EIC'S RESEARCH:

EIC volunteers believe incorporation is the right choice for Edgemont, and these discussions are the results of our research and analysis. We encourage you to read our analyses of the issues, conduct your own research, contribute to the conversation, and make your own decision. See links below for Terms of Use.

FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Greenville Fire District (GFD), a special district separate from the Town of Greenburgh, exclusively serves the Edgemont community and is funded by approximately $10 million of property taxes levied solely within Edgemont. In the EIC’s prior petitions, the Greenville Fire District would—as a matter of law—have merged automatically into the village because the borders were coterminous.

As the village borders in the new petition are not coterminous with the fire district’s borders, state law provides that fire district would retain the right to remain in existence until June 1 of the following year after the incorporation vote. At that time, the newly elected village government would have the right to decide whether existing resident taxes for the fire and EMS services provided by the district should:

1) Continue to flow to the fire district, which would remain an independent entity operating within the village’s borders at the village’s consent; or

2) Fund a village fire department. If this latter approach were chosen, it is likely that the fire district would agree to merge into the village government because it would otherwise have no funding source to maintain its operations and existence.

The decision would rest with Edgemont’s governing body; however, under either scenario, incorporation itself would not directly affect taxation or service levels relating to local fire and non-transport EMS. All fire district assets (including equipment, real property, and accumulated fund balances) as well as liabilities (debt and personnel contracts) would transfer to the village.

As a result, post-incorporation, we will continue to receive outstanding fire protection and emergency medical services from the GFD. 

We encourage you to read more about the relevant law.