Governor David Paterson proposed legislation this week which would affect people who live outside of villages by putting towns in charge of sanitation districts, and eliminating the perks and benefits for special district commissioners.

At first blush, this might sound like a good idea in these times of economic uncertainty. There certainly are cases of abuse in some of those districts, and those should be stopped. However, this legislation could be harmful if it is applied with no consideration of the wishes of the residents, and might be the first salvo in a long-term campaign to reduce the power of villages.

Although they have been pilloried in Newsday, some special districts are actually beloved by their residents. A case in point is the Great Neck Park District, which boasts terrific facilities that are heavily used by its residents. If the state were to ever eliminate that district without the express consent of its residents it would be a travesty. (We publish a sister newspaper in Great Neck and hear from those residents who love their Park District.)

So why should Garden City Village residents care about this proposal which isn't, after all, about villages? Because there are those who don't like the idea that residents of a community should be able to control what goes on inside its borders. Some people believe local control causes NIMBY-ism and elitism and want to eliminate it.

We think local control is essential to keeping communities beautiful, and hope our representatives look hard at the legislation before deciding upon it.

Meg Morgan Norris

Publisher