MARILLA, N.Y. — Residents from the towns of Marilla and Wales, and their leaders, continued discussions Wednesday night about the idea of potentially leaving Erie County for Wyoming County.
Conversations related to the idea of secession were discussed, amongst other topics, on Wednesday night at meeting held by the 1791 Society in Lackawanna.
Earl Gingerich is the Town Supervisor of Marilla. He says a big reason for exploring the idea of moving counties has to do with representation.
"We don't feel the rural communities are equally represented in Erie County particularly in the last decade," Gingerich says. "Some of the businesses contacted me and said we can't stand it anymore would you please look into it."
Former Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard is now the Town Supervisor of Wales, and he echoed similar sentiments.
"We're committed to studying this to find out if it's a good idea or not," Howard tells 2 On Your Side. "Many residents believe it's going to be a less expensive place to live, and most of them believe they'll have a much greater voice in government in the say about what happens."
As it stands, Erie County has 25 town governments with three cities, a majority of them being urban and suburban. Howard says it's possible a county with more rural communities could mean more for both towns big picture.
"There's about 3,000 people in the Town of Wales. It's much more similar in its layout, and in its concerns, and its everyday life to Wyoming County," Howard says.
David Gaeta has lived in Marilla for 30 years. He says while he doesn't know much about the idea right now, he's certainly open to learning.
Gaeta tells 2 On Your Side, "This shows me that these two supervisors care about their towns and they're looking for ways to improve life for the people who live there."
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