Throop will soon assume all responsibility for the Throopsville Rural Cemetery, taking over for the struggling Throopsville Cemetery Association.

Years of low revenues against increasing expenses gave the association few options with which to continue maintaining the cemetery.

After hearing a presentation in October by the association, the town board has reluctantly agreed to take over the historic cemetery.

"Lots have just not been selling, and without income we can't continue," said Paula Durgala, president of the cemetery association.

Over the past eight years, only two or three lots have been selling every year, with an average of four burials each year.

In order to proceed with the transfer, Durgala has scheduled a special meeting for all lot owners and trustees of the cemetery. The association will vote to transfer all land and other assets to the town and then dissolve as an organization.

Throop Supervisor William Tarby said the town would prefer to not own the cemetery, but it had little choice.

"The law says, even if the cemetery is abandoned, we have to mow and maintain the grounds, so we decided to assume all liability for the running of the cemetery," he said. "We won't have some of the extra expenses that the association had, because we have big lawn mowers, and heavy equipment for digging the graves."

Transfer of the cemetery may not necessarily be a smooth transition. The town clerk will now handle all lot sales and burial arrangements.

And then there is the record keeping. The town staff will have to read, sort and file the existing documents and records of the cemetery and develop a system to handle the new responsibilities. The transfer must be approved by a state Supreme Court judge before becoming final.

Tarby believes the association should have been charging higher rates for their lots, which currently sell for $150 before burial expenses, which are an additional $390. The association will be turning over approximately $3,500 in cash and certificates of deposit plus an additional $16,000 from their permanent maintenance fund.

As a private foundation, only the interest on the money in this fund may be spent on expenses according to law. Once this money is turned over to the town, those restrictions will no longer be in effect.