By Nick Kochan

Deputy Mayor, Village of Liverpool

In a recent letter to the editor, Village of Liverpool Court Judge Anthony LaValle did a disservice to the village of Liverpool and its residents. Through our experience and practice, the first priority of the Liverpool Village Board of Trustees has been and continues to be to protect and preserve the existence of the village and its long-term viability.

Recent actions by the state of New York to eliminate villages is a threat that we take seriously. We are doing whatever it takes to make sure that the village stays strong and prospers.

To help ensure the existence of the village, the board continuously reviews the performance of all departments, including the court. For the last four years, the board has been examining the change in the financial viability of the village court, and as a result, we have taken steps to discontinue the village court. Here are the reasons:

• Since 2012, village court expenses have exceeded its revenue by more than $170,000, a loss that has been covered by our village tax dollars.
• The village of Liverpool pays for two courts, its own and the town of Salina’s. New York state requires all villages to pay their assessed share of town courts, whether they use them or not.
• In Onondaga County, six of the 15 villages have no village court. They rely on their town courts.
• Very few village residents actually use the court. The vast majority of court defendants are not village residents.
• If the village court is dissolved, both the costs and revenues associated with running the court come off the tax bills.
• If the court were dissolved, the court records would be permanently archived in the Village Hall and would become part of its existing record management program. There is a one-time charge of between $500 and $1,500. Annual maintenance fees would be $225 per year. This work would be done by the same company that has kept village court records for the last 25 years.

What does this mean to village residents?

In the first place, it strengthens the village’s long-term financial position and makes the existence of the village more viable.

For an annual savings of $30,000 to $50,000 a year, the village could, for example, buy a village police car or make a bond payment on a $2 million infrastructure project.

As always, we encourage and welcome village residents to be informed, to participate and to vote. If you would like more information, please contact any board member. The village office number is 457-3441. The email address is [email protected]. Our next board meeting takes place at 7 p.m. Monday, May 16, in the Village Hall.