Roundabout Referendum Petitions Filed

Petitions were submitted to the Village Clerk Friday regarding de-funding the bond voted on for construction of a roundabout.

The petition drive was in great part orchestrated by the Greater Ossining Chamber of Commerce. See their video about the issue below.

If a public vote is required, it will be scheduled to take place within 60 days from March 3.

The results of a referendum vote could delay construction of the intersection upgrade, but de-funding the bond does not eliminate the need for the intersection to be brought up to current safety and engineering standards, as the village board has been told by independent engineers, said Mayor Victoria Gearity.

If a public vote is held, the results would determine whether or not to de-fund the bond that was passed on February 1, she said. The anticipated cost of either a roundabout or a conventional updated signal at the 5-way intersection is about the same, as is disruption to downtown pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

At the March 1 Village Board meeting, the Village Clerk stated that a typical election costs the taxpayers approximately $30,000.

What could happen next? Under NY Election Law section 16-116, a written challenge may be filed to the petitions, and then the matter would then be referred to a Justice of the Supreme Court in Westchester County. Additionally, the Village Clerk has an independent responsibility to determine that there are sufficient valid signatures to trigger a public referendum vote.

At the March 8 Village Board Work Session, Corporation Counsel Stuart Kahan, who is working closely with Village Clerk MaryAnn Roberts, will provide an update on the process.

To read the detailed information about the NY Election Law on this subject, follow this link to one of the FAQs on the Village website.