NYS Village Law Article 2-200-(1).
A territory containing a population of at least five hundred persons who
are regular inhabitants thereof, as hereinafter defined, may be
incorporated as a village under this chapter provided such territory
does not include a part of a city or village and further provided
the limits of such territory...........
No other villages can be created within
the new Village, the above law prevents any other village or multiple
villages from being created in the Town and Village of Woodbury which
keeps zoning laws in the hands of our elected officials.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT CREATING A VILLAGE
Taken from the Town of Woodbury Preservation Kit
July 2006
1.
QUESTION: After the Village of Woodbury is created, can land be annexed
simply because another village wants it?
ANSWER: NO,
General Municipal Law article 17, details the process
which is not simple in the least, it includes the following;
1. A request in the form of a petition, signed by more than 50 % of the
assessment of land owners, or 20 % of the residents of the area to be
annexed, must be submitted to both town's or village's simultaneously.
2. Both boards must then set a hearing on the petition, to receive
comments and information. For an annexation to move along in the
process, both the town's or village's boards must vote to accept the
petition. If one of town's or village's boards votes not to approve
the annexation, then the only alternative for signers of the petition
would be to take it to court.
3. If both town's and village's boards were to approve the
annexation petition, a vote by the residents living in the area must
take place, where a majority of the residents in the area must vote to
approve it, for it to actually occur.
Annexation is not a simple transfer of
property from one municipality to another, as some would have you
believe. It must be justified and carry creditable proof, why one town
or village needs the land more than the other town or village.
If one side wants to fight annexation....
2.
QUESTION: What will be the cost of our Village of Woodbury, to us
taxpayers?
ANSWER: The total proposed annual budget in Sept. 2004 was $146,559.
Adjusting for cost of living increases, the present cost will be
$153,979 as the proposed annual budget. This will cost each homeowner in
taxes $28 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. A home assessed at
$300,000 will pay $28 x 3 equaling $84 per year total. Add or deduct $28
for each $100,000 of assessed valuation to reflect your total annual
cost. In any event the average should be $100 per home per year.
(Cost of the
Village)
3.
QUESTION: When
the Village of Woodbury is created, will there be any changes to the
fire district?
ANSWER: NO CHANGES, town law article 11-a authorizes a town board and
a village board to form a joint fire district that will operate under
town law article 11, which is the same law that the fire district
operates under right now. The fire district will continue to have
elected commissioners, who are responsible for all operations and
budgeting.
4.
QUESTION: After the Village of Woodbury is
created, can other villages be created inside our village boundary
lines?
ANSWER: NO,
NYS Village Law Article 2-200-(1). is
clear, no villages can be created or formed inside of another village.
This is a solid law with no loopholes.
5.
QUESTION: If the Town of Woodbury does not create a single Village of
Woodbury now, that covers all lands in the Town of Woodbury, can other
groups create many other smaller villages in the Town of Woodbury?
ANSWER: YES, if we don’t vote to approve the village now, by law we
cannot try again for at least one year to create a village, and by that
time other groups will file village creation petitions. Once that
happens we can’t create a village within the villages that will be
created.
THR article Sunday, July
11, 2004
6.
QUESTION: When
the Village of Woodbury is created, what will the impact be to the
services we presently receive?
ANSWER: NONE, all the residents of the Village of Woodbury will still
remain residents of the Town of Woodbury. The village will contract to
the town for $1 a year for each service and all our residents will
continue to receive the current town services, and benefits that are
enjoyed today, without any change or additional expense.
(Agreement Between the Town and Village
as to Service Sharing Services)
7.
QUESTION: After
the Village of Woodbury is created, how many Village elected and
appointed positions will there be?
ANSWER: The law requires 7 positions, one elected mayor (part time),
four elected trustees (part time), one village clerk (appointed), one
village treasurer (appointed) (part time), both the treasurer and clerk
positions can be combined into one position called, the village
clerk/treasurer, (part time).
8.
QUESTION: After the Village of Woodbury is created, whom will I be able
to vote for?
ANSWER: Creating one Village of Woodbury that covers the entire Town
of Woodbury, will allow all registered voters in the village and the
town to vote for both Town of Woodbury elected positions and the Village
of Woodbury elected positions. You will decide who gets elected to both
Village and Town Boards.
9.
QUESTION: After
the Village of Woodbury is created, will the zoning regulations change
as compared to the present Town of Woodbury zoning regulations?
ANSWER: NO, the intent of the proposed village is to secure our
present zoning and not to change it. Preventing multiple villages from
being created will prevent changes in zoning, which is in the best
interest of our residents. To protect the zoning we now have we must
approve the Village of Woodbury.
All services will remain the same.
10.
QUESTION: I presently receive star school tax exception will that
change?
ANSWER: NO, you will continue to receive all the present benefits
from the star program you now receive. This program is a New York State
school tax reduction program.
11.
QUESTION: I presently receive a senior citizens property tax reduction
will that change?
ANSWER: NO, all benefits will not change, and you will continue to
receive what you receive now.
12.
QUESTION: If other smaller villages are created inside the Town of
Woodbury, can I vote for their elected positions and can they vote for
the Town of Woodbury positions?
ANSWER: Only if you live in that
smaller village can you vote for their Village positions. However,
residents of the smaller villages can vote for our town elected
positions, such as in the Town of Monroe where there are three villages
that vote for town elected positions.
13.
QUESTION: If we don’t create one single village, and many smaller
villages are created inside the Town of Woodbury, what do we have to be
concerned about?
ANSWER: Multi villages will most likely create their own services and
employ their own personnel. This will decrease the need for town
services and most likely increase the cost of services to the remaining
town residents.
14.
QUESTION: I am an employee of the town, will I lose my job?
ANSWER: NO, the Village of Woodbury will have no employees, and
contract for $1.00 a year for each of the services with the Town of
Woodbury.
15.
QUESTION: I am a member of one of the fire companies, will the fire
companies remain?
ANSWER: YES, the two fire companies are independently incorporated
and operate under the authority of the fire chiefs and members.
16.
QUESTION: Will the town emergency services or the emergency services
personnel, be changed or eliminated?
ANSWER: NO, the Woodbury Ambulance Corp and Fire Companies are each
independently incorporated and as such govern and choose their own
volunteers and operations. The Police Department will also stay the same
and be contracted by the village for all services at $1 a year.
17.
QUESTION: Who will benefit by having one single village covering the
entire Town of Woodbury?
ANSWER: All the residents, the employees of the Town, all the
Volunteer Fire and Ambulance members, because it’s a single village, we
will continue to use the existing services and personnel.
18.
QUESTION: Will the new Village of Woodbury have or need a large
building, new or used for its administration?
ANSWER: NO, there is no need for the village to build or obtain a
building for administration. In the proposed village budget there is a
line item of $2,000 a month toward rent for office space. Arrangements
for the once a month village board meeting can be made for the use of
the town hall. Keep in mind, all of the services will be contracted with
the town who will continue to administer all operations.
19.
QUESTION: If a Village of Woodbury is created will I remain a resident
of the Town of Woodbury?
ANSWER: YES, because the Village of Woodbury will cover all the lands
of the Town of Woodbury.
Residents will remain residents of the Town of
Woodbury and also be residents of the Village of Woodbury.
