After 138 years, the village of New Paltz may no longer exist, as the village government considers dissolving, leaving the town as the sole governing body for New Paltz residents.
Currently, New Paltz has two municipalities: the village, which comprises much of historic New Paltz including downtown, the university, and the town in which the village resides. Each has their own governing body, provides services and collects taxes.
If the village dissolves — or disbands its own government — the town would absorb all village assets, services and assume governing responsibility for the area.
“We’re taking all of the essential services that our staff provides and just integrating it with the town’s essential services,” said Village of New Paltz Mayor Tim Rogers in an interview with The Oracle. “We’re dissolving some of the legal nonsense. But the people who are here, the functions they perform, those are all being protected and preserved.”
Rogers and the Village Board of Trustees voted to commence a board-initiated dissolution study during the village board meeting on Jan. 22. This means that the board has brought in an outside firm to study the two municipalities and create a plan for dissolution, the subsequent integration and the impact it would have on residents.
The plan, which is currently in development following a public information meeting on Jan. 15, aims to assess the fiscal impact of dissolution, provide a plan for the two governments to merge and to answer relevant community questions, such as what will happen to local village laws, how town taxes will be impacted and what the effect on the village’s identity and culture will be.
Rogers chose the Laberge Group, an engineering firm that has developed plans for a multitude of recent proposed village dissolution, such as the village of Tannersville, to study and create a plan for New Paltz going forward.
Currently, the group is gathering data and collecting input from key stakeholders, while developing a draft plan. In April, the village will hold an additional public information meeting before the draft plan is submitted to the board in May. If the board votes to approve the draft plan, a public hearing can then be held in early July.
After the public hearing, the board can revise the plan based on community input and can then decide to either approve the plan or abandon it. If approved, a date for a public vote will be set.
According to both the mayor and the Laberge group, the vote is expected to be held in early November.
The subject of merging the town and village government has been debated for years, with former mayor Jason West being vehemently opposed to the idea. However, Rogers has championed merging the governments and believes now is the time to do it, citing the village’s fiscal stability.
“We’re operating out of a position of strength,” Rogers said. “No one is telling us we absolutely must do this.” According to the mayor, the village is fiscally sound, and throughout his tenure has aggressively paid down debt and made strategic investments without increasing taxes.
“We’re doing this on our terms, and we’re going to come up with a smart plan that makes sense, because we should become more efficient,” Rogers said. “We’re going to become a new ‘super town.’”
The Town and Village already share many key community services such as its fire and police departments, court system and property assessor. However, each has its building and planning departments, and water and sewage systems that Rogers believes would be run more efficiently if the two municipalities were under one leadership. “Instead of you mowing that lawn and me mowing this lawn, maybe one guy should mow both, and then this other guy can work on this other project,” Rogers said.
The two primary concerns over the dissolution are an increase in town taxes and loss of the village’s unique culture. The mayor commented on both, stating that town taxes may go up if looked at in a vacuum, but that this increase will be balanced by a $1 million citizens empowerment tax credit the new government will qualify for.
The tax credit, which will make up nearly 8% of New Paltz’s total tax levy, must have 70% of its funds be used on taxpayer relief. Rogers believes these investments along with improved efficiency in the town government will put the town in a better fiscal position.
The mayor is also not concerned about the loss of village culture. “I really feel strongly that people in this community, whether they live in the village or outside the village, identify with our Main Street as their community,” Rogers said. “I feel like culturally, we want the same stuff.”
The mayor cited the quirky, walkable main street, protected open space, locally owned businesses and the university as the factors that make New Paltz unique and that are desired by both the village and town.
Following the initiation of the dissolution study, Rogers announced his candidacy for town supervisor, the highest position in the Town of New Paltz government.
Rogers stated he wants to use his years of experience as mayor to bring efficiency and fiscal responsibility to the town government.
If the dissolution happens, Rogers believes he and his staff are the most equipped to handle the village’s integration into the town. “I understand what the village does. So, who better than me to integrate this village into the town,” Rogers said.
Rogers also stated that if he does not win the democratic primary for town supervisor, he would consider pulling the plug on the dissolution process altogether. “I don’t think you would actually have a town board who is motivated to reorganize and combine the two governments like I am,” he said.
Rogers will run against incumbent Town Supervisor Amanda Gotto, who was recently elected to finish her term after being appointed supervisor when former supervisor Neil Bettez resigned.
The primaries will be held in June, and the winner will appear on the ballot for the general election in November.
