Following the carrying of a petition and posted advertising asking for signatures, a “Committee to Dissolve the Village of Wolcott,” has deliver a pettion of 100 signatures asking for a resolution and vote to dissolve the Village.

The petition was delivered to Village Clerk, Fran Acker and after signatures were verified as correct and qualified, 86 signatures remained, which met the requirement for a petition to be certified.

The clerk certified the petition on November 30th. With that certification the Village now begins a statutory schedule for further action on the petition. The Village must respond within 30 days to enact a resolution setting a date for a referendum (vote) on the proposed dissolution. The date of that vote must be held between 60 and 90 days after the board resolution.   

The vote (referendum) requires a majority of  votes in favor to pass. If it passes, the Village will meet to discuss a dissolution plan.

If the vote fails, the dissolution process may not be initiated for the same purpose for four years from the date of the referendum.

The village mayor, Chris Henner said he felt blindsided by the petition. It was not a call for a study of the issue, but a call for a vote to dissolve - Yes or No.

The petition  initiated and promoted by “The Committee to Dissolve the Village of Wolcott”. listed  Susan Russo as the contact person. After several attempts to reach her for a comment on the process and reasons for the petition, no statement or phone call were forthcoming. The reason for the dissolution was listed simply as “lack of positive change in the village”, “lack of initiative in drawing people into the village, and reluctance to initiate improvements to the infrastructure.”

In a statement Russo posted on Facebook, she wrote: “The petition was started because a great many of the villagers were unhappy with the lack of positive change in the village. Those supporting looking into dissolving the village do not hate the village. They love the village and would like to see it grow and flourish. Those that signed the petition were the young and old alike, long time residents and newly arrived. Everyone living in the village can see that change is needed and that change may come with a new government. A committee will be formed in order to address the services that are now provided by the village, which concern most villagers, and will be taken over by the town. After researching the dissolution of past villages, it was noted that the towns were able to take over those services more economically and are held to greater accountability than the village governing body. The town has also shown great interest in moving the village forward.”

A few signers of the petition, who wished to be unidentified, said that they were let to believe that the petition was only to call for a vote to study what a dissolution of the Village would mean. 

The “Committee to Dissolve...”  have advertised that they would hold meetings to have residents ask questions and discuss their concerns, and that more information would be available on Facebook. No Facebook page could be found in the name of that Committee. No phone number, email or name were given to request information.

According to New York State: “Dissolution is the termination of a local government unit. The services it provides may end, or may be assumed by another local government unit that will provide them at the same or a different level. A petition for dissolution only needs to be circulated in the local government unit for which dissolution is proposed.”

Mayor Henner said: “There are many concerns that I have for the residents if our village is dissolved. I also have questions...Our tax base is strong, the services we offer our residents are completed and constant. The village is so popular that we have almost no inventory for home sales.”

“I worry about the grants that the village currently have in the works or are already awarded and ready to complete. These would go away. “

“All of our trustees and myself live and raise our families in this village. We love it and appreciate the residents and the businesses who have chosen to live and work here.”

Two towns are attached to this Village - The Towns of Butler and Wolcottt. They would have to pick up services and tax districts - or not. After dissolution, the governing and taxing will be theirs.

The next Village Board meeting is set for December 12th. The setting of the referendum date must be done before Christmas. The Trustees do not have to set it at this next meeting.

The vote Yes or No, would mostly likely happen in February or early March.

Long time resident Jenny Banas, who owned a business in the Village for many years, feels that anyone with a problem could have petitioned for a study on costs and consequences. “With this petiton, it will force a vote. It is  unfair to many people, especially seniors, who may not have the internet or a computer, and are not hearing about the petition or the vote.”

Of the people commenting on a Facebook page called “Save the Village of Wolcott” many expressed disappointment and anger that this all may have started as a political retribution or personal vendetta.

“I’d say that anyone who wants a change, should run for office and help make a change, “said Banas.

Wayne County Villages have been disappearing over the decades.

• On December 31, 1979 the Village of Savannah ceased operations.

• The Village of Marion dissolved

• The Village of Lyons government was officially handed over to the Town of Lyons on December 31, 2015.

• After several failed attempts, the residents of the Village of Macedon finally approved dissolution and handed over the reins on December 31, 2017.

That leaves the Villages of Newark, Wolcott, Red Creek, Clyde and Palmyra with village governments.

One of the chief reasons in village dissolutions was the added costs of that level of administration, especially in maintaining police, highway, court  departments.