The Incorporation Process
These are the four basic steps to creating a Village:
1. BOUNDARIES: The process begins with establishing clearly defined boundaries of the village. These boundaries must meet the requirements of the State of New York. A community that wants to become an incorporated village must have at least 500 residents and be no more than 5 square miles in area. Once the boundaries have been set, the next step is the census.
2. CENSUS: Every person who lives in the boundaries of the village must be counted. The census provides the village committee with an accurate population count so that the committee can perform the next step, which is the petition.
3. PETITION: The petition is circulated to collect the signatures of the registered voters who live in the village boundaries. By signing the petition, they are agreeing that they would like a vote to be taken on the incorporation of Smith Point as a Village. Once this is done, it can be taken to the Town Supervisor who will then call for a vote.
4.VOTE: The town will then authorize this to be put on a ballot for a vote by the registered voters who reside in the boundaries of the village.
It sounds pretty easy doesn't it? The reality is that this all takes a tremendous amount of time and effort. The funds, (approximately $30,000) have to be raised, the boundaries have to be determined, the census has to be conducted (which is the longest and hardest part of the process), the petition has to be taken around for signatures and then it has to be voted on. This is where you come in.....we need your help to accomplish all of this.