Contact Information
Eason Hall
23 Elm Street
Westfield, NY 14787
Mayor Dennis Lutes
Ph: (716) 326-2502
Fax: (716) 326-4987
email: dlutesmayor@villageofwestfield.org
Trustees Johanna Kelley, Blake Maras, Judy Einach, Josh Freifeld
Ph: (716) 326-4961
email: trustees@villageofwestfield.org
Meeting Schedule
Board meetings are on the third Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the North Room of Eason Hall, 23 Elm Street. If a meeting date falls on a nationally recognized holiday, the board meets the next day on Tuesday. Special meetings are published in the Westfield Republican or Evening Observer. All meetings are open to the public. Citizens are welcome and encouraged to attend village board meetings in order to take a more active role in their local government.
Make requests for presenting on the agenda(s) in writing and submit to the Village Clerk, Eason Hall, 23 Elm Street, Westfield, NY 14787. For further information or questions, please call the Village Clerk's Office at (716) 326-4961 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
2024 Village Board Meeting Schedule
Mayoral Responsibilities
The Mayor is the Chief Executive Officer of the Village and is elected for a two-year term of office in Westfield. As an elected official, the mayor has a number of statutory powers by virtue of NYS Village Law §4-400. The Mayor typically presides at the meetings of the board of trustees and in all instances the Mayor’s vote is counted as one vote and is equal to the vote of any trustee. In the case of a tie, the mayor is mandated by law to vote. The mayor of a village has no veto power over legislative action of the board.
One very important responsibility of the Mayor is the ability to intervene in any and all actions, at the direction of the board, when and where deemed necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of the village and its residents/inhabitants.
The mayor is also charged with the responsibility of enforcing all laws, rules, and regulations and to cause all violations of these regulations to be prosecuted. Like many other villages, Westfield’s Mayor has delegated many of these responsibilities to the Westfield Police Department, the Westfield Code Enforcement Officer and other subordinate officers like the Dog Control Officer.
Unless specifically delegated to other authorized village staff, the Mayor serves as the village’s budget officer and chief negotiator during the collective negotiations process. The mayor has the power to declare local emergencies and to engage the resources of the village when necessary to mitigate the loss of life or property during hazardous or emergency situations. *
Trustee Responsibilities
The board of trustees is the legislative body of a village. The board of trustees is comprised of the mayor and four trustees. The board may increase or decrease the number of trustees, subject to a permissive referendum.
The general powers of the board of trustees are set forth in Village Law § 4-412, which provides that:
In addition to any other powers conferred upon villages, the board of trustees of a village shall have management of village property and finances, may take all measures and do all acts, by local law, not inconsistent with the provisions of the constitution, and not inconsistent with a general law except as authorized by the municipal home rule law, which shall be deemed expedient or desirable for the good government of the village, its management and business, the protection of its property, the safety, health, comfort, and general welfare of its inhabitants, the protection of their property, the preservation of peace and good order, the suppression of vice, the benefit of trade, and the preservation and protection of public works. The board of trustees may create or abolish by resolution offices, pboards, agencies and commissions and delegate to said offices, boards, agencies and commissions so much of its powers, duties and functions as it shall deem necessary for effectuating or administering the board of trustees duties and functions.
This extremely broad grant of power enables the board of trustees to adopt a wide range of local laws to address village concerns as long as the action is not inconsistent with the State constitution or certain State laws. Under section 10(i)(ii)(e)(3) of the Municipal Home Rule Law, it is possible for a board of trustees to adopt local laws which supersede provisions of the New York State Village Law, unless the State Legislature has expressly prohibited the adoption of such a local law.
Village Law § 4-412 grants additional, more specific powers to the board. Pursuant to this section, the board may:
-Authorize the construction of drains, culverts, dams and other means to regulate water.
By written resolution, designate financial institutions in which village funds must be deposited.
-Pay or compromise claims against the village in cases when the village has been paid, through error or mistake, and when the village is not entitled to the funds.
-Obtain land, either inside or outside the village limits, for a waste disposal site or plant. The property may be obtained by purchase or through an eminent domain proceeding. In addition, when the board designates a specific site for disposing waste, it may also prohibit disposing waste at other sites within the village. Before the village acquires a site outside of the village for disposing waste, the legislative body of the municipality in which the land is located must consent to the use of the land for that purpose.
-Sell lost or abandoned property. The proceeds from sales of lost or abandoned property must be transferred into the general fund.
-Grant franchises and/or permission to use the streets, highways, public places or the space above or below them. Prior to granting a franchise, a public hearing must be held. Notice of the hearing must be published in the village's official newspaper at least 10 days prior to the hearing. Additionally, if the franchise will result in competition with a municipal lighting or water system, the franchise is subject to a permissive referendum.
-Accept the dedication of lands in the village for public streets.
-Acquire, construct, enlarge, extend or improve public docks both inside and outside the village and acquire land therefor, provided that one end of the dock is within the village. Before a public dock is acquired, constructed or extended beyond the village into a town, the consent of the town board must be obtained. The village board may impose fees for the use of public docks.
-Contract with the village fire department or any other city, village, fire district, or incorporated fire company for fire protection, emergency services, and ambulance services. If the entity furnishing fire protection does not maintain and operate an ambulance, then a separate contract may be made for emergency or general ambulance service in the village. The contract cannot exceed five years and must specify a definite sum to be paid each year for the service. The board must hold a public hearing on the proposed contract before it may be executed. A public hearing is also required in order to amend, terminate, or terminate and enter into a new contract during its term.
Lease for commercial or private use, the air rights over or the subsurface area under any village property acquired for or to be acquired for street purposes, public parking garages, parking spaces or public off-street loading facilities. The lease may not be entered into if the air rights or subsurface areas are needed for village purposes. Additionally, the lease may not exceed 50 years, but the board may renew the lease for additional terms.
Determine the rules of procedure for its meetings, as State law does not prescribe specific rules for conducting meetings.
Within 10 days of the treasurer filing the annual financial statement, a notice must be published in the village's official newspaper stating that the annual financial statement has been filed and is available for inspection in the clerk's office. The board of trustees, not the treasurer, is responsible for insuring that the notice is published. In addition, the statement must be audited by either the board of trustees, a village officer or employee who is designated by the board, or a public accountant hired by the board.
Trustees do not possess any inherent authority to supervise or direct the work of subordinate village officers or employees. The responsibility and power to supervise all subordinate village officers and employees is vested in the village mayor. While village trustees may need to observe village officers and employees in the exercising of their official duties, trustees should do so in a manner that does not interfere with those officers and employees' ability to perform their duties.
In addition, trustees do not possess any power in their individual capacities to enter into contracts or other agreements or to approve payment of contracts on behalf of the municipality. Any officer or person who assumes to create a liability or appropriate money or property of the village without authority may become personally liable either for the debt or to the village for the money or property.
Finally, in order to make informed decisions, trustees will invariably need access to village records. Trustees should not have to make Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests to gain access to village records that are necessary for them to carry out the duties of the office. At the same time however, trustees should be judicious in making requests for village records, as such requests can be time-consuming for the village's records management officers and employees, diverting them from other important village work.
*** Taken from the March 2002, updated 2010 New York Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials –NYCOM- Handbook for Village Officials