The question of whether or not the Village of Williamsville should be dissolved is expected to become a consideration for residents in March, when government reformer Kevin Gaughan plans to begin collecting signatures on a petition.

If 10 percent of the voters, or about 226 residents, sign the petition, the Village Board must issue a yes or no vote to decide the future of the 1-square-mile village.

While the board plans to hold a meeting in January to address concerns, residents have formed their own committee to seek out answers to the questions they’ve been asking.

Christopher Duquin, a resident of North Ellicott Street, organized the Dissolution Study Group, which met for the first time on Dec. 16.

Duquin, who said he does not want to vote on emotion, moved to the village five years ago for the parks, the lack of crime and the neighborly atmosphere.

Quality of life, for Duquin, was more important to him and his family than the higher taxes in the village.

“This dissolution process should not be about village issues,” said Duquin. “This is about whether the village government should be instituted or not.”

By inviting a village real estate agent, members of the Village Board — including the mayor, village and town assessors, the village attorney, members of other communities that have downsized and Gaughan himself, the committee hopes to gather as much information as possible from both sides of the dissolution question to make an educated decision as to the future of the village.

Gaughan, whose plan entails dissolving 16 of Erie County’s village governments, led successful efforts to downsize town and village boards in Orchard Park, West Seneca, Evans and Alden.

The recent state legislation changes the dissolution law to require petitioners to obtain the signatures of 10 percent of the village’s voters, instead of 25 percent, effective this March, and also requires the public to vote on the dissolution question before the village establishes a plan to dissolve it.

If a petition is formed but the residents vote no once the proposal comes to a vote, the subject of dissolution cannot be addressed again for another four years.

If the residents vote yes, the Village Board is compelled to put together a board-approved plan, conduct one or more public hearings with prior published notice on the plan, and approve the final elector-initiated dissolution plan, as outlined in the 8051 State Assembly Bill.

The Village Law Article 19 notes, “Only residents can dissolve a village.”

For more information, visit www. assembly. state. ny. us.

This story was posted on www.amherstbee.com on Monday, Dec. 20.