Local Leaders Spend $65K to Study Rye Town Dissolution

Most people in Port Chester don't know or care that the village is part of the larger Town of Rye, a shell municipality that includes Port Chester, Rye Brook and the Rye Neck section of Mamaroneck. Others are just confused by the arrangement.

Despite the fact that Port Chester, Rye Brook and Mamaroneck have their own municipal governments, the Town of Rye has a supervisor, a council and many redundant services.

Now, local leaders will spend $65,000 to hire Governmental Research, Inc., to conduct a year-long study on whether the town should be dissolved or kept in place. If the firm recommends the latter option, it's expected to recommend measures to share services -- for instance, Port Chester has its own busy justice court, and Rye Town does too. The town court is used by Rye Brook. The town also operates its own recreation department and clerk's office, among other services duplicated at the village level.

Funding for the study comes from a $50,000 New York State grant, with the remaining $15,000 covered by Port Chester, Rye Brook and Mamaroneck.

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