Medina rejects dissolution, votes to keep village

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 January 2015 at 10:38 pm

Photo by Tom Rivers – A “No Dissolution” sign, one of many in the Medina community, appears on West Center Street.

MEDINA – Village residents voted to keep their village government today in one of the busiest and most contentious local elections in recent memory.

By a 949 to 527 vote, residents voted to reject dissolving the village. That will preserve the police department, a paid fire department, Department of Public Works and other village employees.

Supporters of dissolution pushed to dissolve the village, saying it would cut about $6 off the tax rate for village property owners, who pay one of the biggest combined tax rates in the state. That would have cut village taxes by $420 for a house assessed at $70,000.

But residents against dissolution worried about the loss of services. Town officials in Shelby and Ridgeway said they wouldn’t match the “heightened services” that villagers currently enjoy.

Orleans Hub will have more coverage on the dissolution vote.