PART I https://harley508.wixsite.com/forbettergovernment/post/decline-or-growth-start-anew-or-wither-away
In a unanimous vote Monday night, the Van Etten village board approved a dissolution plan that will eliminate all vestiges of the municipality by year's end.
In the end, the appeal of lower taxes — projected at 11 percent for village residents and 4 percent for town residents — proved too inviting to pass up.
With other villages facing the same dilemma as Van Etten — declining tax base and rising revenues — the lure of cutting bureaucratic layers and potential for tax savings in a high cost state may be too inviting, he said.
Since 2008, residents of 28 villages in New York have voted against dissolving, while 19 voted to abolish their village governments, according to records from the New York State Conference of Mayors. The Erie County village of Depew defeated a dissolution move last year by a resounding margin. So far, Seneca Falls has been the largest New York village to dissolve.
A last minute escape hatch remains.
Residents can petition the village board for another consolidation vote within 45 days after the Village of Van Etten council approves the dissolution plan.
"It would be unfortunate to go back on it now," said Town of Van Etten Supervisor George Keturi. "Most of the feedback I get is that residents want it to happen
To recall the dissolution plan, opponents must obtain 82 petition signatures — 25 percent of the village's registered voters — to initiate another consolidation vote. Given that the original tally on dissolution was 103-76 in favor of consolidation in December, Keturi said the petition route may be a high hurdle to overcome.
The Village of Van Etten has $1.4 million of debt on its books, virtually all of it associated with the water department. User fees should cover debt payments, said Paul Bishop, consultant with Rochester-based CGR, which developed the consolidation plan, as the service is transferred to the town
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