Some were enthusiastic. Some were torn. But all the voters had the same goal: to keep Kiryas Joel’s charmless condos out of their town. The referendum on Thursday was decisive. By a ratio of more than 3 to 1, residents voted to turn most of Woodbury into a village and accept whatever new taxes and complications come with it. It was the second village voted into existence in southern Orange County – the Mideast of the mid-Hudson – in just a month and a half.Almost a dozen “yes” voters interviewed outside Town Hall all made clear that they hoped, perhaps in vain, to prevent the Hasidic community from bringing its dense housing to their country postcard of a town.

One woman, who gave only her first name – Theresa – voiced her concern this way: “Not supposed to say it, I guess, but the overrunning of Hasidic Jews.”

Most used more tact and acknowledged that by incorporating a village they were blocking only one Kiryas Joel expansion option – the creation of a Hasidic village within Woodbury. Still open is the option of annexing Woodbury land into Kiryas Joel.

Those who had weighed those factors said they decided to take their chances with annexation.

“I honestly envision that the courts would have it tied up for very many years, and probably say no,” David Sutz said.

Other voters thought forming a village was a terrible mistake, one that would hike taxes without giving residents the “protection” they had been promised.

“I voted ‘no,’ because the people who said we should vote ‘yes’ put out too little information, and the information that they put out was not true,” said Donnie Prozzillo, an assistant fire chief.

“When the village is up and running in two years, the taxes are going to skyrocket.”

Kiryas Joel Administrator Gedalye Szegedin sounded a conciliatory note on Friday.

He said the outcome of the vote suggested “the people have given up on negotiations,” although he still hopes that elected leaders from both sides will meet to resolve concerns about Kiryas Joel’s growth and its future.

“I want to be clear that that offer is still on the table,” he said.

Those voting against the village included a growing contingent of Hasidim who live outside Kiryas Joel in Woodbury, either as year-round or summer residents.

They recently organized a homeowners group and have begun voicing dissatisfaction with what they say are inadequate municipal services.

Why, they ask, should they support a new layer of government and taxes if they already feel poorly served and overtaxed?

“We don’t see a valid, good reason why we need a village,” said Michael Schlesinger, who moved to Milval Lane from Brooklyn last year.

For “yes” voters, that reason was keeping control of Woodbury. Those who described their objections to a Kiryas Joel expansion cast them almost entirely as aesthetic – or, more broadly, as different ways of life.

As Sutz put it: “If they had large single-family houses like the rest of the town, I don’t think there would be any problem.”

ROL