When you work in a small zone, you get a good sense of that area. But Zogby says it makes no sense for communities to cling fiercely to their old-time, overlapping systems of government. Whitestown has lost 8.8 percent of its residents since 1990, U.S. Census Bureau estimates show. The four villages alone have lost 13.3 percent, according to 1999 census estimates. Old definitions of identity are being lost.
Consolidation is just a practical imperative.
A growing trend For more than 25 years, sharing services has been considered and sometimes accomplished by New York towns and villages, said Murray Jaros, special counsel for the New York State Association of Towns, an Albany lobbying group. People see there might be a way to save some taxpayer money. But it might not be for every locale, he said. He said there is no standard as to how many layers of government should control a certain number of people. Instead, the issue is about how well services are being performed and whether they could be more efficient under one umbrella, he said.