Paul Feiner said he was for democracy, until today. All to block incorporation.
There must be 50 ways to block a village.
Today, without any legally required notice, the Town Board held a special meeting to pass a resolution requesting New York State to amend the Village Laws under which hundreds of communities have incorporated forever. But the amendment would only apply to Greenburgh! Most significantly, under the resolution, village incorporations in Greenburgh could only be approved after:
- The Town Board, in its sole discretion, finds that no significant adverse impacts will occur within the territory to be incorporated; and
- The majority of voters in the Town of Greenburgh approve.
This is after he told Edgemont that he "won't be an obstructionist."
The law specifically requests that the petitioners provide a 5-year operating budget and capital plan. Interestingly, that’s the exact type of financial “best practice” that the Town has been advised to follow for years, but never has.
Read the full resolution here.
Ironically, the Town Board is making what’s known as a “Home Rule Request” that would have the effect of stifling the ability of its hamlets to exercise their longstanding rights under Village Laws to vote on whether to rule closer to home.
Only in Greenburgh. What’s next?
