West Seneca sets downsizing vote for June 3rd

WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WIVB) - Two years and three months after Kevin Gaughan uncovered a law that lets citizens use petitions to change government, nine months after West Seneca town board members denied the law's existence -- and after taking residents to court to stop them, twice voting down Gaughan's downsizing proposal, and making Gaughan and his volunteers again collect petition signatures this apring, the West Seneca Town board tonight bowed to the people's will and set a public referendum for June 3, 2009.

The referendum will let residents decide whether to reduce the size of the town board from 5 to 3 members.

Gaughan and his petition effort have thus caused the first government downsizing referendum in the history of New York State "I've never been more proud to be a Western New Yorker than I am this evening," Gaughan said, "and I eagerly look forward to the coming West Seneca debate, and then giving every Western New Yorker same chance to decide the size and cost of their local government."

Gaughan has already submitted petitions in the Town of Evans, and will ask that town board to schedule their downsizing vote on the same day as West Seneca.

He is also circulating petitions in Amherst, Cheektowaga, and Blasdell, and will move onto five 5 more towns and villages this summer.