THOMPSON AND FALLSBURG, NY — A petition for a new village in the Towns of Fallsburg and Thompson has complied with the requirements of New York State law, according to a joint statement from the supervisors of both towns. 

The proposed village, to be called the Village of Ateres, would have a majority population from the orthodox Jewish community. Reporting from Mid-Hudson News indicates that the petitioners have infrastructure concerns that led to the proposal, including the need for an updated water system as well as sidewalks and streetlights. The proposition has passed two public hearings, set to discuss the technical merits of the petition rather than the merits of the proposed village itself. 

Supervisors William Reiber of Thompson and Katherine Rappaport of Fallsburg have expressed concerns over the founding of the village. While they agree that the petition conforms to the current state law, they suggest that the state law around the formation of villages is itself outdated. 

“We note that we, as town supervisors, are required to review the petition with a narrow set of circumstances as governed by state law. After many hours of public hearings, reviewing submissions, consulting with staff and our attorneys it was painfully obvious that the approximately 100+-year-old NYS statute governing village formations is in dire need of a rewrite. We are beyond the days of communities meeting at the local grange to map out their future,” write the supervisors.

The current law ignores a number of concerns, say the supervisors; it does not consider the environmental impact of the proposed village, it does not include oversight from the state comptroller about the finances behind the village, and it does not consider the infrastructure needed to run a village—such as water and sewer, road maintenance and village staff. 

“Fortunately, the Assembly and Senate agree, having both approved an updated bill which awaits Gov. Hochul’s signature,” write the supervisors.

The bill (S7538/A7754) would amend the village law, changing the minimum size for village incorporation from 500 to 2,000 residents and requiring that a study be conducted on the fiscal, service, and taxation impacts on the residents of the proposed village and the residents of the surrounding town. 

Should the bill be passed, the Village of Ateres could fail the minimum size requirement; reporting on the village puts its size at approximately 800 residents.