District eyes offering the minimum tax break

Photos by Tom Rivers – Carl Boyle of Lyndonville tells Medina Central School Superintendent Jeff Evoy (in back) that the district should support a tax exemption for veterans. Boyle served during the Cold War and he said the tax exemption doesn’t include Cold War veterans.

MEDINA – The Board of Education hasn’t made a final decision, but the group is leaning towards offering about 500 veterans in the school district a discount in their school taxes, a move that will cause a tax increase for nonveterans.

“It’s a difficult decision in light of the economy and the poverty in our county, and in light of the debt we owe our veterans,” said Chris Keller, president of the Medina BOE.

The Board of Education discussed offering the exemption to veterans during Tuesday’s board meeting. Board members said they don’t want to put undue financial stress on nonveterans.

With that in mind, the board is considering offering the minimum tax exemption to veterans. If it approved, nonveterans would pay $32 more in taxes for a property assessed at $100,000, school superintendent Jeff Evoy said.

Veterans who served in wartime (World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Persian Gulf Conflict since Aug. 2, 1990) would get $6,000 off their assessments. That would save eligible veterans about $140 each. (The district’s tax rate is $23.31 per $1,000 of assessed property. Multiply $23.31 by 6 to determine the dollars saved through the exemption.)

The state in December 2013 voted to allow school districts the option of giving the exemption. The county, all 10 towns and three villages already had been offering it to veterans. (Only the Village of Albion doesn’t, according to the county Office of Real Property Tax Services. Updated 10:30 a.m.: The Village of Albion offers the exemption to veterans in World War I, WWII, and the Korean War.)

Board of Education President Chris Keller said the district wants to offer the exemption for veterans, but school officials don’t want to shift too much tax burden on other residents.

Medina is the first school district in the county to take up the issue. Veterans in November approached the Board, asking the district to implement the exemptions.

“It’s not an easy issue, no question about it,” said resident David Barhite. “But we wouldn’t be here without our veterans.”

Barhite said veterans deserve the tax discount. Many of them sacrificed pay and benefits from their jobs to be in the military, he said.

In addition to the $6,000 wartime exemption, veterans who were in a combat zone could have their taxable assessed values dropped by another $4,000. That would save another $93.24.

Veterans who are disabled from their military service could get $20,000 off their assessments, which would save them $466.20, based on the district’s current tax rate.

The state law allows districts to offer double what Medina is considering. The maximum exemption would be $12,000 off for wartime service, $8,000 for combat duty and $40,000 for being disabled.

If Medina offered the maximum exemptions, nonveterans would see their taxes go up $51 for properties assessed at $100,000, according to school officials.

Dave Kusmierczak said veterans could use the exemption, but he would prefer it to be offered through state income taxes and not property taxes.

Maureen Blackburn, former BOE president, said the community has many struggling young families, where $30 to $50 more in taxes is a big deal.

“That might be snow boots,” she said.

Blackburn said she holds veterans “in the highest regard,” but the district needs to consider the impact and tax burden on younger families, who live in a much different and more difficult economy these days. Many of the families are working double jobs and still not making ends meet, Blackburn said.

“I would like our young families to have a place at the table when you’re considering your decision,” she said.

Nelda Toussaint also spoke against the exemption, saying it wasn’t fair to other residents who would see a shift in their taxes. Another resident, Tim Elliott, said he thinks many residents are struggling to get by, and the added taxes would be difficult for them to pay.

The New York State School Boards Association opposes the “alternative veterans exemption” because it would require other local taxpayers to make up the difference. The association would prefer to see the state provide the exemption through state income taxes.

“The law as is presents school boards with a dilemma,” NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer said in a statement last February. “If they adopt the exemption, that would increase taxes for other taxpayers in their district. If they do not adopt the exemption, they could be viewed as not being supportive of veterans.”

Local veteran Dave Kusmierczak said veterans could use a break in their taxes. The exemption through property taxes not only shifts some of the tax load to nonveterans, but it also excludes many veterans, Kusmierczak said. If they don’t own property, they won’t get an exemption. He would like to see the benefit offered through income taxes so more veterans would be able to use it.

Carl Boyle served in the Cold War, but the state doesn’t include that as wartime service. He said the proposal discriminates against veterans in the Cold War.

Carl Boyle served overseas in Germany during the Cold War. He isn’t eligible for the wartime exemption because Cold War veterans weren’t included.

Boyle said he slept for months outside in the cold during his service, and tensions were high with the Russians.

“It was a war of nerves,” Boyle told the Board of Education. “It took a toll on me and several other thousand Cold War veterans. The Cold War vet is being crapped on. That isn’t fair. That’s discrimination.”

Medina has 217 veterans eligible for the wartime exemption and 260 more eligible for service in a combat zone. Of those two groups, 95 are rated as disabled.

BOE President Chris Keller took a poll of board members on Tuesday, to see where they stand at this point. Several said they were in favor of offering the minimum exemption. But the board wants more time to consider the issue and weigh the impacts.

Offering the exemption would also reduce the district’s STAR funds from the state by $4,524, with nonveterans to make up that difference, Evoy said.

The district will have another public hearing at 6 p.m. on Feb. 10 for the minimum exemption levels. The board could vote on the issue at that meeting. In order for the exemption to apply to the 2015-16 school taxes, the board needs to adopt the exemption by March 1.

BOE member John McCarthy said the district is in a difficult position. He said the state allowed the exemption, but passed the decision making and impact to the local level.

“It will pit neighbor versus neighbor, and school district versus school district,” McCarthy said.

MEDINA – Regardless of the dissolution vote on Jan. 20, there will be another village election in the spring with two trustee positions on the ballot.

The village election usually falls the third Tuesday of March, but this year that lands on St. Patrick’s Day. Because of that, the Village Board voted to move the election a day later to March 18, a Wednesday.

Trustees Mark Kruzynski and Mark Irwin both have their positions up for election.

Petitions are currently available at the village office. Petitions can be turned in to the village clerk between Feb. 3 and Feb. 10.

Even if dissolution is approved on Jan. 20, the village government will remain for an estimated two years to allow for a transition.

Besides setting the date for the next village election for March 18, the board on Monday also hired a new police officer. Edwin Bower comes from the Holley Police Department. He graduated from the Rural Police Training Academy last March. He will start at Medina with a salary at $44,712.

Village also adopts law for temporary storage shelters

Photo by Tom Rivers – Craig Lacy addresses Medina village officials on Monday during a public hearing. The group includes, from left: Village Clerk Debbie Padoleski, Village Trustee Mark Kruzynski, Trustee Marguerite Sherman, Mayor Andrew Meier, Trustee Mike Sidari and Trustee Mark Irwin.

MEDINA – The Village Board approved two local laws on Monday, one that establishes a 15-minute parking space on North Main Street in front of Napa Auto Parts and another law that regulates temporary storage shelters.

Craig Lacy, owner of Napa, said his customers are often frustrated with the parking situation near the store at 345 North Main St. The village has a 2-hour parking limit on Main Street, but many vehicles seem to be there much longer, making it a challenge for merchants, Lacy said.

His store and others on North Main Street don’t have the option to park behind the building, freeing up space on Main Street. He tries to point some customers to a lot in the Canal Basin, but customers prefer being closer to the store.

Lacy requested two 15-minute parking spots and the Village Board voted to give him one from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday. Trustee Marguerite Sherman said Lacy’s building is in an unusual spot at an intersection with a bump-out.

“There is a need for something,” she said about the parking situation. “I can feel for what Mr. Lacy has to say. You hate to open up a can of worms, but something needs to be done to help out.”

The board approved the 15-minute spot and Mayor Andrew Meier said the board would consider such requests on a case-by-case basis. Meier said Lacy faces competition from the chain auto parts stores that have their own parking lots.

The board and Medina Business Association said they would again remind downtown business owners and their employees to park behind their buildings if possible and use municipal lots to free up space on Main Street.

Police Chief Jose Avila reported to the board that the police enforce parking laws, and wrote 180 parking tickets throughout the village last year.

The board also approved a law for temporary storage containers – Pods and shipping containers – that are becoming increasingly popular.

Some of these containers stay on sites for months, resulting in deteriorating appearance in property and in complaints, village officials said.

The new regulations for temporary storage containers establish them as portable storage units without a permanent foundation. They may include cargo containers, truck trailers, construction trailers and bulk solid waste containers.

The village is limiting sites to a maximum of two cargo containers for no more than 60 days per calendar year. If homeowners suffer a fire or flood and need the container longer, they can seek a demolition or building permit with the cargo container to be removed a week after the demo or building permit expires.

The regulation proposes similar standards for portable storage containers and establishes setback requirements.

Semi-truck trailers are limited to commercial or residential sites. Construction trailers are allowed in commercial, residential and industrial sites but must be removed a week after a building permit expires or certificate of occupancy is issued.

Bulk solid waste containers are allowed for up to 45 days in a year. They must be kept at least 5 feet from side and rear property lines and at least 10 feet from front property lines, according to the new regulation.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Jonathan Higgins, a captain with Medina Fire Department, speaks to the Village Board tonight, asking the group to pursue a federal for more firefighters.

MEDINA – The Village Board will pursue a federal grant to add staff for the Fire Department. Whether the village will seek two or four full-time firefighters remains to be decided.

Jonathan Higgins, a captain with the Medina FD, presented the grant program to the board during today’s board meeting. The federal Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response grants would cover firefighters’ salary, benefits and retirement contributions for three years, as long as Medina maintains its existing staffing levels of 13 full-time firefighters.

The department also has two temporary paid positions. Those spots could be made full-time without the temporary status as part of the grant, Higgins said. He would the department to add four staff, making the two temporary part of the regular paid crew and adding two more.

Medina Mayor Andrew Meier wants to pursue the grant, but he isn’t convinced the village should go after four more paid positions. He worries if the community could afford the salaries after the grant expires in three years.

Medina isn’t obligated to continue the positions after three years.

The village tried for the SAFER grant last year and sought two positions. It wasn’t approved for the grant. Higgins believes the Fire Department has a compelling case for the grant.

The department responded to nearly 3,000 calls last year. The Fire Department went from six to 13 full-time staff in 2006 when it took over the ambulance service in western Orleans from Rural Metro.

The Fire Department estimated then that there would be approximately 1,500 annual calls for service. Last year it responded to 2,986 calls. The call volume has been growing about 200 calls a year since the village become primary ambulance providers for western Orleans.

“If we keep increasing our calls by 200 we’ll be drowning,” Higgins told the Village Board.

He said the department’s application would have a better chance for approval by seeking four firefighters, rather than two.

The Village Board agreed to pay $1,800 to Grantmasters Inc. in Lewiston to write the grant, which is due to the Federal Emergency Management Agency by March 6.

The board, however, wants more time to decide whether to seek two or four firefighter positions. Meier said the department may not be able to offset 17 full-time positions through ambulance-generated revenue.

“I see four firefighters as being a very tough pill for the community to swallow,” Meier said.

Higgins said the increasing call volume has generated larger than expected revenues for the fire department. The village in October also approved higher mileage reimbursement rates for the ambulance (from $20 to $30) and a $50 out-of-district surcharge for calls outside western Orleans.

Over a full year, Higgins said those charges should add another $250,000 in revenue for the department.

The Village Board voted to start the grant application process, while Meier and the fire department look at revenues and costs for the department, trying to project the future.

If the village is approved for the grant, the new firefighters likely wouldn’t be hired until early 2016 with the grant covering their salaries until early 2019.