OBSERVER Staff Report
Civic leader Kevin Gaughan and his citizen volunteers Wednesday submitted petitions to cause public votes on dissolving government in each of the villages of Farnham, Williamsville and Sloan.
"As a result, for the first time in Erie County's history, voters will decide whether to begin dismantling a government system that's been untouched for over 100 years, ranks among the highest concentrations of local government in America, and imposes on residents the fifth highest local taxes in the nation," Gaughan stated in a news release.
"As Franklin Roosevelt once said of our nation, this generation of Western New Yorkers has a rendezvous with destiny," Gaughan asserted. "With these votes, we will decide whether we will continue to grow governments, or begin to grow community. History proves we cannot grow both."
Along with submitting the petitions, Gaughan issued a debate challenge to Wade Beltramo, an Albany lobbyist who represents village elected officials and has directed efforts to stop village government dissolution votes from coming before residents.
"From the shadows of Albany, Mr. Beltramo has frightened people half to death with claims that changing local government will reduce services and raise taxes," Gaughan said. "I believe he should defend his actions before Western New Yorkers."
In addition, Gaughan called for a series of three debates in each village between him and elected officials of Williamsville, Sloan, and Farnham.
Finally, Gaughan announced that volunteers in the Town of Grand Island and the Town of Wheatfield, Niagara County, began circulating petitions last night. Along with the Town of Amherst, they will be the sixth, seventh and eighth towns to hold downsizing votes as a result of Gaughan's efforts.
After spending a decade establishing an educational foundation for change by founding a series of public conferences on governance reform, Gaughan published his 2006 study on the cost of local government (available at www.TheCost.org.). While conducting the study, he discovered a state law that permits citizens to employ petitions to cause public votes on downsizing town governments and dissolving village governments.
Last year, Gaughan led an effort to cause government downsizing votes in West Seneca, Evans, Orchard Park, Alden, and Hamburg. In each town, residents adopted measures to downsize their town board. Also, in 2008, he persuaded the Lancaster Village Board to downsize from 7 to 5 members.
Gaughan has promised to continue to cause public votes in two to three villages and towns every six months, until every Western New Yorker has a chance to decide the size and cost of their local government.
