Recent online poll results though the independently run VisitScotia.com show Scotia residents are looking to have the village start consolidating services with neighboring communities as a way to be more cost effective and avoid tax increases.
The poll was created pretty much for my own curiosity. I currently chair the village park board, and I’m on the waterfront committee, so many of these issues have been topics, said Bill Pytlovany, who manages the site.
Pytlovany said the Web site at www.visitscotia.com, which he runs on a volunteer basis, is completely independent of village government, but he said he has passed along results to village hall.
At last month’s board of trustees meeting, the board briefly discussed the poll and said they were interested to see what the most important issues are for residents.
Mayor Kris Kastberg said the poll results involving priorities for residents came as no surprise to him. He said he hopes residents will now voice just what services they are willing to have combined.
`My biggest question is what residents want to see consolidated. Is it police with Glenville, fire with Schenectady, village government with the town? Many people want to save money through consolidation, but are sometimes hesitant to lose their own individualized services,` said Kastberg.
Trustee Armon Benny said, during election season, residents repeatedly mentioned the consolidation of services as the best way to save tax dollars.
`Hopefully, this board can work together to make difficult decisions which might save money to put into areas that residents believe are vital to our village,` said Benny.
In addition to asking residents about their priorities, Pytlovany has also conducted Web polls asking what they like most about the region’s parks, lakes and riverfronts. In that poll, more than 20 percent of the 1,380 votes went to the Freedom Park concerts. The Web site’s current poll asks those visiting the Web site what their ties to Scotia are.
Kastberg said the results of that survey match up with the list of priorities that the board has created for themselves.
Pytlovany’s said his site and polls have been very beneficial as a means for residents to voice their opinions as well as finding useful information pertinent to the village and county. The village has no official Web site.
`I look forward to the next poll. While the results came as no big surprise, those who have taken the time to comment have really made me think,` said Pytlovany. `I am glad to see folks take the time to respond.` “
