Chaumont voters reject proposal to dissolve village into Town of Lyme

Chaumont voters rejected a proposal to dissolve the village and merge it into the Town of Lyme by a vote of 134 to 75 in Tuesday’s election. The result means Chaumont will remain a village, although the count could change slightly as absentee and affidavit ballots are counted and the county completes its certification within 25 days of the election.

The proposal followed changes to village services, including the end of free garbage and recycling pickup. A petition seeking dissolution was presented at a June 16 village board meeting and collected more than 100 signatures. The vote was the village’s second consideration of dissolution. A previous proposal was rejected in November 2012 by a vote of 145 to 102, and an earlier effort in 2019 did not proceed.

A Development Authority of the North Country study from 2019 estimated that eliminating the village tax would reduce taxes by about $250 for a home valued at $100,000. Village Mayor James Morrow said the 2019 estimate might now be lower. Lyme Town Supervisor Mark Zegarelli said business owners had raised concerns after the village stopped collecting commercial recyclables and said he did not believe dissolution would save residents money.

Chaumont is a village of about 675 people on Chaumont Bay, within the Town of Lyme and the Lyme Central School District. The village office is at 12175 NYS Route 12E in Chaumont and can be reached at 315-649-2900.

The village board is scheduled to meet Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. and Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. A proposal rejected at the polls must wait four years before it can be brought forward again. More information is available through the Village of Chaumont.