Residents gathered in Mastic Beach Tuesday night for an informational meeting on the upcoming vote to dissolve the village.

The meeting at William Floyd High School gave residents the opportunity to voice their concerns and have their questions answered about the possibly dissolution.

Laberge Group, a consulting firm, has been hired to guide the cash-strapped village through the dissolution process. Mayor Maura Spery says that if the referendum for disbanding the village fails, it would worsen the village's financial situation.

"We have a $400,000 deficit from last year, and at this point we are running a deficit," Spery says. "We won't know until the end of the year, but we are running another deficit this year."

Instead of raising taxes, Spery says village officials chose to cut jobs and many services.

Another informational meeting will be held at William Floyd High School Nov. 9. The vote is scheduled for Nov. 16 at the Mastic Beach Fire Department.