Editor:

Finally someone has answered the question regarding calls answered outside the Village by the MPD. Thank you! (Click here to see “Shall the Village of Medina, NY, vote to dissolve?”)

The entire piece is exceptional reporting! It really tells the story without the emotion of those involved.

I think that you have taken no sides. There are many points you raised that I also have posted in my own musings on Facebook.

When I vote on Tuesday, I will take the route you suggested, try to do it together one more time. Four years is an eternity and most of today’s players will no longer be involved. In the mean time we should all work closer together with our village government. We all need to be more involved in our future and look for ways to invigorate our village, not just downtown, but the entire village!

I would hope that village unions will offer some act of good faith to help in the near future, that the county will see the light with sales tax, and Albany will rethink the fate of rural NY.

I also on Tuesday will not hold any ill will for those who passionately feel dissolution is a step to the future! Only good and honest people would try such a bold step. There is merit in the concept. It is simply not the right place or time!

Thank you Orleans Hub, once again, for your contribution to providing a source of news in Orleans County. I also wish to add a side note to Orleans Radio for their recent contribution. I see a bright future for this endeavor also!

Dayton Hausman
Medina

Editor:

Kudos and accolades to the Hoag Library Board of Trustees for their recent ‘dismissal’ of Director Jeff Davignon. Although I don’t know Mr. Davignon I’ve seen the effects of his actions during his short stay with us, and heard enough stories about him, to believe that the Board’s decision was justified.

I feel confident that the Board will pursue, and be successful in finding, a qualified and acceptable replacement.

Joseph Gehl
Kent

Editor:

The members of the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company recently had a discussion about the upcoming vote on dissolution. We wish to explain our concerns on dissolution and why we feel it wouldn’t be in the best interest of public safety to have the village dissolve.

To start off with, despite what has been said, everyone loses their jobs when dissolution occurs. When Medina dissolves, so does every employee contract. That means some of our strongest allies in public safety are lost, and then we have to hope to get them back and in the same capacity.

As firefighters, when we get called out for a medical emergency there is nothing better than hearing the Medina ambulance crew calling in route. Medina operates four ambulances and the possibility of losing just one of those units during a restructuring after dissolution is too great a risk.

Those against dissolution have said we are using scare tactics to get people to vote no. However, it is us who are worried. Shelby, Lyndonville, Ridgeway, East Shelby and Medina Fire are intertwined with our operations to keep you safe. Firefighters are planners; We have to be to jeep us alive at a fire, and what is being proposed with dissolution has too many variables and would put us all at risk.

What happens if you lose a department, or even part of one, is it will begin to tax the manpower of your surrounding fire companies. What follows are increased response times, less manpower to a scene, and the greater possibility for loss of life and property.

The line officers of the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company have discussed what would happen if we had to take over 30 percent of the village in the event Medina Fire or Medina Ambulance does not return to full capacity because there is no guarantee that they will. The determination was that we may not be able to maintain the service level that Medina Fire and Ambulance provides to the area due to extra call volume, which would be catastrophic for public safety.

When firefighters arrive to a burning home, we don’t blindly rush into it hoping for the best. Our chiefs do a size-up, then form the plan of attack that will be the safest and most effective. We do a 360 of the scene, walking around to get a full picture of what is happening. During that time a plan begins to take shape, and then a risk vs. reward calculation is done. How much risk is involved, and how much will the reward be?

The members of the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company have done our 360 walk around and size-up of dissolution, as well as risk vs. reward calculation. We have found that the risk of dissolution – the dismantling of a great team of firefighters, ambulances, and paramedics at the Medina Fire Department is not worth the reward, especially for a reward that is not set in stone, a reward that doesn’t make mathematical sense, a reward that just puts all of us at too great a risk.

The Shelby Volunteer Fire Company cannot support dissolution because of the potential impact on emergency services and public safety is too great.

Gary Lamar
President of Shelby Volunteer Fire Company

Editor:

My wife and I moved into the village a year ago, although I have always lived in the area. In that year we have appreciated the services provided to us.

We had a carbon monoxide detector go off late one evening and we were amazed by the response time of the Medina Fire Department. This is something that would not have happened with a volunteer fire department simply because the volunteers generally do not staff the fire hall around the clock.

Thinking we may lose our wonderful fire service and village police department due to dissolution scares my wife and me. We don’t want to wait for a police car that is across the county.

There are services I expect to have living in the village. If the village dissolves we would be starting from ground zero. The OneMedina group claims all services will remain and taxes will go down. It seems far-fetched that we can eliminate all of these services, then while saving tax money, get all of the services back. Do not dissolve our village. Vote no on Jan. 20.

Brett J. Goheen
Medina

Editor:

I want to save Medina, so I’m voting to dissolve it. We’ve all seen figures like the 16 percent decline in village property values versus 4 percent out-of-village or how much per-thousand we will save or lose, but in the end, here are the objections I had to overcome in my own mind:

Do I want to raise my neighbors’ taxes in order to lower my own?

No. But I don’t want to continue subsidizing their water/sewer and emergency services, either. They get services I pay for. I pay for other services I don’t get at all. So, I feel for them, but I don’t feel sorry any more than they feel bad about my water bill. It’s no fun feeling like you’re giving someone else a free ride.

Do I want my history and sense of identity to go away?

No. But, then again, my sense of Medina is not tied to political fictions like “village” and “town.” What’s in a name anyway? If it was the Town of Medina with a district called Medina within it, I would still have been born and raised here, I would continue to live here and raise my kids here. I will still have Mustang Pride.

Do I want my emergency services to go away?

No. But we already pay double tax and there are ways to keep most if not all of our current level of public works and safety with cooperation. That last word being pretty hard to come by.

Do I believe the state incentives will last forever?

No. But they have been available for the past four years that we’ve spun our wheels thinking about it and missing out on. And if/when they decide to cut the program, the people who will be cut out first are those that aren’t currently taking advantage. In other words, the ship will have sailed at some point.

What about becoming a City?

No new charters have been issued since the ’40s. We are free to petition for a City charter, but the county will take a hit and the association of counties will lobby against it. Plus, from Albany’s point of view, they have solved this problem when they created the Local Government Efficiency Program and associated grants and incentives. I’m a populist at heart, but I know the tail rarely wags the dog.

Don’t I want the Towns and Village to cooperate on consolidation?

Yes. But they haven’t and likely won’t.

Aren’t I afraid the Towns won’t cooperate after dissolution?

I know they won’t. They haven’t to date, and have plainly stated they will not follow the plan. They had to be forced into the conversation like this, if only to fight it, you can bet they will get back out of it the second they can.

Which leads me to what made my ultimate decision. For three years I’ve heard about this possibility. For three years, it has devolved into a schoolyard slap fight.

One side has had a third party evaluate the feasibility, created a plan and invited others to participate. They did their homework. The other side hired a PR firm to shill for them.

They and this firm have deleted Facebook posts, banned users and sent fliers, written editorials and mailed postcards filled with fear, uncertainty and doubt. Full of lies like “there won’t be any more Ale in Autumn” that demonstrate either their willingness to say anything to protect the status quo or how out-of-touch they actually are with what goes on in the Village.

I’ve got a well made, laminated flier in front of me without a single “quote” from someone not on the Town payroll. It has become obvious whose best interests they represent. They have presented anti-dissolution rhetoric.

They’re against it. I get that. But what are they for? Nothing, apparently. No change to the status quo is entertained, no alternative plan is offered.

So, I will vote YES on the 20th. And I will vote YES on consolidation in the next phase. And if I don’t see some level of maturity, productivity and transparency from the Towns, I will be voting against incumbents come election time. If a vote of “no confidence” can be forced before the next election, I will vote for that.

If you disagree with me, don’t bother trying to change my mind. Call your town supervisor and try to change theirs. They work for us. Just remember: Any new idea will be faced with fierce opposition by people with too much at stake in the current regime.

Roots in the past, eyes on the future.

Jeremy Hogan
Medina resident, business owner and concerned citizen

Editor:

As part of the ongoing discussion regarding the proposed dissolution of the Village of Medina, we as the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company would like to express our position against dissolving the village government.

Our fire company has been in service since 1953, and we are strongly opposed to the dissolution. We have the privilege of working side by side with the village fire, ambulance and police departments. This has always been a professional and respectful working relationship that has met the needs of the community.

If the dissolution occurs, we may never have again an ambulance service with the ability to put four ambulances on the road at the same time when called upon to provide for the needs of our citizens.

Throughout our 62-year history working closely with the Medina Fire Department at fire calls and emergencies, we have experienced a hand-in-hand partnership between the paid firemen in the village and the volunteer firemen and women in East Shelby, which provides the highest quality service possible for our communities.

Sincerely,

Members of the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company

Fire Chief Michael O. Fuller
President Dennis W. MacDonald

Editor:

The Medina Central School district is considering the option to offer veterans a discount on their school tax, which I believe is a good idea that would benefit the vets greatly.

However, I wonder if veterans would actually take this discount knowing that it raises taxes on their neighbors, including some vets that are ineligible for this discount. Everyone can agree veterans deserve thanks and praise for their service regardless of how and when they served.

If there is a policy in place that benefits someone who is in need, they should apply for it. A reduction in taxes is always beneficial, but not necessarily at the cost of your neighbor or your community.

We are one of the poorest counties in the state, and a large percentage of the population is living paycheck to paycheck.

For myself I will be happy to pay the extra amount, as it is the least I can do to help veterans. However there are many in the neighborhood that would like to pay this but are just not financial able to.

The school board faces a tough choice, especially since there is not a wrong choice. If you are a veteran please make sure the school board knows how you feel.

Timothy Elliott
Medina resident and “military brat”

Editor:

So Mr. Rivers does not have to add a disclaimer at the end of my letter, I am a Village of Medina Trustee.

That being said, for those of you who are unaware, I am against dissolution – both for personal reasons and what I am hearing from the majority of the residents I have spoken to as well as the response at the public hearing on the dissolution plan.

We have all seen the mailers, read the articles in the paper and on-line, and hopefully listened to the debate on Orleans Radio. Each registered voter in the village must ask themselves three important questions. After you answer these questions with thought and truthfulness, I believe you will understand why dissolution is not the solution.

1. Do I want the enhanced services to continue that I receive living in the village? (Career Fire/Ambulance Department, Police Department, Department of Public Works)

2. Do I want the same service inside the village as the towns receive outside the village?

3. Can I afford less than a dollar a day to keep the Village of Medina as it is now? (anticipated savings per the plan)

Our fire and police departments have a 3-minute or less response time for 911 calls. Our DPW clears our streets and sidewalks in the winter, repairs streets, water and sewer lines, pick up brush in the spring and leaves in the fall along with numerous other jobs to maintain the village as we know it.

The village and two towns have and do participate in shared services and purchases. I believe more savings can be realized with more shared services and inner-municipal agreements. I am personally working on renegotiating the ambulance contract between the village and the Towns of Shelby, Ridgeway, and Yates. These meetings have opened meaningful dialogue between myself and the town’s supervisors.

We need to look at all purchases that are made by the village departments. We have to investigate if we are using the NYS contracts as they are intended to be used to lower taxes.

Remember you are voting to dissolve the Village of Medina, not on the plan that was presented. There is a large unknown factor what would happen and what the tax rate would be or the services provided if the village is dissolved. Dissolution is not the solution.

Please vote “NO” for dissolution on Jan. 20.

Michael Sidari
Medina

Editor:

As many of us have been, we too have closely followed the ongoing debate regarding dissolution. We are not opposed to shared services and or consolidation if it is done properly. This upcoming vote is neither. It is not a vote to create “One Medina.” It is an elimination vote that would cause there to be no Medina!

We are not the Village of Seneca Falls that was located entirely within a township of the SAME name and could seamlessly consolidate with that township. Medina being split between two townships extremely complicates all aspects of this dissolution! This fact is being greatly overlooked.

There have been a lot of numbers thrown around and “promised” savings. If the savings are so great and the numbers are so accurate, why would CGR (Center for Governmental Research), the agency that conducted the feasibility study, recommend NOT dissolving the Village without merger of the towns?

Everyone keeps asking for better ideas. Here is one, petition for a consolidation vote of Ridgeway and Shelby. This should be the FIRST step in the process! Let all constituents who this affects have a say in the matter to determine if everyone truly wants One Medina.

To ask village voters to decide if they should dissolve Medina without having the knowledge of what the townships will do is irresponsible and frankly unfair to both village and town residents. Creating districts and LDCs (Local Development Corporation) that will all have taxing authority would make more government layers with voters having less voice. It would just put an invisible line on the map of what was the former village. If you are going to do this, you might as well keep the village.

The village is the biggest entity with the equipment, personnel, and infrastructure already in place. Why would you just throw that away and hope the towns could pick up the pieces, reinvent the wheel, and effectively provide these vital services.
Forcing this on two unwilling townships is not the answer! Medina would forever be the black sheep of the towns. This is not a test that we can try for a few years and then go back if we don’t like it.

This vote is final, and it would be a mistake that this area would spend decades trying to recover from. Vote NO on Jan. 20, and let’s start working with the towns instead of against them!

Respectfully submitted,

Don and Nancy Draper
57 years of combined service to the Village of Medina

(Mr. Draper is a retired Medina police chief and Mrs. Draper is a retired village court clerk.)

Editor:

Medina is headed for crisis. With the highest tax rates in the region, a declining population, a shrinking tax base, boarded-up homes and rising costs, things cannot stay the way they are.

Unless we do something now, maintaining our current level of services is going to become more and more difficult, if not impossible, and our beautiful village is going to sink more and more into decline.

Dissolution offers a chance to modernize, streamline and move local government into the 21st century. Medina’s plan will reorganize local government from three layers to one, while reducing sky-high taxes that cripple our local economy.

The unfairness of our current tax structure is obvious and troubling . My town tax bill just came in the mail. This month, I’ll be sending a check for hundreds of dollars to a government that does virtually nothing for me. The two town governments take over $1,000,000 from me and 6,000 other village residents and spend it on services that we never see. We end up subsidizing over 30 percent of the town budgets. No wonder taxes outside the village are lower.

Our town leaders haven’t done a thing to help. The article in the Democrat and Chronicle on Sunday proved to me that they will sit comfortably on their hands for years – in some cases, decades – with the hopes that nothing will ever change.

It also proved that regardless of the vote outcome, we need new leaders to lay the groundwork for the future. I understand the concern of village employees. Our local firefighters, police officers and Department of Public Works employees do a great job. No one is denying that. However, benefit costs will continue to skyrocket, workers will want raises, equipment costs will mount, and all the while, residents will demand that roads be repaired and streets be plowed.

But with everything else shrinking, how long can we keep this up? Our multi-tiered, antiquated system of government must change. If we don’t change, budgets and services are going to have to be cut or taxes are going to have to be increased in an area that is already being choked by high taxes.

Dissolution opponents offer only fear of lost services, identity, and, absurdly, our local history as an alternative. It is very easy to get stuck in the past even if it is not the best choice. One of my favorite Beach Boys songs from the 60s is “Wouldn’t it be Nice.” Indeed it would.

A Medina with three hardware stores, three men’s and women’s clothing stores, a strong industrial base with foundries and furniture factories was really nice when we had it.

But we cannot run a government on nostalgia. We cannot remain in the past. We must change. Our school district has made difficult, sometimes contentious choices to reorganize and streamline their operations. Many organizations have.

But in almost every case, they emerge as stronger, more viable institutions equipped to face the future. It is time for our village to do the same.

Dissolution offers solutions. It is not an overnight process. It will take several years to implement and a great deal of work on the part of our local leaders. But it is the best hope for the future of the village and the towns.

Vote yes for a brighter future for Medina.

Ed Weider
Medina