SINCLAIRVILLE — Sinclairville’s future as an official government is in the hands of its citizens.

The vote on whether to dissolve the village of Sinclairville will take place Tuesday, August 13 from noon to 9 p.m. at the Sinclairville Village Hall, located at 8 Lester Street.

Opponents and advocates for the vote alike have made their voices heard on the subject at meetings presented by the Center for Government Research (CGR), and now the time to decide is finally here.

Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello weighed in on the matter in a recent phone interview with the OBSERVER. “I’m glad there has been a public discussion on this,” Borrello stated. “It’s up to the village residents to decide what kind of government they want and if they feel their government is serving them properly.”

Borrello then reaffirmed that Chautauqua County is there for the village and feels that CGR has adequately informed the citizens of Sinclairville as to what they should expect moving forward. “The county is always trying to be there to assist,” he noted. “With this case, I know they had CGR give reports and summaries, so people there can understand what will happen should the village choose to dissolve.”

The vote is open only to residents of the village of Sinclairville, who have seemingly been quiet since the latest meeting regarding their opinions on the matter. “I really can’t tell what the outcome will be,” said Sinclairville Village Clerk Darla Frost-Kianos in a phone interview with the OBSERVER. “I don’t know what will happen.”

Several other public officials in Sinclairville were not available to comment on the matter, though Sinclairville Village Board Trustee Patricia France, in a phone interview with the OBSERVER, said, “I really don’t have a comment on it right now.”

Regarding the community itself, Borrello commented that people are what truly defines a community, not just the government they choose. “One thing with their choice to keep the government in place or not, what the people of Sinclairville must understand is that they’re voting to dissolve government, not community,” he stated. “Not just government makes community, people make the community.”

When asked for comment on village governments that have dissolved, like Forestville, Borrello seemed to say the changes have been minimal, and the people are mostly content. “Folks in Forestville are still doing things they’ve always done — Fall Fest, fire department events and having the community events that Forestville always has done.”

Borrello went on to say, “They are saving a significant amount of money on property taxes. Overall, I think everyone seems satisfied with way the town of Hanover is now administering services for them.”

For further information about the upcoming dissolution vote, visit the town of Charlotte website: http://www.charlotteny.org/html/dissolution.html.

Assemblyman Andy Goodell and Town of Charlotte Supervisor Allen Chase did not respond to the OBSERVER’s requests for comment.