Shelly O’Boyle, Clymer-Sherman-Panama merger study project coordinator, right, speaks at the Chautauqua County Legislature meeting Wednesday night. She was joined by representatives from all three school districts as she asked for $100,000 from the county to help the merger process. The request was approved by county officials. P-J photo by Gregory Bacon

MAYVILLE – County lawmakers have agreed to help financially support plans for three small south county school districts to merge, as well as a north county municipality to look into sharing services and/or merging with neighboring local governments.

While the proposals were unanimously approved, there was a lot of tension following the meeting between one Democratic county legislator and the county executive.

RESOLUTIONS

The Chautauqua County Legislature voted to give $100,000 to support the Clymer Sherman Panama Merger Feasibility Study Project. The three schools are evaluating a merger to address rising operational costs, declining enrollment, and the need for expanded educational opportunities.

A public vote will be needed by all three schools before any merger can take place.

The legislature also voted to give $50,000 to the town of Pomfret so it can explore sharing and consolidating services with the village of Fredonia, town of Dunkirk, city of Dunkirk, and town of Sheridan. Arkwright was not listed but was mentioned by Pomfret officials previously.

Items listed in the resolution under consideration include consolidating highway departments, sharing a dog control officer, and having a single code enforcement office.

While the resolution does state anything about merging municipalities, County Executive PJ Wendel has met with various north county leaders, encouraging them to explore merging into a single governmental entity.

The funding for both resolutions is coming from the county’s unobligated fund balance.

When Wendel presented his 2026 budget, he said he wanted to have $500,000 available from the fund balance to be used for municipalities to explore merging and/or sharing of services. He called the program the Governmental Reduction Initiative.

FUND BALANCE CRITICISM

Before the vote for both resolutions, Legislator Fred Larson, D-Jamestown, said he was in favor of them but was critical of where the money was coming from and questioned if he would support a similar move in the future if it’s not coming from the local government officials themselves.

Larson spoke for about five minutes, first questioning why Wendel didn’t put the GRI funds in the budget and continued criticizing the legislature for having large reserves, which he called a slush fund.

“It is appropriate to call it a ‘slush fund’ since, as tonight’s resolutions prove, it can be used for anything. There is no emergency here. It was totally foreseeable last year that municipalities and school districts would ask for this money in 2026,” Larson said.

He argued that Wendel chose not to have the GRI funds come from the general budget because that would have raised the full value tax rate during an election year. He also noted that Democrats tried to use $2 million of the county’s $35 million reserves to lower property taxes, something Republicans rejected.

Republicans, meanwhile, have stated the amount the county keeps in its reserves is in line with its financial policy, something that was passed by both parties. The policy recommends its reserves be between 5-15%.

In a face-to-face interview with state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli in 2023, who is a Democrat, The Post-Journal/OBSERVER asked him about the county’s reserves policy. He replied, “We don’t have a policy on a hard and fast number. From my perspective, a range from 5-15% is not unreasonable.”

Referring to the north county dissolution discussions, Larson, a retired attorney and city court judge, stated that while villages can dissolve, “there is no provision of New York law that allows cities to dissolve.”

Larson also noted that an analysis has not begun for police protection if the four municipalities – Fredonia, Pomfret, Dunkirk city and Dunkirk town – merge into one district. Fredonia and the city of Dunkirk have police departments but the other two municipalities do not.

Larson questioned if Wendel wants to see a merger of Jamestown, Ellicott, Busti, Lakewood, Celoron, and Falconer. “I will not not support spending any of the county’s slush fund on such off-the-cuff responses by the county executive unless the municipalities involved ask to do so,” he said.

HEATED RESPONSE

Larson’s criticisms of Wendel seem to strike a nerve.

While Larson was talking to The Post-Journal/OBSERVER after the meeting, Wendel stormed over and handed 60 pages of printed documents from the state which he says shows that cities can, in fact, be abolished.

A summary page reads, The New ‘NY Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act’ amends Section 33-a of the Municipal Home Rule Law to allow the board of supervisors or legislature of any county to abolish any units of local government wholly contained in the county. This can include whole cities, towns, villages or districts or the offices, departments or agencies within those local governments.”

After providing the documents, Wendel stood directly in front of Larson, and told him in a loud voice that if he has any criticism of what he is doing, then he should call or come to his office. Larson defended himself, saying if Wendel wants to talk, he can call him as well.

The argument took place after the recording of the meeting occurred and lasted a couple of minutes before Wendel stormed off.

OTHER COMMENTS

Larson wasn’t the only lawmaker to speak before voting on the two resolutions.

Legislator Marty Proctor, R-Mina, said as a resident of the Clymer School District, he supports merging the three schools.

“I believe it is creating opportunities for our children and their education. I hope this will continue throughout the county,” he said.

Legislator Fred Johnson, R-Westfield, said he is more likely to support studies as long as the schools or municipalities are willing to financially support the studies as well.

Legislator Vince DeJoy, D-Jamestown, who also works for the city of Dunkirk, said sometimes municipalities can be so cash strapped that financial support of a merger study may not be possible.

“Many of these municipalities are coming to this (merger consideration), because they are in such desperate need,” he said.