If Williamsville residents decide to dissolve their village, they probably would not get a substantial tax savings.

That was a key message in the report released Sunday at the third community meeting of the Village of Williamsville Citizen Study Group, attended by about 100 people in the Williamsville Meeting House.

After interviewing elected Amherst and Williamsville representatives, the group discussed its findings.

“There is no possible way you can save the total tax bill amount,” said Chris Du- Quin, a founding member of the study group. “Whether the village or town provides [services], you’re going to pay for it. Can we save money? Sure. The question is how much.”

The group noted that most village taxes pay for sewers, water, garbage, road maintenance, plowing and fire protection. The group said that special districts would likely be created and current debt would remain with village taxpayers.

Williamsville is the first village on the elimination hit list of regionalism guru Kevin Gaughan. He and his volunteers have been conducting a petition drive to force a referendum on dissolving the one-square- mile village of 5,500 residents.

Contacted after the meeting, Gaughan vowed to push ahead with the petitions.

“We already knew that politicians oppose any change because if they didn’t, they would have changed,” he said. “I think they’re trying to thwart the process.”

Many residents at Sunday’s meeting said they felt the savings from dissolving the village would not be substantial enough to offset the cost of dismantling village government and bearing the cost of special districts that would result.

“I don’t see any value in dissolving the village. To me, it’s almost a wash in terms of pluses and minuses, so why would you get rid of it?” asked a 22-year-resident who declined to identify herself.

Others remain convinced that the village’s character would be eroded in the long run. Paul Steinbruckner, a resident whose wife owns a shop in the village, remained angry about Gaughan’s initiative.

“I don’t want to see the village go. I just don’t think we’ll be ahead,” he said.