South Nyack Continues Dissolution Discussion Thursday

SOUTH NYACK, NY — Discussion continues Thursday about the plan backed by many residents to dissolve the village government of South Nyack, becoming instead an unincorporated community in Orangetown.

"Misleading information about dissolution is being widely circulated by some residents and is causing confusion and division," Mayor Bonnie Christian said on the village website. "It is imperative that residents be provided with factual and accurate information to make an informed decision before voting in the referendum."

The village board hired consulting firm CGR Promising Solutions to look at all the impacts, and received a report in November.

A subsequent virtual question & answer session was marred by capacity issues, for which CGR and the board apologized.

Another session will take place Thursday. CGR will give an overview of their Nov. 24 presentation, address concerns that have been previously mentioned and provide time for questions and answers.

The referendum vote will be held from noon to 9 p.m. Dec. 17 at Living Christ Church in South Nyack.

If the village is dissolved, a property owner with a house assessed at the median would save about 6 percent a year on property taxes, the consultants estimated. They provided a property tax calculator on their website. Village residents would assume an extra expense: contracting for their own refuse removal for about $360 per year.

For more details, go to the Future of the Village of South Nyack website.

If residents vote to dissolve, the mayor and trustees by state law must create a plan with public input describing the process and how services will be delivered afterward. The plan must be adopted by the village board within 180 days of the dissolution vote, presented to the public and go through both revision and another referendum. There are state grants available to defray those costs.

The mayor and village board oppose dissolution. For one thing, it would mean losing the village's staff and services, including police and public works, Mayor Bonnie Christian, Deputy Mayor Alain Leinbach, Trustee Catherine McCue, Trustee Michael Lockett, Trustee Andrew Goodwillie and Trustee-elect Michael Lockett said in a website message to residents.

They said the move to dissolve the Village was an "extraordinary action ... initiated by a small group of residents." The petition to force a referendum was signed by 250 residents, more than the 192 signatures needed to meet the state's requirement that 10 percent of the electorate sign.

"Their petition requires voters to hastily make a decision — the most monumental decision facing our Village in more than 140 years," they wrote. "There is too much to lose through dissolution ... We strongly recommend that you vote NO on December 17th."

The movement to dissolve the village started after Nyack College sold much of its campus to a Ramapo-based yeshiva with initial plans for a residential school of 500 students. SEE: Nyack College Sold To Yeshiva Viznitz For Religious School.

If the referendum passes, South Nyack's 1,900 residents would no longer be responsible for land-use issues and the town's planning board would take over.

For an absentee ballot application and the details about requesting an absentee ballot and getting it back in time, click here.