A plan is afoot to divide the Town of Monroe into two towns, the new one called North Monroe. That new municipality would encompass all of the Village of Kiryas Joel and an additional 300 acres.

“We firmly believe that this is an important step in the healing process for these two communities,” said Village Administrator Gedalye Szegedin.

As per state law, the petition to create the new town would require a minimum of 650 signatures from town residents and then go before the Orange County Legislature for its approval. If the lawmaking body gives its okay, the next step would be a referendum of eligible voters in Monroe.

Emily Convers, one of the founders of United Monroe, the grassroots group that opposes KJ’s land annexation, said the proposed town split is a “back door” effort to annex land into the village.

“In reality, it’s just another sneak attack by the leadership of Kiryas Joel to grab the same land that they have been trying to grab for the last few years to irresponsibly and unsustainably build upon it,” Convers saidsaid.

Kiryas Joel officials said the reasons for the formation of a new and separate town stem from the different lifestyles of residents in the village and those residents living south of Route 17, which would be the line separating the two towns.

The village officials said separation would allow each town to decide which public and community services and facilities it finds desirable. Separate towns would also mean that residents of Kiryas Joel would no longer vote in any of the Town of Monroe elections, fire districts could be consolidated and school district boundaries would be altered between Monroe-Woodbury and Kiryas Joel school districts to conform to the new boundaries.

“Many people have complained about Kiryas Joel voters having too much of a say in the Town of Monroe,” Szegedin said. “We agree with the many people who have suggested over the years that creating two separate towns is the most practical way to alleviate that concern.”

(Source: MidHudsonNews)