ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Before kick-off at Highmark Stadium Monday, some Orchard Park residents are already throwing a flag on a proposal to redraw community borders. Officials are looking at an annexation proposal that could the town and village lines, but some feel this process could unfairly benefit the people making these decisions and are making their voices heard at a public hearing Monday evening.
The proposal would shift some residents into the village where taxes are higher.
Orchard Park resident, Erin Jakubowsk, recently received a letter telling her that her Orchard Park home which is currently in town
could soon be considered a part of the village.
"I had lots and lots of questions when I received the letter," she said, "Why now since it's been like this forever...It's you know pretty frustrating that this just kind of came about and if it was being discussed I just wish that they would've had input from the property owners that are being affected."
Village Mayor Jo Ann Litwin Clinton said leaders are looking at changing border lines because some people's homes have their front yard in the town and backyard in the village or some homes in the town are receiving village water and paying out-of-district fees.
"This is a way we are trying to streamline services and provide better services to our residents," Clinton said, "We're trying to make it correct now."
Clinton said there would be no reassessment of homes, but there could be a small change in the amount of taxes, roughly a couple of hundred dollars, homeowners pay. Still, this is a change Jakubowski is worried about.
"I just want my questions answered and my transparency put forth," she said.
After Monday night's public hearing, the mayor said there will be an 8-week comment period. Then the village and town boards will get together in January to vote on this possible change.
A letter will then go out to residents for them to sign off on this change. If residents don't sign off, the mayor said then nothing will happen to their property. If plans are approved, then paperwork will be sent to the county and state and the town and village lines won't change for another year.
