Village Dissolution in Broome County

FIALA PRODS DISSOLUTION DEBATE:

Voters could decide to dissolve any of Broome County's seven villages as soon as 15 months from now, but first they would have to initiate the process by committing their opinions to paper, Broome County Executive Barbara J. Fiala said Wednesday.

As villages continue to feel the financial pinch from declining tax bases and spiraling costs of things such as health care premiums, Fiala and others believe villages and towns should consolidate to save taxpayers money. In order to do that legally, villages would first have to be dissolved.

Mayors in the county's two largest villages -- Johnson City and Endicott -- said they wouldn't be surprised if residents collected enough signatures to push the discussion. Johnson City and Endicott would be absorbed by the Town of Union.

Residents have the power under state law to force village leaders to develop a plan for dissolving their own municipality, Fiala said.

She said her administration will send petitions to offices in each of Broome's villages and put them on www.gobroome county.com to help educate residents. If enough signatures are collected, dissolution could come before voters as a referendum. Fiala said she will make an announcement about the petitions today.
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If one-third of the voters in a village sign a petition and deliver it to village officials calling for dissolution, the board must come up with a plan to do it, Fiala said. The issue then goes back to the voters for a referendum and doesn't require state, county or town approval.

Fiala believes the county's role is to show the public ways they can spark the debate for consolidation but not force the issue alone. She said her administration will not solicit people to circulate petitions.