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#Post#: 1053--------------------------------------------------
Village of Brockport Raises Taxes
DIR By: Doug K
Date: April 15, 2020, 9:36 am
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In keeping with the theme of Mike Caswell's post, this isn't an
"eastside" village tax issue. Out of control Village Government
is a BIG problem these days..with NO end in sight. Here's
Brockport's Proposed Village Budget, fiscal year 2020-2021
[attachimg=1]
Now it's really easy for people to blindly say things like "It's
a Village and it's there for residents". Or "It's the price you
pay to have "Village Life". Bullcrap!
I took a good hard look at Brockport's Village Budget...sadly
the COMMUNITY has been left OUT at the EXPENSE of Village
Employees.
Here's how Brockport Village Budget is spending it's 2.3%
INCREASE from Village Taxpayers
[attachimg=2]
Digging just a little more you see this, the Village has CUT
services to the Community in order to fund Employees, Benefits,
and the Dept of Public Works:
[attachimg=3]
And finally you see the real reason for the extra taxes...it's
all about Village ELECTED Officials hiring even MORE people paid
with taxpayer dollars, to do the actual work. When is enough,
enough? When will Village Residents realize what's going on and
ask for the State-Funded Village Reorganization Plan to be done?
[attachimg=4]
You can see the FULL Brockport Village PROPOSED Budget here:
HTML https://www.brockportny.org/government/village-board/minutes-and-agendas/send/16-agendas/2235-4-6-2020-budget-presentation
And please folks, do NOT forget this: The Town of Sweden
already provides these same services, using Town Employees, that
we are ALL paying for already through our County Tax bills every
February. You can see their Information on the Town of Sweden
Budget here:
HTML https://www.townofsweden.org/static/sitefiles/PreliminaryBudget.pdf
#Post#: 1054--------------------------------------------------
ECNA emails Village of Brockport about Village Budget Increase
DIR By: Doug K
Date: April 15, 2020, 9:43 am
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For those of you saying "What can I do about high taxes" here's
a start.
Email your MAYOR and ask WHY more isn't being done to lower
taxes. Ask why he or she is NOT initiating a New York State
Government Reorganization Study for your Village. It's free, and
will show all taxpayers, and the village leadership EXACTLY
where changes can be made to fix over-taxation, to fix redundant
services, and to consolidate where possible with the Town to
lower Village Taxes to almost ZERO.
Here's my letter that went out TODAY... because it's time for
EMPOWERED CITIZENS to reign in out of control VILLAGE
governments.
Hello,
I missed the Budget Meeting last week, too many irons in the
fire that day. But I have two questions you may want to find
answers to as Village Budgets will become hot topics in 2020.
1) Will the Village of Brockport Elected Officials consider
following the recommendations of New York State Lawmakers, by
complying with the Government Reorganization and Citizen
Empowerment Act, and having a NY Village Reorganization Plan
created to reduce this proposed Village Budget to Zero Dollars
per Villages Taxpayer?
If the answer is No, I have a second question... please.
2) Why would elected Village Officials force village residents
to undertake the more complicated method of conducting the
Elector-Initiated Village Reorganization Study & Plan when their
state leadership, New York Lawmakers, have already told village
taxpayers that this Village tax burden is no longer required,
and actually adds to the over-Taxation problem in our state?
Are you working in the best interest of the public you serve, or
for your own self-interests making this new budget? It's getting
harder to tell the more I've been reading about the NY State
Government Reorganization details...you folks may want to read
this opinion piece. It's about the reality of what the Erie
Canal created over 200 years of its life, including too many
small governments that are no longer needed.
HTML https://ecna.us/village-dissolution/the-ecna-supports-nys-government-reorganization-why-dont-you/
The ECNA has shared information & facts about Embankment Dam
Safety to the public, so that intelligent decisions can be made
about clearing earthen dams. We've done a good job of that, and
that work continues as the new Canal Embankment Program
continues where the original project left off.
We are doing the same work with the NYS Government
Reorganization Act. It’s about information & TRUE facts and
getting those in front of the public in a way they can related
to. We are putting all information, all facts & truth, into one
place, one location that can be used by those seeking tax
"fairness" in NY State villages. We are also working with a few
empowered citizens to take charge and ask their village leaders
to consider following the suggestions of NYS Lawmakers to reduce
costs.
And the message of expensive redundant government is ringing
loud & clear
HTML https://ecna.us/grace/
If you'd like to talk about this please reach out. We'd rather
work together for the best solution for all, in the best
interest of NY taxpayers, which is the essence of the Government
Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act.
Our goal is simple in the ECNA, request the FREE Village
Government Reorganization Study to be performed (per the GRACE
Act guidelines) from Elected Village Officials along the Erie
Canal Corridor. Easier if the Village Leaders request it, but if
needed it will be through Elector-Initiated means. That choice
can be avoided, but is up to you folks.
One of these methods SERVES the public better than the other.
One only serves to DIVIDE village residents, leaders, and
townspeople. Asking if you and the Village of Brockport
leadership will consider the best choice for Brockport Village
residents and do it voluntarily.
Thank you for your time.
Doug Kucmerowski
Erie Canal Neighbors Association Co-Founder
Brockport Village Resident (25 years)
#Post#: 1057--------------------------------------------------
Village of Brockport Mayor Answers ECNA Reorganization Question
DIR By: Doug K
Date: April 19, 2020, 5:41 pm
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Of course the Mayor of Brockport has replied to earlier email
questions regarding Village Reorganization and the Brockport
Village 2020-21 Budget Plan.
She chose to include the Brockport Village Board members in her
message which I have posted below.
And you will see my reply as well.
Brockport Village Residents should take this email from the
Mayor as a "wake up call", the village is broken!
The mayor's reply is basically this: The Village of Brockport
has NO PLANS to use the free offer from the NYS GRACE laws, to
obtain a Government Reorganization Study on how the village
might reorganize and possibly save the taxpayers a little money.
She stated that she knows about the GRACE work as well, and
doesn't seem concerned about even discussing my original
questions on budget.
Oddly she starts discussing Village Dissolution, which was NOT
my question and NEVER mentioned in my initial email... so let's
read between the lines.
One has to assume that the Mayor of Brockport, AND the Village
Board understand that the state-funded Village Reorganization
Study might mean that the village may have to go. After all that
was the REASON for the GRACE law in the first place, and the
REASON why the Village Leaders all simply want to ignore it
exists.
Mayor Blackman's final statement brings up the only defense,
that a "majority" of Village Residents voted against the last
Referendum to initiate a Village Reorganization study for total
dissolution twice. Of course only about half the village voted
and it was a slim margin that saved the village from dissolution
in 2016.
So then if that's the case, if the Mayor AND the Village Board
of Brockport really believe they have the VILLAGE RESIDENTS
behind them, then they should be willing to test that theory...
right?
Why doesn't the Village Board & Mayor simply INITIATE the STUDY
and then let the VOTERS once again have their say?
This time the village would actually be able to SEE a
Reorganization Plan, and judge for themselves if it's a good
plan, what it includes and what will be gained and lost. NY
State Lawmakers have already said that Village Taxes might be
ELIMINATED, Let's get a chance to see what the REAL plan might
say, and then if we like it, it passes. Let's see what really
happens to the Brockport Police Dept, not what some have stated
already, that it will go. Let's actually see how much money
Village Taxpayers can SAVE, let's see the details of OUR actual
Village Reorg plan, so we can all discuss the facts and decide
what's best for the village & it's taxpayers.
After all, the Mayor, and Village Board, seems to have no
problems asking village taxpaying residents to fork over the
$16,500 per day they want to run the Village and all the
"amenities" we get. SIXTEEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER
DAY...say it. It's TRUE! That is what the $6 million dollar
Brockport Village budget is if you divide by 365... people WAKE
UP!
And if the MAYOR is correct about TAXPAYERS not wanting lower
taxes then all those Village Residents who LIKE THEIR VILLAGE &
TAXES can rise up and vote AGAINST the Reorganization Plan and
save the village from Consolidation with the Town of Sweden or
Village Dissolution. Let's END all of this debate, all this
Town-Village animosity and simply REQUEST the Reorganization
Study and see what the Final Plan looks like.
At a minimum it will end all the conflict & division in our
community about this whole topic, because the truth will finally
be shared.
Why Brockport will NEVER see a Village Reorganization Plan:
The Mayor is against this GRACE Act funded Reorganization Study
& Plan request. It's not about helping village residents, it's
only about keeping the status quo.
The current Mayor is also the most vocal cheerleader of what
will be lost if the Village Dissolves. She has warned residents
of all the things that will be lost which is all conjecture
without an ACTUAL Village Reorganization Plan. We have all heard
that the Police Dept will go, which may not be true. Towns can
have a Police Dept, look at Ogden. We've heard that all the
Village Events will go, but they won't as long as the Town
agrees to help sponsor them.
And the Brockport Mayor won't tell you that she doesn't want to
lose her job...really. Just like all the rest of the Village
Board that keeps itself busy and feeling important and TAXPAYERS
EXPENSE! This isn't about serving the best interests of the
public in Brockport, it's about Village Leadership that has
become a "self-perpetuating tax-sucking machine".
And actually the outcome of the Brockport Village Reorganization
Study might mean that the Village would be better to consolidate
and keep some of the current Village positions, but move them to
the run under Town Supervision. But we can't know any of this
unless the Mayor, or the VOTERS act.
As long as ELECTED Village Officials are allowed to put
self-preservation over public service the hope of getting tax
relief is only in Village Voter Hands.
Here's the email exchange to date, you judge for yourself who's
thinking out for the BEST INTERESTS of the Village Residents.
Want to learn more? Go see our website -
HTML https://ecna.us/grace/
[attachimg=1]
My Reply: And I really do not expect an answer.
[attachimg=2]
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