The case for an incorporated Village of Baldwin

Our family, like many others, moved to Baldwin for its beautiful diversity, high-quality schools, safe neighborhoods, and proximity to New York City. We had long admired its picturesque homes and manicured lawns, signs of a peaceful and prosperous quality of life.

Indeed, Baldwin is full of great assets and resources, yet few would argue that the community has realized its full potential.

For instance, residents and civic leaders have complained of long-delayed economic revitalization projects, inadequate traffic control, aging infrastructure, scarce youth programs, and untapped development, to name just a few challenges. But what if Baldwin residents and civic leaders could effect these outcomes directly, and had the power to shape our own future?

In other words, what if Baldwin were to become an incorporated village?
As it stands, Baldwin is an unincorporated “census-designated place,” also known as a hamlet, within the Town of Hempstead. It has its own school and fire district, as well as civic organizations, but is not its own self-governing municipality.

Incorporation is the process of converting an unincorporated area into an independent municipality with its own governing body — a mayor, a board of trustees — and legal powers. Traditionally, communities have sought to become incorporated villages to enhance services and build up their political, economic and civic power.

As Spider-Man comics have taught us, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Incorporated villages are responsible for all aspects of local civic governance, including providing or procuring services; deciding service levels and how much to tax; implementing short- and long-term budget, capital, and land-use planning policies; making decisions on zoning matters; and promoting the character and identity of their communities.

When a village is created, its geography remains a part of the town where it’s located, and its residents continue to be residents and taxpayers of the town. Currently, the Town of Hempstead provides the functions listed above for Baldwin.

Were Baldwin to become a village, it would take on these responsibilities for itself.
Why is this important?

In 2023, lawmakers in Albany passed a bill that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law to establish the New York State Commission on Village Incorporation, a neutral three-member board whose primary responsibility is to facilitate village incorporation in the state. Before the legislation was passed, residents seeking incorporation had to petition town supervisors, which presented a clear conflict of interest, with a significant tax base at stake.

The new law also raises the petitioning threshold from 500 signatures to 2,000 to ensure a broad base of support. And last but certainly not least, the village incorporation law requires petitioners to prepare a feasibility and impact study.

According to the Department of State, the first part is a fiscal, service and taxation assessment of the proposed village that includes a property inventory, tax and revenue information, estimated costs of operations, and anticipated municipal services. The second part is an assessment of the proposed village’s fiscal, economic and land-use impact on the surrounding town.

State legislators say these higher incorporation thresholds will help to ensure not only the viability of new villages, but also their sustainability. There are examples of villages having to be dissolved after incorporation due to mismanagement or a lack of proper planning.

Ultimately, Baldwin’s future should be in its own hands. To be clear — a community’s pursuit of village incorporation is a tall order, a significant administrative undertaking and a financial burden. But Baldwin residents ought to at least have the conversation, and be made aware of changes in state law affecting the incorporation process. The fundamental question remains whether Baldwin can realize its fullest potential as a community by incorporating as a village.

Karl A. Valere is chief of staff and senior policy adviser to Assemblyman Khaleel M. Anderson. He lives in Baldwin. Contact him at karlcaresnewyork@gmail.com