Friday, August 11, 2006
Voters OK new village
An overwhelming majority of town voters decided yesterday that the higher taxes and political uncertainty of a new layer of government was worth whatever protection it would give against an expansion of Kiryas Joel.
Residents voted 2,092 to 583 to create a 36.8-square-mile village that encompasses all of Woodbury except its share of Harriman. The new village will be governed by a mayor and trustees, independent of the Town Board that now runs Woodbury.
A line of voters stretched out the front door and down the steps of Town Hall for much of the day, with people lining up even before the voting began at noon. Police stood at the back of the line to turn people away at 9 p.m., when the poll was supposed to close. Those already in line were allowed to vote.
The tallying of votes was delayed because many of the remaining voters belonged to a group of Hasidic voters who registered last week after the deadline to be placed on the rolls. They had to approach poll workers, one by one, and present evidence to show they were eligible to vote.
Residents petitioned to form the village in 2004 at a time of intense anxiety about a potential expansion of neighboring Kiryas Joel and its high-density housing. But the proposal was challenged and languished in court until an appeals court cleared the way in July.
Since then, it has gone through the meat grinder of Woodbury politics.
Proponents argued it would prevent Kiryas Joel or anyone else from creating its own village in Woodbury and changing the zoning. They claimed the new government wouldn't change existing services or impose too much of a tax burden.
Opponents challenged the motives of "the village people" and the accuracy of their information. They argued the new village would drive up taxes and do little to thwart Kiryas Joel's designs on southwestern Woodbury.
But "yes" voters said outside the polling station said yesterday that they either doubted the new village would create much of a tax burden or decided that its benefits outweighed the cost - whatever that turns out to be.
"As crass as it may sound, sometimes you have to pay to protect what you have," Teresa Bianco said.
John Houlahan, another supporter, said: "I believed that if we voted 'no' now, a second Kiryas Joel may be incorporated. I feel strongly that we should keep the zoning the way it is now."
http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2006/08/11/news-camvillage3-08-11.html
An overwhelming majority of town voters decided yesterday that the higher taxes and political uncertainty of a new layer of government was worth whatever protection it would give against an expansion of Kiryas Joel.
Residents voted 2,092 to 583 to create a 36.8-square-mile village that encompasses all of Woodbury except its share of Harriman. The new village will be governed by a mayor and trustees, independent of the Town Board that now runs Woodbury.
A line of voters stretched out the front door and down the steps of Town Hall for much of the day, with people lining up even before the voting began at noon. Police stood at the back of the line to turn people away at 9 p.m., when the poll was supposed to close. Those already in line were allowed to vote.
The tallying of votes was delayed because many of the remaining voters belonged to a group of Hasidic voters who registered last week after the deadline to be placed on the rolls. They had to approach poll workers, one by one, and present evidence to show they were eligible to vote.
Residents petitioned to form the village in 2004 at a time of intense anxiety about a potential expansion of neighboring Kiryas Joel and its high-density housing. But the proposal was challenged and languished in court until an appeals court cleared the way in July.
Since then, it has gone through the meat grinder of Woodbury politics.
Proponents argued it would prevent Kiryas Joel or anyone else from creating its own village in Woodbury and changing the zoning. They claimed the new government wouldn't change existing services or impose too much of a tax burden.
Opponents challenged the motives of "the village people" and the accuracy of their information. They argued the new village would drive up taxes and do little to thwart Kiryas Joel's designs on southwestern Woodbury.
But "yes" voters said outside the polling station said yesterday that they either doubted the new village would create much of a tax burden or decided that its benefits outweighed the cost - whatever that turns out to be.
"As crass as it may sound, sometimes you have to pay to protect what you have," Teresa Bianco said.
John Houlahan, another supporter, said: "I believed that if we voted 'no' now, a second Kiryas Joel may be incorporated. I feel strongly that we should keep the zoning the way it is now."
http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2006/08/11/news-camvillage3-08-11.html
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