When to dis-incorporate?

[pwhiteis]

Hello,

Durbin, WV is currently having a local election for town commissioners, and mayor .. all of which are running un-contested. 4 of the 5 commissioners are family .. either immediate or by marriage. Many folk in the town are refusing to vote. Today I heard the mayor telling people that if they don't get enough votes, the town might stand to lose its incorporated status. Is this true? Many of the people in town feel it would be more advantageous to dis-incorporate than to continue with the current local government. To me, this seems short-sighted, but I'd like to clearly understand what benefits a town gives up when it dis-incorporates?? At what point is it better for a town to give itself over to county governance??

-Pete-