COPENHAGEN, New York (WWNY) – A dozen votes shy. We’re talking about petitions that needed enough signatures in order to put the fate of the Copenhagen Fire Department up for a public vote.
The village voted to dissolve the Copenhagen Fire Department in September. The only thing that could save it was a petition with 76 signatures. The petition had more than enough, but the village found 64 to be valid and then rejected the petition.
“They’re not even listening to the taxpayers,” said Jim Henry, fire department president.
It could have gone to the taxpayer if petitions were signed by more than 70 people. That’s 20 percent of the total number of registered voters as of the last village election.
Within the 30-day deadline, 100 signatures were on the petitions but the village found 36 were not valid, thus rejecting the petitions at a special meeting last week.
The public vote would have cost more than $2,000 according to village attorney Candace Randall.
Randall explained to trustees in a letter that some signatures on the petitions were duplicates, some weren’t village residents, and others were illegible.
Her letter also claimed there were errors including no cover page and the wrong resolution number.
With the petition rejected by the board, the matter could go to the Lewis County Supreme Court.
Henry argues that would likely cost more than a public vote would.
“It’s pretty bad when the lawyer sits there and tells you three times it’s going to cost $2,500 to go to a vote. It’s going to cost you a lot, lot more to take it up through supreme court,” he said.
Meanwhile, Randall says the cost would only be more to the taxpayer if the department keeps fighting.
The village vote was 3 to 1.
That lone vote to accept the petitions from Trustee Patricia Bates. She tells 7 News she wants the village taxpayer to decide the fate of the fire department.
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