A municipality facing a more than 60% property tax increase cannot maintain the status quo. Fredonia homeowners will soon be feeling the pain when the bills from the village arrive.

After that, then what? Does Fredonia follow in Dunkirk’s footsteps and make nary a change while expenses keep rising?

Already, there is some vision for changing the way the entity is run. Last month at a Village Board meeting, Fire Chief Josh Myers stepped forward and proposed a regional fire district — something that is long overdue.

“The Fredonia Fire Department already collaborates closely with our mutual aid partners every single day. The cooperation is there, we just need the structure to match,” he said. “Let’s take down the imaginary borders and build something unified, efficient and sustainable so we can continue doing what matters most, protecting the community and everyone in it.”

Absolutely. Caring for the residents is the most important piece in this discussion.

This region, despite suffering population losses for more than five decades, has trouble dealing with the devastation of the present due to mistakes of the past. We’re not that big in this north county of 55,000 residents that we need numerous fire and police departments — or a cornucopia of towns and villages.

What we need is efficiency to reduce expenses.

By creating a fire district, it does create a new taxing entity. But — if enough departments are not overly stubborn — those costs will be distributed to a greater population and lead to a stronger department better equipped to respond to needs. It also reduces burdens on already stressed municipalities.

Talks are still early but action is needed. Two horrific increases have already been passed on to citizens in the city of Dunkirk and village of Fredonia.

In a high tax county and state, residents can ill-afford another inflated one.