Local resident Brad Gains told the paper that a petition containing 95 signatures has been filed by a local tax payers group calling for the village government to dissolve.

The group believes that dissolving the village will result in tax savings, although a study would have to be completed to show just how much money could be saved. The matter would also have to go up for a public referendum where all registered voters could choose whether or not to dissolve the local government.

Gains has said the members of the Sinclairville Village Board are opposed to the idea.

Dissolution isn’t new in Chautauqua County. Recently both Forestville and Cherry Creek residents voted to dissolve their village governments. Meanwhile, an effort to dissolve the village of Sherman Government failed by just two votes in December 2016.

According to the Governor’s Office, he grants will be provided through the Citizens Reorganization Empowerment Program, which assists upstate municipalities with government restructuring.

Hanover will receive $50,000 to assist with the dissolution of the village of Forestville, while Cherry Creek will receive an estimated $24,000 to develop a village dissolution plan.

The village of Sherman will reimbursed up to $50,000 for costs associated with the failed referendum to dissolve the local government.

That’s according to the Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services, which received water testing results from the New York State Department of Health for the Village of Forestville public water supply.

According to county health officials, water samples were collected directly from each of the Village’s two wells at the start of this month, before any treatment of the water took place.  The samples were tested for 148 chemical compounds including petroleum byproducts, herbicides, pesticides, inorganic contaminants and metals, and bacteria.

The results indicate that the water is safe to drink.

County health officials had requested that the state conduct an independent and comprehensive review of the Forestville wells and public water supply system after residents and users complained of a metallic taste to the water.

In addition to the recent test, other testing and monitoring will continue to take place.

On Tuesday Senator Cathy Young’s office announced that she has secured $50,000 of emergency funding for the village to help cover the cost of a new roof and other capital improvements that are needed immediately.

Senator Young said the one-time-only grant will provide some relief to village taxpayers who cannot afford the massive property tax increase resulting from the convergence of debt repayments and necessary emergency building repairs.

Last month, the Chautauqua County Legislature also helped to reduce what would have been a 445 percent tax hike with a $150,000 low-interest loan to the village.

In exchange, the Village will undergo an audit by the State Comptroller examining the village’s finances over the last five years, and participate in a task force examining the village’s long-term viability.

According to a report in Wednesday’s Jamestown Post-Journal, The Forestville Village Board held a meeting Tuesday to vote on the 2014-2015 budget, and to also accept a $150,000 loan from Chautauqua County.

Earlier this year, the village found itself in financial dire straits after failing to pay two loans totaling $400,000. As a result, the property tax levy was projected to increase by 445 percent.  However, last week the county legislature approve a loan for the village, totally $150,000 and to be paid back within five years at 3 percent interest. As a result, the village was able to reduce its tax increase to 112 percent.

The newly approved budget calls for a tax rate of $10.87 per thousand assessed value, just over double the current year’s tax rate of $5.13.

In the coming weeks and months, village, town of Hanover and county officials are expected to begin the effort of looking into the possible dissolution of the village.

Mayor Kevin Johnson was one of several Forestville residents who attended Wednesday Night’s County Legislature Meeting and requested lawmakers approve a loan for $150,000. The money is needed to help pay off a loan and avoid seeing a property tax increase of 445 percent. The legislature eventually voted 17 to 1 in favor of granting the loan to the village.

Following the meeting, Mayor Johnson expressed his gratitude to lawmakers. “It’s not everything but it helps a lot. We’ve still got a big hump to get over but we’re getting some help and that’s a start,” Johnson said. “We already have taken some other steps to pay off one of the loans and we’re still going to have to raise the tax levy, but not as much.”

Johnson adds that the village is now facing a 100 percent increase in taxes – which is still a steep tax hike, but no where near the initial projection of 445 percent.

One of the conditions the legislature has in giving the village the loan is for the village to look into possible dissolution. A committee will be set up to initiate a study, and Mayor Johnson says its something that will take time to complete.

“There’s a very lengthy study and detailed study that has to be done,” Johnson said. Frankly, I would welcome that study so we can see exactly where we have to go, what our finances have to be in the near future and in the long term. Maybe it is [worth doing] and maybe it isn’t, but we won’t know until we’ve actually taken a look at it.”

Johnson – who was only recently elected mayor and was not part of the village when it failed to pay back its initial loans – says officials will also be contacting the state comptrollers office and request it conducts an audit of the villages finances.

As for the loan from the county – the village has five years to pay it back at 3 percent interest. If it fails to do so within that time, the county will withhold sales tax revenue from the village in order to ensure the money is returned.

On Wednesday nigh, the Chautauqua County Legislator approved an amended resolution to provide a $150,000 low-interest loan to the village, to be paid back within five years. The interest was also changed from 2.5 percent to 3 percent. However, the amended resolution did not include a reimbursement of county landfill credits, totaling $87,344, to the village – which was in the original version and created some concern for several lawmakers.

The amended resolution, which was co-sponsored by legislator George Borello (R-Irving) and County Executive Vince Horrigan, received support from both sides of the aisle and also both sides of the county.

Among those who initially opposed the resolution, but eventually offered his support after it was amended was legislator Chuck Nazarro (D-Jamestown), who said he wasn’t in favor of giving the village a reimbursement on landfill credits, but would support the low-interest loan which would help cover infrastructure costs in Forestville.

“These [loans from the county] are tied to infrastructure for those specific areas – water, sewage and drainage,” explained Nazarro. “I think there was some confusion out there that this could open the flood gates for other communities [to request loans from the county]. No. This is very restrictive and I think its important that we help those in our communities, and it does give protection to the county.”

If Forestville fails to pay back the loan within five years, the county would have the right to withhold future sales tax payments to the village. As a result, the county is in no risk of not seeing the loan paid back.

Borello also emphasized that because there is no doubt the money will be paid back, it is important to note that the resolution is in no way a handout for the village.

“It’s very important that we understand that this is not a handout. It is a loan and it is a secured loan, as Mr. Nazarro pointed out. This is something that the village is going to pay to the county,” Borello explained. “Most importantly, there are conditions that came along with this resolution. A committee is going to be formed to look into a financial situation and potential for consolidation, and even putting the vote forward for a potential dissolution.”

The final vote was 17 to 1, with legislator Lisa Vanstrom (R-West Ellicott) voting against the measure. Legislator John Hemmer (R-Westfield) was absent.

As a result, Forestville will see a proposed property tax increase of possible 100 percent, compared to the 445 percent increase it was facing as a result of poor fiscal management by past village officials.

Following the meeting, Forestville’s mayor Kevin Johnson, who was only recently elected to the post, said he and the residents of the village were appreciative of the county for offering assistance. He said that with the loan from the county, the village is now facing a property tax rate that would be estimated $10 per thousand assessed value – nearly double the current rate.

In order to help offset that increase, the County legislature will be considering a resolution that will help to ease some of that local tax increase.

Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan is joining Legislator George Borello (R-Irving)  in sponsoring a resolution that would provide the village of Forestville with $87,000. That money would be given to the village in exchange for 14 years worth of county landfill credits that have been designated to the municipality .

In addition, the county would also provide a bridge loan of $150,000 to the village at a rate of 2.5 percent, which will be used for its share of the inter-municipal water line project, to be repaid immediately upon the Village’s long term refinancing of the debt, but also no later than December 31, 2014.

As part of the deal, the county is also calling on the village to request the state comptrollers office to audit all of Forestville’s financial records for the past fie years. The village must also participate in a task force that will examine the viability of the Village as a continuing independent municipal entity, including consideration of the potential of dissolution.

The resolution will be reviewed this morning by the county’s audit and control committee and will go before the full legislature next Wednesday night during its regular voting session.

Time Warner Cable News is reporting that dozens of concerned residents packed the Forestville village hall on Tuesday night to voice their concern over a proposed 445 percent increase in the property tax rate.

According to the report, the village is in fiscal dire straits, thanks to two five-year loans totaling about $400,000 – both of which need to be repaid in full this year. Village officials say they have a plan to use reserves to pay off $150,000 for one of the loans, but are unable to find any funding for the other $250,000 – other than by raising property taxes. Many village residents reportedly say they can not afford such a steep increase.  The village urged them to contact state and county leaders to express their need for help.

YNN News is reporting that the Forestville village board Tuesday night voted to form a Dissolution Study Advisory Committee. According to the report, the committee will be made up of elected leaders and residents of the village, appointed by the Mayor. The Village, which has a population of just under 700, would also hold several public input meetings during the study period.

Several villages in Western New York have been dissolved since 2009, including the villages of Limestone, East Randolph, Randolph and Perrysburg in Cattaraugus County.