Petitions were delivered Friday to dissolve the village of South Nyack.

The move is in response to high tax increases over the years. The petitions filed force the village to set a date to vote on the matter.

If passed, the 3,500 residents would receive public services from Orangetown.

Charles Cross, a former village mayor, says it would also result in major tax savings because the replacing town tax is only about 50% of the current village tax.

"Overall it's not a wealthy village, it's a lot of middle class families in modest houses, a lot of senior citizens trying to hold onto housing they've lived in for decades, where their tax bill far exceeds their mortgage payment," Cross says.

South Nyack Mayor Bonnie Christian gave News 12 statement saying, "The board will review the petition and proceed as required by the New York state law. The Village of South Nyack is an engaged vibrant community dedicated to the common good. We have always encouraged good faith and reasonable public debate. The dissolution petition is yet another example of such a debate. I encourage all village residents to become informed about the dissolution process and participate in the public discussion regarding same."

The village now has 10 days to certify the petition and then 30 days to set a date for the referendum.