Another Voice / Government downsizing
Arthur J. Giacolone: Dissolution of East Aurora neither inevitable nor wise
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The Village of East Aurora is admired throughout Western New York. Its 125-year experiment as a separate municipality has worked so well that even consolidation activist Kevin Gaughan sang its praises.
But despite all that is positive and unique about East Aurora, its mayor, Clark Crook, would like to consolidate the village government into the Town of Aurora. We must live in different worlds.
Crook thinks dissolution of the village makes perfect sense because the village and the town are so similar. He apparently hasn’t noticed that East Aurora is urban in character, with more than 2,220 residents per square mile, and a strong central business and cultural center. The Town of Aurora, in contrast, is distinctly rural, where horse farms abound and population density is less than one-tenth the village.
The village and town residents do share a noticeable demographic feature, as both are 98.8 percent white. But census data reveals subtle differences. East Aurora’s population tends to be older and better educated, while there is significantly more affluence in the portions of the town outside the village. These distinctions result in varying priorities and concerns, and help explain the existing contrast in political hues.
In the 2008 presidential campaign, 56 percent of East Aurorans who voted for a major party candidate chose Barack Obama, while only 44 percent selected John McCain. The percentages were the opposite in the sections of the town outside the village, where 56 percent voted for McCain.
This difference in political philosophy is significant, especially on the local level. In the village, elections for village board and mayor are traditionally nonpartisan, with candidates needing only 100 signatures on an independent nominating petition to run for office. Party affiliation is irrelevant, and, as a result, village board members reflect a broad spectrum of political views.
Town of Aurora elections are partisan, drawing the attention of county and state political operatives. There has never been a Democratic town supervisor, and the only non-Republican town board member is a registered Conservative.
Republican Party dominance will continue if the village is dissolved. A greater number of Town of Aurora residents live outside the village than within its boundaries. This disparity will increase as the town continues to grow at a much faster pace than the village.
Also, while 46 percent of villagers who identify with one of the two major parties are registered Democrats, a full 61 percent of town voters residing beyond the village limits are Republicans.
Crook promises pie-in-the-sky tax savings, but at what cost? Village government, even with its imperfections, has worked well for East Aurora. Our village isn’t broken, and we shouldn’t risk our quality of life by trying to fix it.
Arthur J. Giacalone is an attorney whose solo practice emphasizes zoning, land use and environmental law.
Published: November 15, 2009, 12:30 am