Dissolution referendums in Williamsville & Sloan

By Eileen Buckley & Howard Riedel

Buffalo, NY – It's referendum day in two Erie County villages. Voters in Williamsville and Sloan will decide Tuesday if they want to keep their village governments or get their government services from the surrounding towns.

Buffalo attorney Kevin Gaughan has been the driving force behind government downsizing in the region, and he and his volunteers have a full day scheduled. They'll be calling voters Tuesday morning, then greet them at polling places in Williamsville and Sloan later in the day.

Gaughan also announced that another town will hold a referendum next month. Monday night the Grand Island Town Board set September 23rd for a public vote on downsizing town governor.

Grand Island will be the sixth town in which Gaughan and his volunteers caused a town board downsizing vote, and the eleventh town, village or county government. Gaughan has worked to let people decide the size and cost of government.

"Congratulations to our magnificent Grand Island volunteers who worked to give their fellow residents a voice," Gaughan said.

Gaughan visited more than 1,200 Grand Island homes this summer.

Gaughan is leading a citizens' movement to reduce government and save taxes throughout Western New York. His local government study revealed that there are 439 elected officials in Erie County's 25 towns, 16 villages, and 3 cities -- ten times the number of politicians in any like-sized community in America. Gaughan has vowed to take his effort to every municipality in Erie County.

Last year, voters in five towns -- West Seneca, Evans, Orchard Park, Alden, and Hamburg -- adopted government downsizing.

This year, in addition to Tuesday government dissolution votes in the viillages of Sloan and Williamsville, the Village of Farnham will consider government dissolution on September 28; Amherst will vote on town government downsizing in November, and there will be a county-wide referendum on downsizing the Erie County legislature from 15 to 11 members.