To Dissolve Or Not To Dissolve
by Bea Peterson
At least 60 people attended the first in a series of meetings regarding the future of Hoosick Falls. Mayor Matt Monahan opened the meeting stating there are misconceptions floating around about this process. He was emphatic that no decisions have been made at this point. He said, “Times are hard, taxes are up, there are not a lot of businesses in the Village and New York is a rough state taxwise.” He added that in the Village the economy is in tough shape and the Village has an aging population. He noted there are over 100 homes for sale in the Hoosick area and many have been for sale for more than a year. Many other homes are in foreclosure. [private]”I wish I could say the economy is getting better,” he said. “However, we need to position ourselves for when the economy comes back. We want people to come here. We have choices. We can do nothing, or we can save money – money that will go back in our pockets.”
He went on to say there needs to be more community involvement. Everyone who runs for office [in Hoosick Falls] runs unopposed, he said. And everyone else is a Monday morning quarterback. “We’re doing the best we can, and we want solutions. We want to hear from you.” There are only three people who regularly come to Board meetings, he pointed out. Involvement is key, he said. We need people to get involved. “There needs to be pride in our community, not a negative stigma. There is a lot of good in this community.” He said people come from many communities to participate in our youth sports programs, for example. There are events going on in the Village all the time.
He encouraged those at the meeting that if they have a problem, “Come to us. We’ll try to fix it.” He added, “I can try, but I’m just one person.”
Monahan said there was a study conducted in 1992 regarding dissolution, “But we are a different Village now.” He introduced the steering committee members at the meeting. They were Jeremy Driscoll, David Borge, Mark Surdam, Louis Schmigel, Bobby Ryan, Joe Nuccio, Dennis Casey and Kendal Baker. Monahan then introduced Paul Bishop from the Center for Governmental Research, the company performing the study.
Bishop said he was there to lay out options for residents so they could make educated decisions on the future of the Village. “I get to go home,” he said, “but this is your community.” He encouraged everyone to look at the website the company has set up that describes the choices in detail. Using a pie chart he broke down the percentages of taxes paid to the Town, County, School District, Fire District, Library and Village, never mind Water and Sewer. Of all those taxes only 28 percent will be impacted by any changes in the Village. Seventy-two percent of the taxes will be unaffected. He then went through the three options being considered: Option 1 – dissolve the Village including the Police Department; Option 2 – Dissolve the Village but retain the Police Department as a town-wide Police Force; Option 3 – Do not dissolve the Village but consider sharing services between Village and Town in the areas of the Courts, Highway/Public Works, Tax Assessor, Clerk’s Office and Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer.
For more than an hour Bishop reviewed the various options. He explained the process will not happen overnight. There will be careful planning and consideration before a referendum is scheduled.
The website www.cgr.org/hoosick/ has the entire report. Those without a computer can access the website on the Cheney Library’s computers. The Village Clerk’s Office has a copy of the report.
It is important that every Village resident take an interest in this issue. In recent Village elections less than 100 people have voted. It is very possible that that same 100 people could determine the fate of the Village, whether or not they have come to the meetings or read the report. For, Bishop said, it is not the percentage of residents who determine the outcome but the percentage of voters who determine the outcome.
The Wednesday meeting was an informational meeting. Next Thursday, October 18, at 6 pm, at the Senior Center, the public will have an opportunity to offer comments and ask questions – to give feedback. Mayor Monahan suggested that individuals call the Village office to sign up to speak. Speakers will be allowed from three to five minutes each to comment.
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