Village Mayors Meet to Fight Downsizing

Village mayors around Western New York are beginning to make their voices heard about regional consolidation. The Mayors of 12 villages met yesterday at Blasdell Village Hall, where they heard from Peter Baynes, Executive Director of the New York State Conference of Mayors. The mayors claimed that villages add minimal cost to taxpayers and offer more than their share of services. Local lawyer and activist Kevin Gaughan has suggested eliminating villages as he continues to advocate the cutback of local governments.