Village of Johnson City

JC RECEIVES DISSOLUTION STUDY PETITION:

A petition was unofficially submitted Tuesday to Johnson City to begin the process of dissolving the village into the Town of Union.

Johnson City Mayor Harry Lewis said that he received a 377-page petition at his office Tuesday morning. He said he couldn't tell how many signatures were on the petition, but added it will officially be submitted at the trustees' next meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the municipal building on Main Street.

"We'll go through it and take the next step in the process and go from there," Lewis said.

Village Attorney Beth Westfall said the village will check the petition for legal specifications, which could take a month or longer. "We will go through it as quickly as we can," said Westfall, who will be checking with the Broome County election board to find out exactly how many signatures the petition needs to be legal.

If the board accepts the petition by resolution, a committee to study dissolving the village would be formed by the trustees, Westfall said. The trustees would decide the timeframe the committee would have to create a plan for dissolution. This plan would be presented at two public hearings or more, before being voted on by the public at an election.

UPDATE: JC DISSOLUTION INITIATIVE PRAISED:

Broome County Executive Barbara J. Fiala said Wednesday that she is pleased to hear that a group of residents in Johnson City has wrapped up its dissolution petition drive.

The Committee to Reduce Johnson City Taxes unofficially submitted a petition Tuesday to Johnson City to begin the process of dissolving the village into the Town of Union. The petition will officially be received at the next village board meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the municipal building on Main Street in Johnson City.
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Fiala said if the petition is accepted, the following process will be taken:

* The village appoints a study committee, including at least two representatives of the Town of Union who reside outside Johnson City.

* The village will determine a time period for the committee to complete a dissolution proposition/plan.

* The committee will complete the plan and conduct at least one public hearing.

* The village board must conduct its own public hearing.

* The village reviews comments from the public and formally adopts the proposition/plan.

* The proposition/plan for dissolution shall be sent to the town, published and presented to voters in a regular election, held no later than 30 days after the public hearing.