The Orange County Legislature held a hearing Tuesday stemming from a petition about separating the village of Kiryas Joel from the town of Monroe.

Residents rallied and marched before the public hearing at the Central Valley Elementary School in Monroe. More than 50 people signed up to voice their opinions Tuesday about the separation of the village from Monroe.

Another hearing will be held Wednesday. Legislators will then make a decision in September on whether taxpayers can vote on the separation of Kiryas Joel from Monroe.

"Both sides of the argument feel like it's time to amicably divorce each other and move on with our own aspirations for the way we want to govern our community,” says John Allegro, of Monroe.

A supermajority of at least 14 of the 21 county legislators must decide whether to bring the referendum to the voters in November.