Sloan & Williamsville will not dissolve

SLOAN, N.Y. (WIVB) - Life goes on for the villages of Sloan and Williamsville. Voters rejected Kevin Gaughan's proposals to dissolve those two villages.

He's had victories in five town board downsizing votes, but Tuesday night that streak came to an end in the village of Williamsville when voters defeated the dissolution proposition around five-to-one. Downsizing advocate Kevin Gaughan was not a popular man in the village Tuesday night.

Maria Testa said, "There's a strong village identity and we love living here."

Maria voted no to downsizing, and many like her also voted no because New York State law allows a downsizing vote even without having a plan to dissolve in place. Maria thinks that's a scary thought.

"If the vote went yes, there would be no plan and we'd have no negotiating ability with the town of Amherst," argued Maria.

Supporters of dissolution say among other things, downsizing saves money, reduces government and does not greatly impact village life. Taxpayer Ed Kowalczewski says government, as he sees it, needs to "let go." Unlike Maria, Ed says even though a vote to dissolve would have cost the village its government, those who live in the village of Williamsville would never allow their home to lose it's character.

"I don't think that the majority of people in the village will allow the heart of the village to leave whether or not the government is here in place," said Ed.

The fight to dissolve was also taken to the village of Sloan, and that village likewise overwhelmingly defeated the dissolution proposition.

>>>You can see the official results of the vote in Sloan here.