Tannersville Votes NO to Dissolution

By Max Oppen

TANNERSVILLE – Village of Tannersville voters overwhelmingly rejected the potential dissolution of the Village on Tuesday, January 14. The vote followed months of division within the community and among public officials. To evaluate the implications of dissolution, the Village Board hired the LaBerge Group, a consulting agency with expertise in municipal dissolution, to conduct a $45,000 study. This comprehensive plan, available on the Village's website for weeks leading up to the vote, concluded that dissolving the Village would provide minimal savings to taxpayers, estimated at approximately $200-$300 annually.

The unofficial results showed 78% of voters opposed dissolution. Under New York State law, this outcome enacts a four-year moratorium on any further dissolution votes. Had the proposal passed, the Village government and services would have been absorbed by the Town of Hunter by the end of this year.

The process began in February 2024, when Village trustees adopted a resolution to explore dissolution after a resident-led petition gained traction. Since then, the Village worked closely with LaBerge Group to draft the dissolution plan, hold public meetings, and apply for a New York State Citizen Reorganization Grant to fund the study.

Had most voters supported dissolution, the Village would have officially dissolved on December 31, 2025. Municipal functions, such as public works and administrative services, would have transitioned to the Town of Hunter.

Of 265 residents who cast ballots (excluding absentee votes), 58 supported dissolution, while 207 opposed it. According to the Greene County Board of Elections (BOE), the Village has 536 registered voters, 106 of whom registered since last September in anticipation of the vote. Of the 129 absentee ballots issued, 98 were included in last night's results. The BOE confirmed that 16 of the remaining absentee ballots had been received and will be counted if postmarked by January 14 and received by January 21. The final results will be posted on the BOE website.

Given the current numbers, it is clear that the uncounted absentee ballots will not be sufficient to overturn the outcome.

Mayor David Schneider commented, "A lot of villagers wanted to move toward dissolution due to the animosity and concern that the previous mayor would return. It's exactly what I wanted—for the voters to decide what they want to do. Now they've made the decision. Most likely, the Village will not be dissolved, but we will move forward and come together as a community. And we'll all work together to continue to see that Tannersville is a thriving place to live."

Deputy Mayor David Kashman, a potential Democratic mayoral candidate, stated, "I am happy with the outcome of the vote. Now, we can return to moving this Village forward after a period of divisiveness and conflict. It's critical that we, as a community, recognize the challenges we've faced and, more importantly, focus on the path ahead."

Village Trustee George Kelly, who spearheaded efforts to register more than 100 new voters, offered a fiery response: "These hacks that divided this Village got their heads handed to them last night. All of the pro-dissolution politicians from day one, all of them should resign—including Deputy Mayor David Kashman—for putting my Village through this crap. From day one, I was the only one standing alone against the dissolution vote—bar none. The only one."

Former Village Mayor and potential Democratic mayoral candidate Lee McGunnigle shared his perspective: "I'm proud of my neighbors, full-time and part-time, who saw the reality that the Village is a tremendous place. It has gone through decades of growth and commitment by public servants, and it wouldn't be dismantled in two years by the current mayor, who just came to the Village to put it up for an election. What's more repugnant is that Village officials, after seeing the study and having the same facts the voters had, still decided to put it on the ballot. There are no reasons to dissolve Tannersville. They shouldn't even seek office because the current mayor ran on change, which was to dissolve the Village, and the voters disagreed."

With the vote concluded, residents and officials now face the task of reconciling and working together to ensure Tannersville's continued growth and prosperity.