Downsizing government: Think, act locally

LIMESTONE, N.Y., Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Residents in western New York say advocates of a less-intrusive national government should look closer to home for scaling back.

In what the region dubs "political downsizing," communities vote by referendum to reduce the number of seats on town councils, USA Today reported.

The movement's theory, founder Kevin Gaughan explained, is that the best way to cut back national government is to begin locally. The downsizing movement so far is confined mostly to western New York, where it is flourishing, the newspaper said.

This year, three of four towns that considered citizen-initiated referendums to trim town board membership voted to do so. Councils in several other communities voluntarily downsized.

Niagara County voters earlier in November decided to reduce the county governmental body from 19 members to 15. Limestone residents voted to dissolve its village in October.

Anger and frustration are fueling the downsizing movement, local government experts said. Given the recession and disagreement about how to address it, "politically there's a higher stress level out there now," Mike McGrath of the non-partisan National Civic League, told USA Today.

"Everybody is becoming aware that local governments are spending well beyond their means," says Nick Dranias, of the conservative Goldwater Institute in Phoenix. "There's a sense that something's out of control."