Cazenovia Voices Coalition - Village Mtg & “Plan B” Revealed

Good Morning Cazenovia Voices Coalition,

Wow what a turnout! Over 40 people showed up at Monday night’s Village meeting. 

Your presence, your questions, and your persistence are making a difference, and leaders know we are paying attention.

Here’s what we learned, and what’s next:

Reisman Offer – There is a “Plan B”
The Mayor confirmed that there was a “Plan B,” a viable alternative to the County’s purchase deal, and that he chose not to pursue it. 

The Reisman foundation, the organization that paid for the construction of Reisman Hall as an art/community center, offered to buy (again) the building and offer it to the Village as an endowed contribution.

When pressed, the Mayor confirmed: he made no consultation with the Village board, no comparison of costs, no opportunity for community input. Just…said no thanks, and set the offer aside because a deal had already been made with the County.

That revelation matters. It proves what we’ve been saying all along: there are options. This isn’t a “done deal.” The County’s purchase is just one piece of a larger transaction, and the Village, 9 Fresh, and Town still have choices if we keep encouraging them.

Why Your Voices Matter
This decision to drop this “Plan B” without transparency highlights why our coalition exists. We deserve to see alternatives laid out clearly, not behind closed doors, or buried in administrative talk.

Every email, every question, every signature on THIS PETITION builds pressure for real answers.

Cazenovia deserves a local government that truly represents its people. No single elected official holds all the decisions, that’s not how democracy works.

When we participate, ask hard questions, and expect transparency, we strengthen our Village, Town, and County. Public process can be messy, slow, and uncomfortable, and it's what makes our community resilient, fair, and forward-thinking.

Continued engagement is not opposition, it’s participation. 

What You Can Do Right Now

1. Keep reaching out. Email the Mayor and Village Board. Ask: Why was Plan B rejected? What did it include? Who decided?
2. Sign and share this petition. Numbers matter, we are on the way to 500. Let’s double the count.
3. Talk to your neighbors. Many still don’t realize this deal isn’t final. Your voice is how they’ll find out.
4. Stay visible. Show up. Speak up. Keep the spotlight on transparency and accountability.

Cazenovia deserves leadership that works with its residents, not around them. Monday night proved we’re wide awake, we’re organized, and we’re not backing down.

Thank you for showing up, speaking out, and standing together.

Let’s keep cultivating the kind of community we want to live in, one that listens, learns, and leads with integrity.

In solidarity,
Laura