BY ANDY GARDNER
North Country This Week

MASSENA -- The mayor says he is starting talks with the goal of eventually dissolving the village court, but he expects pushback.

“I’ve already met with one judge. I want to meet with the other two justices. I think there will be opposition to it,” Mayor Tim Currier said. “I want to make sure we’re not ignoring valid points.”

He spoke during the Tuesday, July 21 village board meeting streamed live online via Zoom.

Deputy Mayor Matt Lebire said residents are telling him they don’t think Massena needs a town and village court.

“They want to see us streamline as much as possible. This was clearly identified as a way in the study,” he said.

He added that in addition to looking for ways to do it, village officials should be thorough and also “look at all valid reasons to possibly not do it.”

Because the village court also includes small portions of the towns of Louisville and Norfolk, the village trustees have to wait until the current justice’s term expires in 2022 before they can act.

A document from the village released earlier this year showed they’ve had to pay $135,255 in the last two years to operate the village court. In 2018-19, the total cost was $115,561 and total revenue was $53,179, for a net cost of $62,382. In 2017-18, the total cost was $114,350, revenues were $41,477 and a $72,873 net cost, the document said.