Edgemont Files New Petition To Incorporate As Village

GREENBURGH, NY — Undaunted by the failure of their first attempt, a group of Edgemont residents have submitted a new petition to have the Edgemont section of the town incorporated as a village.

Members of the Edgemont Incorporation Committee filed it Tuesday.

The proposed village, which would be the seventh in the town of Greenburgh, would have the same boundaries as the Greenville Fire District.

Villages have control over their own planning and zoning. They can have their own police force and recreation department too, though many now share with their towns or contract with Westchester County.

And, as the EIC points out, "The unincorporated area, and not the villages, pays the majority of Town taxes and is liable for the Town Board’s mismanagement. Yet the villages, with more than half the Town's population, have greater political power in Town elections."

The EIC's first petition was rejected in 2017 by the town and an appeals court.

Many in the community disagree with the EIC's plans.

Some are worried about the cost of smaller government and the motives of those who see a village as a way to prevent multi-family housing in the community.

In a recent comment on the EIC's Facebook page, Hugh Schwartz said in part, "The EIC’s accomplishments consist of dividing a once congenial community apart and wasting time, energy, and resources that could have been better spent trying to address any issues they may have with the Town (although they have failed to delineate what these may be)."

The process of village incorporation is spelled out in New York's laws on local governments. One of the first steps requires a petition be filed with the supervisor of the town in which any portion of the territory proposed to be incorporated is located.

If there are enough valid signatures there will be a referendum and Edgemont residents can vote for or against the idea.

SEE ALSO: Edgemont Resident To File Petitions Seeking Incorporation