Dissolution bid moves forward
Brookhaven town attorney validates Gordon Heights signatures
6 comments below
The Brookhaven Town Attorney's Office on Wednesday certified the signatures on the petition to dissolve the Gordon Heights Fire District, clearing a major hurdle for residents who wish to abolish the special taxing district and lower their fire taxes, the highest in the state.
The Gordon Heights Fire District is a special taxing district that funds Gordon Heights Fire Department, the county's first all-black fire service. The district was originally set up in 1947 in response to claims that the community was discriminated against by local fire departments. In recent years, the district has been scrutinized for its taxes, which are as much as triple those of some neighboring districts.
Similar moves to dissolve the Gordon Heights Fire District were mounted in 1986 and 2006. In 2006, town officials invalidated the petition by ruling that it did not comply with state election law. In a renewed effort this past July, the residents hired an attorney and set out collecting signatures once again. However, this time the residents were collecting signatures for two petitions: the first to dissolve the fire district and the second to create a fire protection district, allowing the town to either take over the district's fire service or put the service out to bid for other departments in the event the fire district is abolished. Both petitions, which featured more than 751 signatures and totaled more than 2,000 pages, were filed with the town clerk's office Dec. 31.
Brookhaven Town spokesman Kevin Molloy confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Brookhaven town attorney Karen Wilutis' office approved the signatures submitted with the petition to dissolve the district.
"The town attorney's office has reviewed the petition," Mr. Molloy said. "They have found the signatures legally sufficient and have forwarded them to the assessor's office, who will now make a determination as to the percentage of assessed valuation."
In order for the dissolution petition to be considered by the Town Board, the assessor's office must prove that there are signatures representing 51 percent of the assessed valuation of property of the fire district. Once that threshold is confirmed, the petition will be forwarded to the Town Board. The town can then decide to call a public hearing on the dissolution of the district. The second petition, which is to create a fire protection district, must wait until after the first petition is decided in order to go forward.
Huntington Station attorney Paul Sabatino, hired by the residents to advise them through the petition process, said he was glad to hear that the residents were able to "leap-frog past the problems that they had the last time when they were on their own."
"It's an important first step on the road to consolidation," Mr. Sabatino said of the certified signatures. "At the same time, it's an uphill battle. If it was easy, it would have been done by the state already."
Mr. Sabatino noted that even though the town attorney's office has signed off on the legality of the signatures, the town assessor's office must still calculate the percentage of properties represented -- a threshold he is confident the petition meets.
Rosalie Hanson, a resident who organized the petition drive, said she was relieved that the petition has made it to the next step. "After three years of hard work, this is the first time I am feeling a sense of hope," Ms. Hanson said.
Claudette Price, another resident involved with the petition drive from the start, called the news that the petition made it past the hurdle of legality "wonderful" and felt confident that the group's attorney researched the issue properly, so as to ensure that the petition will pass to the pubic hearing stage.
"I am ecstatic," Ms. Price said. "It's the first time it's been done in New York State."
peggy@northshoresun.com
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6 comments found
GHFD Expenditures : 6/24/2009
The FD keeps on spending! They have a public notice of expenditure out for a new $240,000.00 coomunications tower! Must be very necessary for this "huge" 1.7 square mile district!
: 2/13/2009
Gordon Heights Tea Party, anyone?
: 2/13/2009
I think the fact that the GHFD put up such a fight shows that they don't care for those in their comunity and are only looking out for themselves. If you really cared for your neighbors and community members, you would do what is best for them and look to provide them some relief from constantly increasing property taxes.
Gordon Heights : 2/13/2009
Gordon Heights was in existence for over 20 years before the GHFD was formed. I would like to hear the other side of the story. We are talking 1947 and there could be many reasons why the other district did not respond on this occassion. Too much hearsay. Show me the facts This whole "myth" is an insult to the other surrounding districts
: 2/13/2009
It's very sad that the GHFD have had zero spirit of cooperation in all of this. They could have spared this community a lot of heartache and financial misery. They should have been cooperative and realized dissolution is truly in the best interest of their community. Their denial and defiance is appauling and their continued "tax and spend" behavior along with breaking rule after rule is simply unacceptable. I hope the recent current events of how "breaking the rules" and not caring who get's hurt, which has completely undermined the core and greatness of our country serves as an example as to why something needs to done and done quickly. I do trust the Town of Brookhaven will do what is right and necessary to save the community who truly is on the brink of collapse!
: 2/12/2009
Hiring an attorney is costing this community a small fortune, but hopefully it will be money well spent. Even though it has cost the residents a lot of money and time to pursue the dissolution of the GHFD, we have no other recourse and we cannot give up hope because we simply cannot continue to pay these killer fire taxes.
