The village of Camillus, incorporated in 1852, will remain after the village-wide referendum today.
The referendum was denied by voters, with 229 votes against and 158 for: a margin of 61.
Patricia Butler, a current village trustee and opponent to the dissolution, won mayor with 198 for. Karen Kiggins netted 153 votes, a margin of just 45.
The village board will now have Anthony Komuda, Tim Stapleton and Ann Eckert. Komuda had 136 votes for the fill-in position, Stapleton had 202 votes and Eckert had the most, at 212. Bill Cody, an incumbent, will not return to the board. He had 73 votes.
A consolidation study facilitated by former mayor Michael Montero reported that village residents could save $77.62 annually on taxes for a $100,000 home if the village were to merge with the town. The amount seemed substantial enough for Montero to encourage the village board and residents to consider consolidating into the town of Camillus.
In July, 108 of the village’s 1,200 residents signed a petition requesting the decision be left to those who the decision would affect — the village’s residents. The village board voted unanimously to leave the fate to Election Day’s referendum.
If the village were to dissolve, the village board would no longer exist and the town’s 1st ward councilor would represent the village’s 1,200 residents. The town would also likely adopt the village’s three highway workers, but the village clerk, deputy clerk and code enforcement officer would lose their jobs.
The village of Camillus would have been the first to dissolve in Onondaga County in 85 years.
