Government Reorganization Jan 2011

7/31/2019 Government Reorganization Jan 2011

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Government ReorganizationVillage Dissolution Study, Plan and Alternatives

Sean M. Maguire, AICP

Northern NY Regional Representative

NYS Department of State


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Overview

Government Reorganization & Citizen

Empowerment Act

Dissolution Study, Plan and Alternatives

Overview

Components

Related Studies and Outcomes

Next Steps


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GOVERNMENT

REORGANIZATION &

CITIZEN EMPOWERMENT

ACT

Government Reorganization: Village Dissolution Study, Plan

and Alternatives


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Government Reorganization &

Citizen Empowerment Act Effective March 21, 2010

Amended State Statutes

Added General Municipal Law Article 17-A

Amended Municipal Home Rule Law

Amended Town Law

Amended Village Law

Amended Local Finance Law


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General Municipal Law Article 17-A

Replaces sections of Town and Village Law

regarding consolidation and dissolution.

Village Dissolution

Board Initiated

Voter Initiated

Allows board flexibility to set dates to

vote and implement. Sets a lower threshold for voter-initiated

dissolution.


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Board-Initiated Dissolution

Board develops a plan to present to voters.

May involve an initial study of options.

May involve a study committee.

Recommended Approach: Form a Study Committee

Develop Study of Existing Conditions and Costs

Develop Dissolution Plan Develop Alternatives Plan

Present Dissolution Plan to Voters


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Board-Initiated DissolutionProposed Dissolution Plan Adopted

Hearing Held

Proposed Plan

Amended

Process Ends

Final Plan

Approved

Referendum

Date Set

Special

District

Dissolved

ReferendumHeld

Referendum

Passes

Town/Village Dissolved

Referendum

Fails

Four Year Waiting Period

Day 1

Within 180 Days

Within 35 to 90 Days

Within 5 Days



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Voter-Initiated Dissolution

Petition Presented to Village Clerk.

Lesser of 10% of Voters in the Village or 5,000

signatures, or

20% of voters where there are 500 or fewerregistered voters.

Village Votes on Dissolution.

If Voters Approve Referendum, a Plan isDeveloped.

Plan Subject to Permissive Referendum.


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Petition Filed

Signatures Verified

Referendum Date Set

Referendum Held

Referendum Passes

Hearing Held

Petition Rejected

Appeal Possible

Referendum Fails

Four Year

Waiting

Period

Voter-Initiated Dissolution

Proposed Plan Amended

Final PlanApproved

Dissolution Occurs

Petitions Filed for

Permissive Referendum

Passes:

Dissolution Occurs Fails: No Dissolution

Proposed Plan Approved

Day 1

Within 180 Days

Within 30 Days

Within 60 to 90 days

Within 60 Days

Within 10 Days

Within 30 Days, Board Must Meet


Within 45 Days


After 45 Days

Within 30Days


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Outcomes

If Dissolution Referendum and Plan Passes:

Village is dissolved per plan

If Dissolution Referendum Fails:

Dissolution will not take effect. Dissolution process may not ne initiated for the

same purpose for four (4) years from the date of

the referendum.

If Dissolution Plan Permissive Referendum

Fails:

Dissolution will not take effect.


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DISSOLUTION STUDY,PLAN ANDALTERNATIVES


and Alternatives


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Recommended Dissolution Study

Department of State recommends adissolution study prior to presenting a

plan to voters.

The recommended study includes Dissolution Study (foundation)

Fiscal impact analysis

Dissolution Plan (option) Alternatives to Dissolution (option)


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Recommended Approach

Dissolution Study Examination of current operations and costs.

Develops cost estimates based on budget.

Provides a set of options to consider indeveloping a dissolution plan.

Dissolution Plan

Best options from the study, final estimated costand service impact to consider.

Alternatives to Dissolution

Strategy to improve position, reduce costs andimprove services if village is not dissolved.


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NYS DOS Resources

Government

Reorganization and

Citizen Empowerment

Act

Complete Guide

Summary of the Process

The Citizens Guide to

Petitioning for LocalGovernment

Consolidation or

Dissolution


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RELATED STUDIES ANDOUTCOMES


and Alternatives


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Consolidation/Dissolution

Findings vary and are community specific

Port Henry Dissolution Study

Village Taxes while Town Taxes &

Speculator Dissolution Study

Village Taxes while Town Taxes

Studies often lead to an increased level of

communication between town and village. e.g Evaluation of town taxes on village area


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VILLAGE OF PORTHENRY


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Port Henry: Project Summary

Village/Town Population: ~ 1,050/4,500 Village/Town Area: 1.2/65 square miles

$45,000 High Priority LGE Grant (2008-

2009) Dissolution Plan pursuant to Article 19 of

Village Law

Final cost $47,322.71LGE grant$42,590.44

http://www.cgr.org/porthenry


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Port Henry: Solution

Plan proposed:

Elimination of board, mayor, treasurer, code

enforcement, and attorney.

Transfer of some village employees, propertyto the town.

Water, sewer and fire protection to become

town districts in the former village.

Addition of $303,600 in AIM incentive funds.


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Port Henry: Solution

Cost Impacts:

Based on a home with an AV of $100,000.

Impacts with and without incentives.

Area Current Tax With AIM Without AIM

Village $1,676.00 ($567.02) ($403.66)

TOV (PHFD) $1,000.00 $39.12 $202.49

TOV (FPD) $1,000.00 ($2.86) $160.51

TOV (MWFD) $1,003.00 ($2.08) $161.29TOV (MFD) $1,029.00 ($2.08) $161.29


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Port Henry: Outcome

Referendum Results: Dissolution failed by a vote of 186-146 in

March 2010.

Alternatives: No real options; key village services not

provided by town (snow and refuse removal).

Water system consolidation cost prohibitive.


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VILLAGE OF LAKEGEORGE


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Lake George: Project Summary

Town of Lake George, Warren County

$45,000 High Priority LGE Grant (2008-

2009)

Dissolution Plan pursuant to Article 19 ofVillage Law

Final cost $48,889.22LGE grant

$44,000.30 http://lakegeorge.ning.com/


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Lake George: Challenges

Due diligence effort by village board

Study to determine if there was a benefit

to dissolution

No petition circulate to trigger action

Village dissolved police; use County

Sheriff

Shared service for fire protection withtown


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Lake George: Solution

Analyzed dissolution scenarios andimpacts

Included a co-terminus town/village option

Greatest financial benefit to villageresidents was a dissolution

Plan would provide for transfer of village

employees to town Excluded Mayor, Trustees, Fire Clerk,

Historian, Attorney


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Lake George: Outcome

At the time of the

study:

31% decrease for

village residents in

town and village

combined taxes

9% increase for town

residents in town tax

Next referendum

opportunity: March

2011

TOV Village

Median

Home

Value

$168,000 $168,000

Avg. TaxBill Was

$343 $1,648

Avg. Tax

Bill

Becomes

$375 $1,143

Net

Change

+$32 -$504

Percent

Change

9% -31%


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VILLAGE OF SENECAFALLS


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Seneca Falls: Project Summary

Shared building & services studydetermined most savings for villagetaxpayers would come from dissolutionvs. shared service

Net annual savings of $706,000town/village

Village savings of $8.11 per $1,000 AV, or

$810.69 for village home assessed at$100,000

http://www.cgr.org/senecafalls


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Seneca Falls: Challenges

2008 shared building/service studyrevealed a potential savings if village

dissolved

Study also found that a majority feelstheir Village taxes are too high

Historic preservation concerns in village

Village prefers to retain police protectionwhereas town does not want a town

wide police force


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Seneca Falls: Solution

All functions and services become a townresponsibility

Buildings and other assets to the town

If unnecessary, sold to pay village debt

Fire district with 2 companies

Special districts for lighting, water and

sewer Goal: Unified zoning code, maintain

historic area strategies


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Seneca Falls: Outcome

Final Count: 1,198 for

and 1,112 against

Village government will

cease on 12/31/11

Tax impact on a home

assessed at $100,000:

Village: $882.31

(-$810.69)

Town: $718.43

(+$439.02)

TOV Village

Home

Value

$100,000 $100,000

Tax Rate

per$1,000 AV

$1.63 $16.93

Tax Rate

Becomes

$7.18 $8.82

Net

Change

+$5.55 -$8.11

Percent

Change

157% -48%


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VILLAGE OF JOHNSONCITY


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Johnson City: Project Summary

In 2007 the Village Board received apetition for dissolution with approx 2,600

signatures

With a population of 15,500 the Village ofJohnson City is larger than 25 of New

Yorks 62 cities; it is the largest village in

NYS to go through the dissolutionprocess

http://www.cgr.org/johnsoncity/


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Johnson City: Challenges

Providing equitable service Village: Career Fire and Police Departments

Town: Pay scale for workers in comparable

positions within the public works departmentand clerks office was less than the village


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Johnson City: Solution

Fire, water and sewer districts

Use of county sheriff to replace village

police

Sale of village hall to pay village debt

Village responsibility for joint sewer

treatment to transfer to the town

Transfer of many village employees toother municipalities; net reduction of 32

positions


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Johnson City: Outcome

Results

November 3 2009: 2,215

for & 2,257 against

Possible Options and

Ideas:

Shared fire services

agreement with Endicott

Joint planning & zoning

Unified zoning ordinance

Joint or consolidated

court operation

TOV Village

Tax Rate

per

$1,000 AV

$15.91 $304.14

Tax RateBecomes

$15.22 $221.43

Net

Change

-$0.69 -$82.71

Percent

Change

-4.3% -27.2%


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VILLAGE OF PIKE


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Pike: Project Summary

Co-Applicant: Town of Pike

Awarded $83,700 grant from 2006-2007

Shared Municipal Services Incentive

Program Deliverables:

Dissolution Study

Dissolution Plan http://www.gflrpc.org/


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Pike: Challenges

Population decline due to departure ofcommercial and manufacturing base

Difficulty finding people to serve on

boards; already sharing positions withTown

Village could no longer effectively provide

public services and was no longernecessary


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Pike: Solution

Assistance form Genesee Finger LakesRegional Planning Council

Services Inventory Report to assess post-dissolution delivery of services

Mayor and Board of Trustees abolished, allVillage property turned over to Town

Special districts for water, sidewalks and

lighting Tax impact: Reduction of $0.49 per $1,000

of assessed value for Village taxpayers


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Pike: Outcome

Referendum heldMarch 18, 2008

Out of 36 votes cast,31 voted for

dissolution State law mandated

dissolution at theend of the year

following vote

Dissolved December31, 2009

TOV Village

Tax Rate

per

$1,000 AV

$9.21 $10.41

Tax Rate

Becomes

$8.72 $9.91

Net

Change

-$0.49 -$0.49

PercentChange -5.3% -5.7%


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$9.21$10.41

$8.71$9.91$10.14

$11.55

Town Tax Rate (Unadjusted) Village Tax Rate (Unadjusted)

Tax Rates in Pike (Unadjusted)2008 Projected 2010 Estmated 2010 Projected

$13.64$13.09

$14.02

$12.12

$13.77

$11.65

Town Tax Rate (Adjusted) Village Tax Rate (Adjusted)

Tax Rates in Pike (Adjusted)2008 Projected 2010 Estmated 2010 Projected


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NYSDOS: Outcomes

Municipal consolidations can save up to20 percent

Household tax reductions of almost 15

percent can be achieved through sharedservices

Level of service is often unchanged

through service cooperation


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NEXT STEPS


and Alternatives


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Next Steps

Receive Grant Award Form Dissolution Study Committee

Release RFP and Select Consultant

Kick Off Meeting Existing Conditions Report

Public Meeting

Plan and Alternatives Public Meeting

Transmit Product to Village Board


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Government ReorganizationVillage Dissolution Study, Plan and Alternatives

Sean M. Maguire, AICP

Northern NY Regional Representative

New York State Department of State

http://www.dos.state.ny.us/LG

Toll Free: (800)367-8488

Documents

Government Reorganization Jan 2011