, though salaries, health care &
pensions.
The rest of the Town only pays School & County Tax bills, which
also found the Town your Village is a part of.
The Villagers pay this third tax simply because they are a
"captive" audience, their homes lie within something called an
Incorporated Village Boundary. Inside the line you are forced to
pay on average about $17,000 per DAY to have a Village
Government make decisions for the 2 square miles of land your
home resides in. Some villages, with less "fluff" may pay around
$4000, some Villages are costing these select taxpayers as much
as $30,000 per day to run.
If you are across the street from the Village Line, you pay
nothing, even though you most likely use the same Village as
much as your neighbor.
And all of this EXTRA TAX is not required according to the GRACE
changes & NYS Lawmakers. Because the TOWN already is providing
the same type of service, to many more residents all around the
Village, usually for a better value for all.
In fact the Lawmakers are so certain that the Town & Village
residents will be MUCH better off if they consolidate the
Village into the Town (or Dissolve it Outright) that they are
willing to PAY for the Government Reorganization Study & Plan
and also offer any Towns that have a village dissolve additional
State Funding to pay for more work that the Town may have
inherited with the change.
The ECNA is advocating for Village Leadership to accept the
GRACE findings and ask the State of NY to help Village Taxpayers
get some much needed relief. We are simply asking Village
Leadership to order the Government Reorganization Plan
themselves, from the state, and serve their constituents to the
best of their ability by accepting that local government can be
more efficient with less layers, less bureaucracy and
elimination of Village Taxes
Please take the time to answer the Poll, let your voice be
heard.
You can check on your own Village Reorganization efforts here:
HTML https://ecna.us/grace/
Or Scan the QR Code with your Smartphone Camera
[attachimg=2]
#Post#: 1095--------------------------------------------------
Re: What do you like the MOST about Erie Canal Village Life -
Take our Poll
DIR By: Thomas Mangan
Date: May 12, 2020, 5:02 pm
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I like having a Village Police Department, and because Brockport
is a college town, I like the fact the the Village Code limits
the number of unrelated people (students) who can live in a
house that has been turned into housing for college students. If
the Village were dissolved, college housing in the village would
become chaotic (to say the least).
#Post#: 1097--------------------------------------------------
Re: What do you like the MOST about Erie Canal Village Life -
Take our Poll
DIR By: Doug K
Date: May 13, 2020, 9:03 am
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Thomas, Thank you for your input, and sharing your concerns. But
I'd like to take your statements and ask a few questions while
we cover these thoughts.
First, there are other Towns & Villages in NY State with
Colleges, that manage quite well, before & after Government
Reorganization efforts were completed. You only need to look at
the long list of successful local government reorganizations in
NY State to find a comparable Town & Village.
FIRST QUESTION-
Do you really believe that the Town of Sweden government would
simply let something like this happen, if the Village were to
dissolve?
The Town has a Town Supervisor, Kevin Johnson, who also conducts
"business" similar to the Village government, and they do it at
a much lower cost already. The exact same services provided in
the Village would simply transfer over to the Town if that is
what the Village Government Reorganization Plan stated should
happen. It all starts with this "plan" that is fully funded by
the State, and can be started with a simple request from Mayor
Blackman.
And if the Village was dissolved, then the burden of LEADERSHIP
falls on Sweden Town Government to pick up the pieces, and
create the "new look" for government in the Town of Sweden,
County of Monroe, State of New York. They are plenty capable,
well staffed and up for the challenge, from conversations we
have had with them recently
There are Sweden Town Boards & Officials that cover everything
from Trees, to Building Permits & Zoning. The Town of Sweden
e-Code also covers MUCH more than the Village Code, in many
cases, as the Town has wider spaces to consider when governing
the local area. The Town has sidewalks, sewers, and yes, also
has a water districts to sell water. If the Village
Reorganization Plan said that Police should stay, they would,
and also operate much like the Town of Ogden Police Dept would
work. Towns CAN have POLICE too.
The only change, ALL government in and around the Town of Sweden
ANSWERS to the Town Leadership & ALL of the Residents
In fact, if people thought aspects of the Village should stay,
even the position of Mayor, that can also work under guidance
from the Town Government, and only have ONE taxpayer-funded
government in the Town, not two. That second local government in
the Village is costing 50% of the Town residents (who happen to
live in the Village) quite a bit of money, yet I'm sure that YOU
as well as many Townsfolk use all these same streets, shops, and
services like Annual Events & Village Parades
The Village of Brockport does NOT have to dissolve, just the
elected government that runs it. Everything Brockport Village
does now, could be continued under Town Government leadership &
guidance. And it WILL be done at a LOWER cost to Taxpayers...
that is a NY State Guarantee.
MOVING FORWARD -
A better solution for some New York State Villages (maybe
Brockport included because of the College aspect) can take the
second Government Reorganization method to help local
taxpayers... they can chose Village Consolidation instead of
Dissolution. This insures that the BEST parts of the Village are
worked into the Government Reorganization Plan and the entire
process is approved by both Town & Village voters. This INSURES
the majority is served best, not the minority.
And in my opinion, Village Consolidation is the preferred
solution for BROCKPORT but takes TWICE as much work to
accomplish.
In this scenario the Village residents petition the Village
Elected Officials to consider moving under the direction of
Sweden Town Government. This is the ONLY method that insures
pieces of the Village, like a Mayor, those Board Membership
Seats, and Police/Fire Departments remain to serve the entire
TOWN, not just the Village. It also requires a Town-wide Vote &
Approval of the Proposed Reorg Plan, which is where the extra
work comes in.
This CONSOLIDATION is actually Government Reorganization that
current Village Leadership should be embracing, not fighting, as
it would insure that some of the Village remains intact to serve
the best interest of the Village Proper.
The eventual alternative will be a total Dissolution of the
Village, as Brockport Residents tire of their taxes always
increasing to cover the rising costs of Salaries, Benefits, and
Retirement funding. The majority of the current Village Budget,
as much as 80% of it, is used for ONLY that purpose... employee
costs.
Village residents fund the salaries and benefits of 35 Full & 26
Part Time Employees. They help manage 2.2 square miles of land
for about 8000 residents. The work is currently "subsidized" by
8000 taxpayers living inside that small space.
[attachimg=1]
Town of Sweden employee headcount is currently at 24 Full Time &
40 Part Time Employees. They manage the 34 square miles that
make up the Town of Sweden for almost 15,000 residents, more
than half live in the Village and help pay for these wages too
Here's the breakdown of COST for the Town & Village governments
in our area from GovSalaries.com
HTML https://govsalaries.com/salaries/NY/village-of-brockport?year=2018
[attachimg=2]
Now Thomas, tell me what you think about these numbers. Do you
still think the Village is "good deal". Would you yourself run a
company like this?
I'd love to discuss your thoughts AFTER you see exactly how
expensive it has become to live in Brockport, and why. The truth
is that we have too many governments here in the Town of Sweden,
and the MOST expensive is in the Village. That government has a
long history of fighting with local Town Leadership, it reached
a point recently where the Village & Town could not share the
same building anymore, or even the same "10 Year Plan".
They have fought like cats & dogs for as long as anyone can
remember
Hoping the Village Leaders will come to their senses and STOP
overburdening their constituents has long evaporated in the
Sweden & Brockport area.
It's time to stop "making excuses" for KEEPING a poorly run
local government in operation and residents should be working
together with the Town Government to end unfair Brockport
Village Government Costs to the community at large.
Please, share more of your thoughts..because if we don't talk
about it, the problem will never get fixed, and better solutions
will never be tried.
#Post#: 1107--------------------------------------------------
Re: What do you like the MOST about Erie Canal Village Life -
Take our Poll
DIR By: Doug K
Date: May 21, 2020, 8:24 am
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Look up Apathy in the Dictionary... It's the same as 70+ people
looking at an Online Poll and only 9 people taking the time to
add their thoughts.
Everyone seems to have opinions on Barge Canal Embankment
Safety, Re-imagining a new Canal, and even how Village Taxes can
be reigned in.
But few people, if any, actually care enough to get involved and
try to initiate changes that will help increase the public's
safety or their put money back in their wallets.
APATHY... right along with IGNORANCE these two seem to be the
mantra for many folks today... "I don't know, and I don't care"
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