During its September 21 meeting, the town board of Crawford held a public hearing on a proposal for turning Crawford into a coterminous village town, providing residents with information and the opportunity to ask questions.

Town Supervisor Charles Carnes explained that the board seeks to form a village and immediately consolidate it into the town, preventing any other villages from forming within its borders. Everything already within the town would remain intact.

“Basically, the borders stay the same, the police department stays the same, the fire department stays the same, the highway department stays the same…once that is established, you can’t build another village in the village, so we won’t have duplication of services,” Carnes said.

Carnes asserted that the consolidation would limit residents’ taxes from increasing, preserve Crawford’s open space and give the board authority over its municipal boundaries. If another village were to form, the board would have no say in what it can and can’t do.

“If another village was formed, they can change the zoning, they can form their own government, and we’re all going to be paying for it…this gives, in my opinion, the residents protection, and the master plan gives us more control,” he said.

Howard Bush, a resident, questioned the timeliness of this transition.

“Once we form a village, we would immediately consolidate it into a town?” Bush asked.

Carnes stated that, if approved, he and the board would take immediate action and work as quickly as New York State would allow them to. He then elaborated on the voting process, emphasizing that residents must answer yes to both forming and consolidating a village if they want the proposal to move forward.

“So on the ballot, it’s going to say two questions…you have to vote yes on the village and yes to roll the village into the town. There are two questions, they both have to be yes or it’s void,” he said.

Carnes said that a newsletter would be sent out two weeks after this meeting that would include an FAQ. The board will also post additional information on the town’s website, in the town hall, and will likely go door-to-door to inform residents.

The board will hold a ballot on December 12 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the town hall where residents can vote on whether they want Crawford to become coterminous or not. If approved, the consolidation will take effect in early 2024.