About the study
The Village of Seneca Falls has been working for several years to address the growing financial burden of local government on taxpayers. Working jointly with the Town of Seneca Falls, community leaders developed a Comprehensive Plan and an Economic Development Strategy to establish a foundation for future planning. Both processes identify lowering taxes as a community objective.
In early 2008, the Village hired the Center for Governmental Research (CGR) to specifically analyze the cost, revenues and alternatives for providing the current level of functional services to Village residents. The report outlined potential cost saving opportunities with the Town, revenue sharing possibilities, and also the potential impact of dissolving the Village of Seneca Falls and consolidating all operations in the Town. CGR's final report highlighted that the greatest potential for tax savings would be achieved by dissolving the Village.
The Village Board of Trustees subsequently determined that the potential tax savings available to Village residents resulting from a dissolution of the Village was too significant to overlook. The Board decided to initiate a formal dissolution process in order to fully examine this possibility and all of its implications.
New York State Village Law Article 19 governs the dissolution process. Article 19 requires the formation of a dissolution committee comprised of residents of the community (including Town outside of Village residents). The committee is tasked with developing a formal dissolution plan to deliver to the Village Board. The Village Board will either adopt or reject the plan. If the plan is adopted, public hearings will be held to inform the public of the plan to dissolve the Village. Registered voters in the Village would vote, probably in March 2010, on whether to dissolve the Village based on the dissolution plan. If the plan is rejected by the Village Board, the dissolution process will end without a formal vote.
