Website Policy Draft
Status: Draft for official review
Prepared: August 26, 2026
Proposed effective date: Upon approval and publication

Public-Service Purpose

The Website is provided to improve public access to Village information, records, notices, forms, meetings, contacts, and services. It may also permit online payment of property taxes, water or sewer charges, permits, licenses, applications, and other Village fees.

Official Records and Notices Control

The Village works to keep Website information accurate and current, but Website content may be incomplete, delayed, summarized, or affected by technical or human error. Unless the Village expressly states otherwise, Website content is informational and is not a substitute for an enacted local law, filed record, adopted resolution, official meeting notice, tax roll, water account record, permit decision, contract, court filing, or other controlling government record.

If Website information conflicts with an official record or legal requirement, the official record or legal requirement controls. Contact the Village Clerk when a deadline, legal right, payment obligation, or official status depends on the information.

No Emergency or Time-Sensitive Reporting

Do not use the Website, email, or a general contact form to report an emergency or a condition requiring immediate response. Call 911 for police, fire, or medical emergencies. Website submissions are not monitored continuously and do not constitute notice to the Village unless the applicable law or Village procedure expressly permits electronic notice through that specific method.

Acceptable Use

You may use the Website only for lawful purposes. You may not:

Attempt to gain unauthorized access to an account, system, network, database, administrative area, or another person’s information;

Interfere with Website availability, security, performance, or operation, including by introducing malware or excessive automated requests;

Use false identity, payment, parcel, account, or application information, or impersonate another person without authorization;

Alter, remove, obscure, or misrepresent Website content or the source of an official document;

Use the Website to violate law, another person’s rights, or a Village process; or

Use automated tools to harvest personal information or to burden the Website, except for ordinary search-engine indexing, accessibility tools, public-record research, or other activity authorized by law or the Village.

The Village may restrict or block activity that threatens security, privacy, public funds, Website operation, or lawful Village functions. Nothing in these Terms restricts rights provided by the New York Freedom of Information Law or other applicable law.

Online Forms and Submissions

You are responsible for reviewing information before submitting it and for keeping a copy of the confirmation and supporting documents. An automated acknowledgment generally confirms only that a transmission was received; it does not mean that an application is complete, a permit or license is approved, a filing is legally sufficient, a payment has finally settled, or the Village has accepted a legal position.

A submission is considered timely only if the governing law, notice, form, or Village procedure permits electronic submission and the Village receives it by the applicable deadline. Website outages, processor delays, rejected payments, email delays, or user error do not automatically extend a legal or payment deadline.

Online Payments

Online payments may be processed on a third-party hosted page or through a secure integration with an authorized payment processor. The processor may impose its own terms, privacy policy, verification steps, payment limits, and service or convenience fee.

When making an online payment, you:

Authorize the payment processor and relevant financial institutions to complete the transaction;

Represent that you are authorized to use the selected payment method;

Accept responsibility for entering the correct payer, parcel, account, bill, payment amount, and contact information;

Acknowledge that a receipt or pending status does not guarantee final settlement or correct posting; and

Remain responsible for the underlying tax, utility charge, fee, interest, penalty, or other obligation until the Village receives collected funds and posts the payment to the correct account.

A rejected, reversed, returned, disputed, or charged-back payment does not cancel the underlying obligation or stop applicable interest, penalties, service consequences, or collection procedures. Contact the Village Clerk promptly if a payment appears incorrect. Refund and cancellation requests are governed by the Village’s Online Payment, Refund & Cancellation Policy and applicable law.

Taxes, Utility Charges, and Government Fees

Property taxes, water and sewer charges, penalties, permits, licenses, and other government fees are not retail purchases. They are governed by law, local rules, adopted schedules, account records, and Village determinations. Website language does not modify the amount due, due date, penalty, appeal right, refund authority, shutoff or enforcement process, or other legal requirement.

Third-Party Websites and Services

The Website may link to or display content from other government agencies, payment processors, maps, calendars, document viewers, video providers, social-media services, utilities, or private organizations. The Village does not control and does not warrant third-party content, availability, accessibility, security, or privacy practices. Use of a third-party service is subject to that provider’s terms.

Intellectual Property and Public Records

Village-created public records may be available for inspection, copying, or reuse as permitted by law. Some Website materials – including photographs, maps, artwork, logos, software, databases, third-party documents, and licensed content – may be protected by copyright, trademark, contract, or other rights. The presence of material on the Website does not grant permission to use protected content or imply that the Village owns every item.

Do not use the Village’s name, seal, logo, or Website design in a way that falsely suggests endorsement, sponsorship, official status, or authorship. Requests for records should follow the Village’s records-access procedures; these Terms do not replace FOIL.

User-Submitted Material

When you submit information or documents, you represent that the submission is accurate to the best of your knowledge, that you have authority to provide it, and that the Village may use, copy, store, route, review, disclose, and retain it as reasonably necessary for the requested government purpose and as permitted or required by law. Do not submit confidential, copyrighted, or personal information that is not relevant to the Village service or proceeding.

Privacy

Use of the Website is also subject to the Village’s Website Privacy Policy. Information submitted to the Village may become a government record and may be retained or disclosed as required by law, subject to applicable protections and exemptions.

Accessibility

The Village seeks to make its digital information and services usable by people with disabilities. If you cannot access content, a form, a document, or an online service, contact the Village Clerk and identify the page or material, the problem encountered, and your preferred format or accommodation. The Village will work to provide reasonable access consistent with applicable law and available records.

Website Availability and Changes

The Village may update, suspend, restrict, or discontinue all or part of the Website or an online service at any time. Planned or unplanned outages may occur. Users should allow enough time to use another approved method before a deadline. The Village may revise these Terms by posting an updated version and revision date.

Disclaimer of Warranties

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Website and its content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. The Village does not warrant that the Website will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, complete, current, or suitable for every purpose, or that external content and services will remain available. This disclaimer does not alter a legal duty that cannot lawfully be disclaimed.

Limitation of Liability and Governmental Rights

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Village and its officials, employees, boards, agents, and service providers are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or similar damages arising from Website use, inability to use the Website, reliance on Website content, user error, malicious activity, or third-party services. Nothing in these Terms waives any governmental immunity, defense, notice-of-claim requirement, statutory protection, jurisdictional requirement, or limitation available to the Village or creates a cause of action where none otherwise exists.

Governing Law; Severability

These Terms are governed by applicable federal law and the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Any proceeding concerning these Terms must be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction, subject to applicable venue, jurisdiction, immunity, and notice requirements. If a provision is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to the extent permitted by law.

Contact

Questions about the Website, these Terms, an online submission, or available non-digital options may be directed to:

Village Clerk
Village of Aurora
456 Main Street
Aurora, New York 13026
Phone: (315) 364-7293
Email: webmaster@villageofaurorany.gov