The future of the Village of Ellenville came into focus at the November 9 meeting of the Board of Trustees, as the Board moved forward with plans for a study examining the possible dissolution of the Village.

The Village had received two proposals in response to its request for proposals (RFP) for a dissolution study. Mayor Trent recommended Laberge, noting that its proposal was somewhat less expensive. The firm previously conducted a dissolution study for New Paltz, which ultimately resulted in a town-village consolidation.

The Board approved moving forward with the Laberge proposal, with a formal contract to follow.

The prospect of dissolution immediately brought two sharply contrasting opinions from the audience.

John Gavaris, a current member of the Town Board and former Ulster County legislator, said he believes dissolution is a terrible idea. He pointed to the dissolution of the Village of Seneca Falls in 2010, which he said remains a decision regretted by residents there.

Mary Sheeley, also a former County legislator and former Village Manager, offered a very different perspective.

She noted that dissolution has been discussed in Ellenville since the 1970s.

“There's nothing left, it's a shell of a village. At least let it be discussed. It's doable,” she said.

Gavaris countered that even undertaking a study would suggest that the Village intended to move forward with dissolution.

But the most significant obstacle, he argued, is the question of policing.

Gavaris said the Town Board has little appetite for taking on responsibility for the Ellenville Police Department. He noted that the Town of Wawarsing sees no need for its own local police force.

If Ellenville were dissolved into the Town, the Village's police department would disappear, leaving law enforcement responsibilities to the Ulster County Sheriff's Office and New York State Police.

This has long been one of the strongest arguments against dissolving the Village.

Deputy Mayor Raymond Younger recalled that the issue had come before the community several times in the past and had always run into the same obstacle: the police department.

Mayor Trent added that the Village had recently been unsuccessful in obtaining a grant to help with the consolidation of services. He agreed that the Town was not interested in taking over local policing.

The discussion also turned to the possibility of seeking assistance from the State Financial Restructuring Board, an avenue the Village began pursuing approximately five years ago.

Gavaris raised the issue, but Mayor Trent pointed to a significant Catch-22 in the application process.

“To apply, you must have your AFRs (Annual Financial Reports) up to date and approved. That in itself is an expensive and time-consuming task that may be beyond the powers of the applicant municipality.”

Ellenville is currently working on its 2024 Annual Financial Report.

Mayor Trent agreed that shared services between the Town and Village deserve further study. The Board then approved moving forward with the Laberge proposal for a dissolution study.