Question remains: How many signatures are needed?

By Russ Tarby

Contributing Writer

Liverpool Village Justice Anthony LaValle has been pounding the pavement for the past three weeks gathering signatures on petitions calling for a referendum on the Village Board’s April 14 decision to abolish the Village Court.

“We were originally told that we needed 229 signatures, but now suddenly it’s 305 signatures,” LaValle said last weekend.

Village Clerk Mary Ellen Sims confirmed that, according to the most recent Board of Election Poll Book Report, the village had 1,525 registered voters. In order to call for a “permissive referendum,” the petitions must bear the signatures of at least 20 percent of the total number of voters. Twenty percent of 1,525 is 305.

On April 14, Sims apparently misspoke when she said the total village electorate was 1,143, when, in fact, it was 1,525.

Voters who wish to sign the petition may do so at the Village Hall, 310 Sycamore St.; 457-3441.

At their April 14 meeting, the trustees voted 3-1 to abolish the office of Liverpool justice and dissolve the village court, effective when LaValle’s current term ends on July 4.

The board’s newest member, Christina Fadden Fitch, opposed the resolution, which was moved by Trustee Dennis Hebert and seconded by Trustee Nick Kochan.

At a rare joint town-village board meeting last Sept. 28, Salina Town Comptroller Greg Maxwell urged the consolidation of village and town courts in order to save money.

Last month, Mayor Gary White appointed a fact-finding committee to study the pros and cons of possible court consolidation. That committee met for the first time on May 4.

Meanwhile, in a report from the Star-Review last week, Salina town officials seemed reluctant to embrace the proposed court consolidation. Salina judges Paul Carey and Andrew Piraino both predicted financial stress and increased caseload demands in their courts should the consolidation move forward.