It was a packed house Thursday night for a public forum on a controversial issue-the proposed annexation of land from the Town of Monroe, to the Village of Kiryas Joel.

The following article is via Time Warner Cable News:

Burden to tax payers, effect on the environment, and public safety. Those are among the many concerns expressed by the public in Monroe on Thursday night. This is in regard to the village of Kiryas Joel’s proposal to annex more than 500 acres of land from the town of Monroe.

“This is a dog and pony show if you ask me. The County Executive unfortunately has shown rather poor faith in keeping his campaign promises regarding the annexation,” said United Monroe Chairwoman Emily Convers.

Orange County officials hosted a public forum to explain the environmental review that they’re conducting on the annexation. This is being done separate yet parallel from Kiryas Joel’s own review.

“People believe that the village of Kiryas Joel and the town of Monroe are one single unit. Because they’re all politically aligned so to reinforce that were doing our own SECRA parallel process,” said Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus.

Speaker after speaker, no time was wasted as each expressed serious concern for what this would mean for surrounding communities.

An issue many brought up is the impact this potential growth would have on local water treatment plants.

“Any addition the Harriman waste water treatment plant will add to the existing problems add to the cost everyone in the Orange County sewer district number 1,” said Harriman Mayor Stephen Welle.

State Assemblyman James Skoufis said that the county needs to do more than just talk. It needs to take action.

“We need more than just parallel studies we need more than just talk and comments and input we need the county to show true leadership in fighting this annexation every step of the way,” said Assemblyman James Skoufis, D – Chester.

(Source: TWC News)