In local hands : village government incorporation and dissolution in New York State / Lisa K. Parshall.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Parshall, Lisa K., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Decentralization in government.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (309 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Albany, NY : State University of New York Press, [2023]

Summary:

The first comprehensive study of village government formation and dissolution in New York State.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

List of Illustrations

Figures

Tables

Acknowledgments

Introduction: In Local Hands

Methodology and Overview

Part I: The Legal and Policy Framework

Chapter 1 Incorporating Villages

The Evolution of the General Village Law

The Parallel Development of Municipal Home Rule Authority

The Purpose and Patterns of Village Incorporation

Entrepreneurialism and Development

Service Provision

Boundary Establishment: Regulating Land Use and Defining Communities of Interest

Village Durability and the Narrative of Progress

Chapter 2 Dissolving Villages

The Evolution of Dissolution Procedures

From Responsiveness to Direct Command

From Direct Command to Local Control

Dissolution in Historic Perspective (1789-1972)

Dissolution and Remorse

Dissolution and Discord

Dissolution and Decline

Dissolution and Progress

Dissolution and Taxes

Lessons and Context for the Passage of the Empowerment Act

Chapter 3 The Empowerment Act

The New Dissolution Process

Evaluating the Empowerment Act's Impact

Successful Dissolutions Under the Empowerment Act

Altmar (Oswego County): "Everybody for Themselves"

Lyons (Wayne County): "Out of Hand" and Into Court

Keeseville (Clinton and Essex Counties): "A Slap in the Face"

Bridgewater (Oneida County): "No Interest"

Salem (Washington County): "Cut-and-Dried"

Prospect (Oneida County): "Our Only Option"

Macedon (Wayne County): "A Poster Child for Government Dysfunction"

Hermon (St. Lawrence County): "Why Can't We?"

Port Henry (Essex): "Heartache"

Forestville (Chautauqua County): "We Are a Sinking Ship"

Herrings (Jefferson County): "It's Time"

Mastic Beach (Suffolk County): Here and Gone

Cherry Creek (Chautauqua County): Farewell

Barneveld (Oneida County): No Question.

Van Etten (Chemung County): Village versus Town

Morristown (St. Lawrence County): "Logical and Sensible"

Harrisville (Lewis County): The Bottom Line

South Nyack (Rockland County): The Elephant in the Room

Unsuccessful Dissolutions Under the Empowerment Act

Part II: The Political and Social Context

Chapter 4 Fiscal Incentives and Pressures

Identifying Aggregate Costs and Savings

Fiscal Stress and the Push for Municipal Reorganization

The OSC Fiscal Stress Monitoring System

The Financial Restructuring Board for Local Governments

The Internal Capacity of Village Governments

Fiscal Stress and Village Dissolution Activity in New York

Fiscal Stress Designations and Dissolution

Relative Tax Burdens and Dissolution

Pandemic Pressures and Dissolution

The Tenuous Connection between Fiscal Stress and Municipal Reorganization

Chapter 5 The Political Contexts of Dissolution

Dissolution and the National Context

Dissolution and Local Politics

The Everyday Politics of Place

Municipal Buildings, Signs, and Public Spaces

Protecting the Community: Fire, Police, and Emergency Services

Infrastructure: Public and Private Property

Collective Identity and Pride: Festivals, Heritage, and Public Ritual

Schools and School Districts: Central to Community Identity

Borders and Boundedness

Dissolution as Regionalism

The 2010 Dissolution Effort in Western New York

Chapter 6 Narrative Policy Persuasion in the Dissolution Debate

Competing Narrative Frames

Applying Narrative Policy Framing Theory to the Dissolution Debate

The Setting

The Plot

The Characters

The Moral of the Story

Narrative Policy Persuasion in Select Case Studies

Pro-Dissolution Narratives in Brockport (Monroe County) and Lyons (Wayne County).

Anti-Dissolution/Pro-Village Narratives in Brockport (Monroe County) and Lyons (Wayne County)

Chapter 7 Explaining Municipal Reorganization Success and Failure

Bringing the Study of Village Dissolution in New York into Existing Theory

1) The Support of Local Elected Officials and Civic Elites Is Critical to Successful Dissolution Attempts

2) The Legal Context and Institutional Setting Matter

3) Fiscal or Government Stress may be a Contributing Factor but Is Not a Sufficient or Necessary Condition for a Successful Dissolution

4) Local Government Formation and Dissolution Is Increasingly about Zoning, Land Use, and Development

5) Efficiency and Taxes Drives the Majority of Dissolution Attempts

6) Policy Narratives Matter

7) Regionalism and Equity Messages Have Limited Effect in Encouraging Dissolution

8) There Is Policy Learning Between Communities and Between Dissolution Attempts

9) Significant Impediments to Dissolution Efforts Remain

The Future of Local Government Reform in New York State

Appendixes

Appendix A: Pre-1900 Dissolutions

Appendix B: Village Dissolutions 1900-2009

Appendix C: Village Dissolution Votes 2010-21

Notes

References

Index.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Print version: Parshall, Lisa K. In Local Hands

ISBN:

9781438492476

OCLC:

1370492984