Help Us to Help You

As you read in this month’s newsletter (Feb 2022), Home Rule is under attack!  The Governor’s budget proposal includes provisions mandating permissibility of Accessory Dwelling Units on every property (ie, eliminating one family zoning) and mandating zoning for transit oriented development near every LIRR station and bus depot. [Why are these in a “budget”?]  Our memorandum opposing these can be found at MEMO.  Our letter to Senator James Gaughran, who is the Chair of the Senate Local Government Committee, and to Assemblyman Fred Thiele, who is the Chair of the Assembly Local Government Committee, can be found at LETTER.  We strongly encourage all our villages to send similar letters to their legislators with copies to Gaughran and Theile as soon as possible.

Other bills, already existing and to come, also are of concern.  For example a bill proposing that village elections be held at the same time as statewide and national elections has been introduced in both houses again this year, and we have written to legislators opposing it.

The NCVOA exists exclusively to serve our 64 villages and their over 475,000 residents. Our voice is strong but our voice and 64 others are heard even louder. When we ask you to write letters, contact your legislators and other elected officials or take a few minutes to respond to surveys, please seriously consider doing so.