Changing times
FORUM TALKS MUNICIPAL CONSOLIDATION OPORTUNITIESBy MICHAEL RUKAVINA
Article Photos
EDITOR'S NOTE: this article is the third in a series covering the forum held Thursday night on the future of municipal governments. To view the other articles or video taken visit www.observertoday.com.
Change. It was the buzz word of the 200+ people who filled the 1891 Fredonia Opera House and weighed in on the duplication of government in the region.
The forum was sponsored by several businesses and organizations within the county, including Chautauqua Opportunities Inc., an anti-poverty agency.
"People might wonder why Chautauqua Opportunities, an anti-poverty agency, would be co-sponsoring a forum on consolidation," COI Director Roberta Keller said. "Part of our mission is to look at the local issues that impact poverty, that exacerbates poverty or perpetuates poverty and locally one of those issues is the redundancy of service delivery and the impact on a shrinking tax base."
Brought on the panel to share insight into his current endeavors to consolidate municipal officials in Erie County was Kevin Gaughan, an advocate for government reform. According to Gaughan, the three referendums he's helped put on the ballot in the villages of Lancaster and Depew, and in the town of Tonawanda to reduce their number of elected officials by two has passed on average by 91 percent.
Gaughan noted that the Chautauqua County Legislature is larger than in Erie County.
"As of 2000 you had 140,000 folks here in Chautauqua County, and you have 21 county legislators is that right?" To which Legislator Keith Ahlstrom answered 25. "That's about one legislator for 5,000 folks in the county. Erie County is pretty bad, but if we had the same ratio of elected officials to citizens we'd have 180 Erie County legislators. Right now there are 15 legislators."
According to Gaughan, out of the 3,186 counties in America, Chautauqua has the ninth highest property tax, Erie County is 12th, and Orleans is first. In the top 20, some 17 to 18 are in Western New York, he said.
"In Chautauqua County we have villages, towns, cities, the county, school districts, sewer districts, fire districts and who knows what else and who knows how many taxing jurisdictions. Why do we need all of them, why do we have all of them?" asked Ahlstrom, who also served on the panel. "Help us ... find and demand a way to solve the problem and stop talking about the problem."
Ahlstrom, an advocate for a reduction in the amount of legislators, was met with disagreement by District 4 Legislator David Wilder.
"I think it's important that people's representation be maintained. One of the reasons there are 25 of us is because it puts us in proximity of the people we represent. I think cutting representation is only a short-term savings. Services should be consolidated at the county level, but I think until that is achieved and in running order that there should remain 25 legislators."
Over the course of the forum, local government officials were again challenged to live up to talks of consolidation and increased efficiencies.
"A few mayors here in response to a question said they would consider merging their village into their surrounding town. I would challenge you to put it to a vote. You can adopt a resolution, it doesn't mean the village is going to dissolve, it means the residents are going to decide," Gaughan said. "Also under the same law, once the trustees adopt the resolution it compels them to go through section 1900 of the New York village law to do a very thorough and thoughtful process to create a plan to ensure there are savings, to ensure there are benefits. Every disillusion of a village in New York state, although rare, has resulted in savings and increased quality of life."
"If we can find a way to eliminate the need for a village I don't mind being the last mayor," said panelist Michael Sullivan, Fredonia mayor, who ran on a campaign of consolidation. "We have to find a way to provide services that are needed in a cost effective and efficient manner, we need to make sure the water is flowing and that we have police and fire. I think the panel's suggestion is we need the public to come to meetings with an open mind to discuss that. Unfortunately when there are meetings now with talk about any kind of change, the folks that want the status quo kept are there and other folks stay home."
Through Vaughan's effort, one village in Erie County has voluntarily agreed to dissolve. The village of North Collins will be taken over by the town of North Collins. This year Gaughan will petition the village of Angola which is in the town of Evans, the village of Blasdell which is in the town of Hamburg, and the village of Williamsville which is in the town of Amherst.
"I do think it is also time to jump into things and it is time to force the issue," Ahlstrom said. "The argument you give to people is what happens if we don't do it, because we know the answer to that question. As Kevin said, we continue to be the highest taxed area in the country. That's a given. If we don't change we'll continue to stay at the top of the one list we don't want to stat at the top of."
Along with Ahlstrom, Sullivan and Gaughan, panel members included: Stan Lundine, Chairman of the Commission on Rural Government Efficiency; Dunkirk Mayor Richard Frey; Westfield Mayor David Carr; Hanover Supervisor Katherine Tampio; Arkwright Supervisor Frederic Norton; President of the Fredonia Chamber of Commerce, Greg Krauza; and Pomfret Deputy Supervisor Patricia Christina.
The forum was sponsored by the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce, Fredonia Chamber of Commerce; Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier; Chautauqua Opportunities Incorporated; WDOE Oldies 1410; and the OBSERVER.
Comments on this article may be sent to mrukavina@observertoday.com
|
WestfieldRes
|
|
|---|---|
|
02-08-09 10:02 AM
|
The same goes for the merger in Westfield, the reasons for not passing are many. But the main focus of the NO voters was the Westfield Superintendent, the School Board President and Vice President and the rest were not truthful with the public, and those borad members don't understand, they are mad at the DUMB public for voting it down. They really don't get it. We need new leadership, truthful leadership, tell it like it is, give us all the facts. We will not merge just because they think it is right, we will merge to cut costs, cut property taxes, get mean and lean, and not waste 20 million $$$ in state aid. Memo to board member quit, resign just go away
|
|
WestfieldRes
|
|
|
02-08-09 9:56 AM
|
The problem is not with how many legislature we have, its that they do nothing. You can have 25 legislature that get paid $1000 a year. If they do nothing there worth is nothing. You can pay them $20,000 a year if they do nothing they are worth nothing. If the job isn't getting done it has nothing to do with the money they make. There are two side going at it and niether one can get the job done. They all need to be replaced.
|
|
Frb002
|
|
|
02-08-09 9:24 AM
|
Let's see, we have the chairman of the county legislature pointing fingers at schools for waste, when in fact the legislature has never downsized or cut their health benefits. At his day job he has not proposed one change in the way fire services are delivered. A member of the public speaks about a school having one employee for three students, please name that school. If it is Ripley, they are at least trying. One of the forum sponsors, the Chautauqua County Chamber, out side of the change five years ago is still delivering its services using a model that was designed three decades ago when we were "someplace special". Bottom line is we need our state legislatures to take leadership and pass the legislation we need to make annexations and mergers work. Pass it now and put it on the shelf. When the natives are ready we pull it off the shelf and engage it, it will be done. As witnessed this week, some are not ready, and have the choice.
|