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 ONEONTA TOWN BOARD

REJECTS GO-EDC STUDY

Andrew Stammel addresses petitioners at tonight's Town Hall Meeting, where no one seconded the motion to vote on GO-DEC's proposed government efficiency study. (Ian Austin/ allotsego.com)
Town Board member Andrew Stammel addresses petitioners at tonight's Town Hall meeting, where no one seconded the motion to vote on GO-EDC's proposed government efficiency study. (Ian Austin/ allotsego.com)

By LIBBY CUDMORE • for allotsego.com

ONEONTA – 24 hours after Common Council voted unanimously to pay its $12,500 share of the Local Government Efficiency Grant to study cost-saving measures between the town and the city, the Town Board refused to even bring the resolution, prepared by GO-EDC's Bill Shue and Al Colone, to a motion for vote.

"We don't respond to ransoms," said Town Board member Andrew Stammel.  "These are two activists who don't live in our town and made a demand. We hear a petition, we have a dialogue, we ask our townspeople and we craft a piece of legislation."

For almost an hour and a half, town residents debated the proposed study. "Why are we even addressing this?" asked Kate Barns.  "A good portion of us don't want this study."

"In 1903, we wanted to merge with the city, but the city wasn't interested," said Don Webster.  "What changed? Money."

"Shared services make me gag," said Marie Lusins, a member of the Town Planning Board. "We do have shared services. Do we want another $12,500 to tell us this? No."

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