The Campaign Process and Status
Edgemont residents have been exploring the idea of incorporating our community into a village for at least 50 years. In 2005, the Edgemont Village Exploratory Committee (EVEC) produced a feasibility report (available here) which explored the social, legal, and financial aspects of becoming a village. In 2012, a group of Edgemont residents updated the report (available here), revisiting certain assumptions about the initial costs.
In 2016, the Edgemont Incorporation Committee (EIC) formed to look at everything again with fresh eyes and a focus on 3rd party validation. Taking our cue from Rye Brook (the last village to incorporate in Westchester County), the EIC began taking the pulse of the community by collecting signatures on a petition seeking a referendum on the issue of Edgemont’s incorporation into the Town of Greenburgh's seventh village. We believe the ongoing success of our petition drive reflects the community’s enthusiasm for the possibility of a Village of Edgemont.
Here is where we stand in the process today:
Arent Fox, LLP
LEgal
We have retained Arent Fox, LLP, a well-respected New York City law firm with a specialized practice in municipal finance and real estate law to counsel our community on legal matters related to incorporation. Arent Fox is researching and reviewing the legal landscape and will issue formal legal opinions on the issues Edgemont residents care about. As these opinions become available, we will update the site and notify the community via email (sign up at the bottom of the page). We will also invite the firm’s attorneys to present their findings to the community.
Our goal is to identify clearly what our options are, where we might encounter risk, and how a newly formed village can mitigate those risks.
Zions Public Finance
FINANCIAL
Our finance team has analyzed the Greenburgh budget and financial information for many comparable villages in Westchester. Our preliminary findings show that comparable villages in Westchester County support their budgets with a tax base that is comparable to or, in many cases, less than the ~$16 million in tax revenues we estimate Edgemont would receive as a village.
We have engaged the Municipal Consulting Group of Zions Public Finance, a division of Zions Bancorporation, to create a study on the feasibility of Edgemont’s becoming a village. The feasibility study will address anticipated Village revenues, start-up costs, ongoing expenses, and options for services. The Zions Municipal Consulting Group has highly specialized expertise in producing feasibility studies for potential municipal incorporations, as well as broad expertise in all areas of municipal finance and development. We expect to post sections of the study on our website as they are ready. Please sign up to receive updates by email.
Community Outreach
Since Spring 2016, the EIC has been talking to many thousands of residents to better understand their concerns and interests through in-person meetings and online surveys. These conversations and survey data help guide our understanding of what we love about Edgemont and want to enhance, what services and programs we're concerned about losing, and what we expect for our community. This understanding is critical for evolving and implementing our community’s vision of the village, its laws, budget, and governance.
The EIC has also been in contact with other local village mayors, village managers, and startup and sustainable government consultants to inform our research and gather support for the transition.