By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 May 2024 at 4:11 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion Rotary Club welcomed Marlene Seielstad as a new member of the club today during its meeting at the Tavern of the Ridge. Club President Doug Farley, right, is pleased to have Seielstad in Rotary.
Seielstad is an associate broker with Snell Realtors. She is a former member of the Albion Board of Education and has been involved in many community organizations, including the Albion Music Boosters and local robotics team through the Cornell Cooperative Extension.
The Rotary Club also was visited today by former exchange student Aline Lyra and her son Joaquin Caparroz, who are from Brazil. Lyra was a student at Albion in 1999-2000 and stayed with host families, Chris and Pat Haines and Nancy and Ron Good.
Lyra now works as an orthodontist. Her son has been an exchange student at Southwestern High School, staying with host families in the Jamestown area.
Lyra said her sisters were also exchange students, one in Australia and the other in New Zealand.
Lyra’s family also has hosted several students, and she strongly supported her son spending this school year in Western New York.
“The Rotary exchange has been such a great part of our lives,” she said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 April 2024 at 8:10 pm
ALBION – The Albion and Gaines town boards, and the Albion Village Board met this evening at the Albion Village Office to redo their votes from April 24 when the three municipalities voted to form the Albion Joint Fire District.
The boards again voted in favor of the joint fire district. However, the vote this evening doesn’t name five fire commissioners. They were to serve from July 1 until an election in December.
The three boards are expected to appoint the temporary commissioners in the near future. The Albion and Gaines boards will each get two representatives with one from the village to be named by the Albion Village Board.
The five commissioners named on April 24 include Al Cheverie and Gary Mumford to represent the Town of Gaines. The Village of Albion had one representative, former village trustee David Buczek. The Town of Albion had two representatives, Chuck Nesbitt and Jeremy Babcock. Cheverie and Babcock are current members of the Albion Fire Department.
Joyce Riley, deputy mayor for the village, said the names were suggested by fire department leaders. Some community members want the boards to pick the representatives, Riley said.
“The people spoke and we listened,” she said after a 6-minute meeting at the Village Office.
The boards are discussing the process of appointing people, whether there will be applications from community members or recommendations from the fire department, or other ways.
There was some criticism in the community since the April 24 meeting that the village was only to have one representative, but more than one of the five initial appointees were village residents.
Richard Remley, the Albion town supervisor, said he isn’t committed to having the town’s two representatives both live outside the village in the town. Part of the village is in the town of Albion, and another part is in the town of Gaines.
“The quality of the person is more important to me than the residence,” Remley said after this evening’s meeting.
He would like to have some of the initial commissioners be familiar with the workings of as fire department, fire equipment and apparatus.
The Albion and Gaines boards vote this evening to form the joint fire district starts the 30-day clock to force a permissive referendum for residents who want to bring the issue to a public vote. Some residents have been vocal about their concern with a much bigger budget for fire protection, something Albion Fire Department officials say is needed whether it’s through a fire district or the current model.
The community has been getting fire protection from the Albion Fire Department. The towns of Albion and Gaines pay the village a fire protection contract for the service outside the village.
The new joint district will be its own taxing entity, with its own elected fire commissioners. It will replace the current setup where the Albion Fire Department is part of the Albion village budget, with the Albion Village Board serving as a commissioners overseeing the department and determining its funding.
The new joint fire protection district would likely have an annual budget of about $750,000 to $850,000. That is more than double the current $350,000 for the fire department.
That amount is much too low and doesn’t include any money for reserve funds to help pay for fire trucks and equipment, John Papponetti, the deputy fire chief, said during a public hearing on April 24 at the LGI in the high school.
With an $850,000 budget the tax rates for fire protection would change from the current 93 cents per $1,000 in Albion and 80 cents in Gaines to about $2.00 for the two towns and village, according to the presentation from Papponetti.
If the joint district stands – with or without a referendum – it would take effect on Jan. 1. That’s when it would start with its own budget, and the joint district would own the fire trucks and equipment. The village is keeping the fire hall on Platt Street and will lease the space to the fire district.
The first five commissioners are expected to serve about six months. If the joint fire district goes forward, there will be an election for five fire commissioners in December. In that first election, the candidate with the most votes gets a five-year term, then the fourth most gets four years, down to the candidate with the fifth-most votes getting a one-year term.
After that first election, there will be an election for just one position for a five-year term in the following years.
The three municipal boards this evening also voted to empower the joint fire district to have the power to acquire real property or easements without permission of the Albion Village Board, the Albion Town Board or the Gaines Town Board.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 April 2024 at 6:58 am
Provided photos
ALBION – Leo Gotte, left, and Graham Kirby crossed over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts on Monday evening with Troop 164 in Albion.
Both boys earned Cub Scouts’ highest honor, the Arrow of Light. Both boys were in Troop 164’s first kindergarten Lions den which started with a few dozen scouts. On Monday, they are 5th graders moving up. Covid took a hit to scouts’ participation. Leo and Graham were praised for sticking with Scouts when some of the activities were derailed from Covid.
This group photo shows Cub Scout Troop 164 and Boy Scout Troop 164 with Cub Scout leaders Ben Metcalf and Justin Kirby, and Boy Scout leaders Jeff Braley and Dan Flanagan. Leo and Graham both crossed the bridge to Boy Scouts.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 April 2024 at 10:49 am
ALBION – The Albion Village Board adopted a $8,194,333 village budget for 2024-25 on Thursday that raises the tax rate by $1.27 – from $19.13 to $20.40 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The tax levy, what the village will collect in property taxes, increased by 6.6 percent or by $194,340 – from $2,923,473 to $3,117,813.
This is the first time the village tax rate tops $20. Medina a year ago was the first village where the tax rate went over $20. Medina went through reassessments last year and the new assessments added $100 million to Medina’s tax base, allowing that village to drop the tax rate from $21.16 to $13.97 with its new budget for 2024-25.
Albion doesn’t have the new reassessments on the official rolls yet. That will likely happen next year.
For the 2024-25 budget. Albion’s tax base shrunk slightly by less than 0.1 percent or by $74,424 – from $152,867,932 to $152,793,508.
The preliminary numbers for 2025-26 show a growth in the village tax base by about 40 percent or $62 million to $214.8 million. But the Village Board has to wait until next year to have those numbers, which will be finalized after the grievance process if property owners challenge their new assessments.
The village budget for 2024-25 totals $8,194,333 with $4,701,848 in the general fund, $2,068,150 in the water fund, and $1,424,335 in the sewer fund.
UPDATE at 1:10 p.m.: Albion Mayor Angel Javier Jr. said he did not vote for the budget that exceeded the tax cap. He said the village is headed towards consolidation with the Town of Albion “as village taxes exceed the state-mandated cap.”
He said village taxpayers will continue to see more tax increases, and higher fees – including water, sewer and fire protection.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 April 2024 at 8:58 pm
Company looks to add parking at site that used to be a doctor’s office
ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board voted in favor of a request from Crosby’s to change the zoning of 210 South Main St. from residential-commercial to general commercial.
The Planning Board reviewed a referral from the Village of Albion during a meeting on Thursday, and the board recommended Albion approve the request from Crosby’s owner, Reid Petroleum of Lockport.
Crosby’s in early March had a house that used to be a doctor’s office knocked down at 210 South Main, next to the Crosby’s store at the southwest corner of routes 98 and 31. Crosby’s wants to add 10 more parking spaces to the now vacant land. The company also wants to have two new 20,000-gallon underground storage tanks, with those tanks partly on the lot next to Crosby’s.
The company could do the project under the current zoning but would prefer to have both sites be zoned general commercial.
John Pastore, director of Real Estate at Reid Petroleum, met with the Albion Village Board on April 10 and said the company also would like to eventually add four electric charging stations for vehicles in the future, and they would likely be the faster-charging level 3 units.
The plan for the now vacant land also includes an outdoor sitting area, expanded dumpster coral, 6-foot high fencing and landscaping.
Pastore said the land acquisition gives Crosby’s a chance for better traffic circulation at the Albion store, which he said is one of the company’s best-performing sites.
Provided photo: The volunteers include from left: Lucy Rivers, Tim Archer, Sophie Markle, Gideon Pask, Emmaline Gailie, Cordelia Rivers and Tom Rivers.
The group thanks Ace Hardware for accepting the trash in the store’s dumpster.
Cordelia and Lucy Rivers found lots of litter in the brush between Platt and Main streets. They are joined in the garbage pickup by Sophie Markle and Emmaline Gailie.
In front of Dunkin’ Donuts was a small mattress and some clothes that had been out all winter.
There were two other waterlogged sleeping bags along the railroad tracks, and many empty cans of food.
The trash was weighed and the total will be sent into a database for the Great Lakes Watershed Cleanup.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 April 2024 at 10:15 pm
Fire Department leaders say Albion FD has long been underfunded; bigger budget needed for equipment
Photos by Tom Rivers: Albion Fire Department Deputy Chief John Papponetti, standing at lower right, goes over the current budget issues and challenges facing the Albion Fire Department. He presented benefits of a new Albion Joint Fire District to about 80 people this evening during a public hearing about the joint fire district. The hearing was held in the LGI room at Albion High School.
ALBION – The Town Boards for Albion and Gaines, as well as the Albion Village Board were unanimous this evening in voting to form a new Albion Joint Fire District.
The new joint district will be its own taxing entity, with its own elected fire commissioners. It will replace the current setup where the Albion Fire Department is part of the Albion village budget, with the Albion Village Board serving as a commissioners overseeing the department and determining its funding.
The towns of Albion and Gaines both provide funding through fire protection contracts with the village.
The new joint fire protection district would likely have an annual budget of about $750,000 to $850,000. That is more than double the current $350,000 for the fire department.
That amount is much too low and doesn’t include any money for reserve funds to help pay for fire trucks and equipment, said John Papponetti, the deputy fire chief.
He went over slide and information for more than a half hour during a public hearing at the LGI of the high school. The hearing went for about 50 minutes.
“The village realizes that the funding for the fire department is insufficient to meet current standards of today and the future, and that the department is not adequately equipped and needs better equipment, vehicles and facilities,” Papponetti said.
Deputy Fire Chief John Papponetti said the fire department needs more funding to meet the demands for new equipment, from trucks to turnout gear. The current budget of $350,000 is less than half of what the fire department needs, he said. The map on the screen shows Orleans County with Albion Joint Fire District in the red outline.
With an $850,000 budget the tax rates for fire protection would change from the current 93 cents per $1,000 in Albion and 80 cents in Gaines to about $2.00 for the two towns and village, according to the presentation from Papponetti.
The new joint fire district is pending a permissive referendum. If there is a petition submitted by enough registered voters in Albion and Gaines, the joint district would go to a public vote. (The attorneys didn’t have all the details on a referendum this evening, but it typically requires a petition with at least 5 percent of the registered voters in the last gubernatorial election. The petition would need to be submitted within 30 days of today’s vote.)
If the joint district stands – with or without a referendum – it would take effect on Jan. 1. That’s when it would start with its own budget, and the joint district would own the fire trucks and equipment. The village is keeping the fire hall on Platt Street and will lease the space to the fire district.
The first five commissioners were appointed this evening and they will serve terms from July 1 to Dec. 31. Al Cheverie and Gary Mumford represent the Town of Gaines. The Village of Albion has one representative, former village trustee David Buczek. The Town of Albion has two appointees, Chuck Nesbitt and Jeremy Babcock. Cheverie and Babcock are current members of the Albion Fire Department.
If the joint fire district goes forward, there will be an election for five fire commissioners in December. In that first election, the candidate with the most votes gets a five-year term, then the fourth most gets four years, down to the candidate with the fifth-most votes getting a one-year term.
After that first election, there will be an election for just one position for a five-year term in the following years.
Doug Heath, attorney for the Town of Gaines, welcomes the public to ask questions during the hearing. He was joined at the table by the Town Boards for Albion and Gaines, and the Albion Village Board, as well as the attorneys for each municipality and advisor Raymond DiRaddo who has provided legal advice to fire districts for 40 years.
Papponetti said residents will have a greater say in the department through the election of commissioners. Any bonding or establishment of reserve accounts by the joint district will also need voter approval.
The fire department faces a need for a new ladder truck and an engine in the not-too-distant future. The cost of the fire trucks has more than doubled since 2011. Papponetti said ladder trucks in 2024 are now about $2.2 million with a fire engine at about $1.2 million.
The Village Board hasn’t established reserve funds to prepare for these big purchases, he said. Papponetti said the fire department currently competes for funds in the village budget with other departments – police, DPW, cemetery, clerk’s office, recreation and other needs.
The fire department currently operates on about a $350,000 budget, with the village paying $113,456 (32 percent), the Town of Gaines at $120,422 (35 percent) and the Town of Albion at $116,122 (33 percent).
Papponetti said the fire department would come out of the village budget with its own tax bill in January. It should result in a lower village tax bill, although village residents would pay the new fire district tax.
Pete Sidari, an Albion firefighter and former Albion Village Board member, asked if the village is keeping the fire hall and leasing it to the joint fire district. Other new joint fire districts have had villages just transfer the fire halls to the new district. None of the questions asked at the hearing were answered during the meeting.
The villages of Holley and Lyndonville both recently moved the fire department out of their budgets and into fire districts. Raymond DiRaddeo, a Rochester attorney, has worked with fire districts for about 40 years. He said more communities are putting the fire service in fire districts to ensure there is proper funding.
One resident, Jake Walter, said he didn’t like that the annual elections are in December, which he said is a busy time for people who haven’t gone south. He said the timing of the vote seemed to discourage voters.
Laura Bentley also said the fire protection taxes would more than double with a joint fire district.
Papponetti said the fire department budget would need to go up significantly, even if the joint district doesn’t go through. He said there isn’t enough money right now to run the department and have money set aside for new trucks and equipment.
“It’s very difficult to operate in this current environment,” he said about having the department in the village budget. “It’s like living paycheck to paycheck. There are no reserve accounts. The funding is inefficient.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 April 2024 at 7:28 am
Photos courtesy of Kelly Kiebala: Pictured from left include Albion Rotary Club secretary and sponsor Bonnie Malakie, new Club Member Taryn Moyle, Rotary District 7090 Governor Scott Marcin, Albion Club President & sponsor Doug Farley, and new club member Bill Lattin.
ALBION – The Albion Rotary Club welcomed two new members to the service organization last week, when the club was also addressed by District Governor Scott Marcin, a member of the Amherst South Rotary Club.
The new Albion members include Taryn Moyle and Bill Lattin. Moyle works as manager of the Child Care Resource & Referral program for Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, Inc.
Lattin is retired as county historian and director of the Cobblestone Museum. He remains active at the museum and the Orleans County Historical Association.
The two were inducted at the Rotary meeting last Thursday at The Tavern on the Ridge, the former Village Inn on Ridge Road.
At left, Rotary Club of Albion President Doug Farley and at right, Rotary District 7090 Governor Scott Marcin.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 April 2024 at 9:48 pm
Anderson was captive for 2,545 days before his release on Dec. 4, 1991
Photo by Tom Rivers: This historical marker in Albion is on main Street by the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church and notes Terry Anderson, a journalist from Albion, was held hostage for almost seven years.
Terry Anderson, one of the most famous people from Albion, died today at age 76.
Anderson spent several years of his childhood in Albion before moving to Batavia and graduating from high school there in 1965.
Terry Anderson is on the cover of Time magazine on Dec. 16, 1991 after being released after nearly seven years as a hostage. Part of his glasses are missing.
He worked as a newspaper reporter for the Associated Press and was the AP’s bureau chief in Lebanon when he was taken hostage by Islamic militants on March 16, 1985. His sister Peggy Say fought for his freedom, meeting with the Pope, Mother Teresa and President Ronald Reagan. Say died in 2015.
Many prayer vigils were held in Western New York, and his status as one of the longest-held American hostages was frequently in the news in Western New York and nationally. He finally gained his release on Dec. 4, 1991, and met his daughter Sulome for the first time. She was 6 ½ when she finally could hug her father in person.
Anderson chronicled the ordeal of being kept captive in a book, “Den of Lions.” Anderson died at his home in Greenwood Lake in Orange County, NY, his daughter Sulome Anderson told the AP.
Anderson made an appearance in Albion in the late 1990s in the fundraiser for Community Action, a rare local event for him.
“Though my father’s life was marked by extreme suffering during his time as a hostage in captivity, he found a quiet, comfortable peace in recent years. I know he would choose to be remembered not by his very worst experience, but through his humanitarian work with the Vietnam Children’s Fund, the Committee to Protect Journalists, homeless veterans and many other incredible causes,” Sulome Anderson said in a statement.
After his release and return to the United States, Anderson taught journalism at prominent universities, ran for Congress, operated a blues bar, Cajun restaurant, horse ranch and gourmet restaurant, the AP reported today.
The Orleans County Department of History erected a historical marker for Anderson on Main Street in Albion near the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church. The marker notes Anderson grew up in this neighborhood in the 1950s, and would later be taken hostage and held prisoner for 2,545 days.
Frances Pierce posted this comment on the Orleans Hub Facebook page: “Terry was actually born in Ohio. His family moved to Albion when Terry was still a child. His family lived in the upstairs of the big house that sits on the corner of Clarendon and East State Street, directly across from what was then Guido’s. Terry was a lot of fun and super smart. We hung around in the same group including Lynn Miller, Terry’s then best friend. His family moved to Batavia a year or so before graduation from High School. He was one of a kind, one that you never forget.”
Dorothy Boyer of Albion sent in this childhood memory of Terry Anderson: “When I knew Terry Anderson in the ’50s he lived where Bloom’s Flower Shop used to be on Main Street. As far as I know they had the whole house. We used to go over on a Friday night when his mom got home from Marti’s (Supper Club) and help her count all of her tips. It was so much fun as a child to do. We used to play canasta together and yes, he was Lynn Miller’s best friend. We had a bamboo fort behind his house with a lot of patches. It was always fun.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. CPJ defends the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.
CPJ issued this statement:
“The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply saddened by the death of Terry Anderson, journalist and CPJ’s former vice chair and honorary chairman.”
Anderson, a former Associated Press journalist who was kidnapped and held hostage in Lebanon for six years, knew firsthand the threats that faced journalists seeking to report freely, and was an outspoken and dedicated advocate for press freedom.
“Terry was part of the CPJ family for over 25 years,” said Jacob Weisberg, CPJ chair. “He took that responsibility seriously – joining CPJ to advocate on behalf of journalists at risk around the world at the highest levels. Our thoughts are with his family and especially with his daughter Sulome, herself a journalist.”
In 1998, Anderson was part of a CPJ delegation that met with then Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz to press for an end to the jailing of journalists in the country. A year later, he and CPJ colleagues traveled to Yemen to ask Prime Minister Abdel Karim al-Iryani to halt the arrests and harassment of editors and reporters there.
“Terry Anderson’s public advocacy was instrumental in freeing journalists from jail and protecting them against the worst abuses,” said former CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon, who worked closely with Anderson during the years that Simon led CPJ. “But what distinguished Terry was his personal and often private interventions on behalf of journalists held hostage around the world. Terry counseled many families experiencing helplessness and trauma. His deep compassion helped them understand they were not alone and bolstered their spirits in the darkest times.”
Anderson accepted an Emmy in 2006 on behalf of CPJ for its work in defense of press freedom. His words then resonate more than ever today, with record numbers of journalists in jail, near record levels of killings and threats against journalists in all corners of the globe:
“CPJ began its work…and continues it today, not because we believe journalists deserve more protection than anyone else, but because we believe that journalists are the first to be attacked by those who wish to oppress, to deny the basic human rights and human dignity of all,” he said. “Journalists are on the front line, the first casualties in the constant fight to preserve freedom.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 April 2024 at 9:29 am
Provided photo: Thom Jennings, left, and Jack Burris share their thoughts in a weekly podcast, “What to Do with Your Old Explicit Content.”
Two people who say they are unlikely friends, Thom Jennings and Jack Burris, have joined in a podcast where they share their wisdom and wit in touching on a range of topics, from saying goodbye to a beloved family dog to dissecting the intricacies of love and betrayal in romantic relationships.
Jennings and Burris team in a podcast they call “What to Do with Your Old Explicit Content.” It is available on Caronia Media Podcast Network.
Jennings, a former Albion resident who now lives in Oakfield, is a special education teacher in Buffalo and music writer. He was inducted into the Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame Class in 2023.
Burris owns Burris Cleaning and is the founder of the Hands 4 Hope Street Ministry.
Jennings said his perspective is molded by the school of hard knocks while Burris brings a deeply introspective and religious soul.
“We may not have all the answers, but we know how to spin a yarn and share a chuckle,” Jennings said. “Join us on this journey as we tackle life’s conundrums with a twinkle in our eyes and a touch of irreverence.”
Each week, the two share their unique perspectives on life’s challenges, accompanied by stories from their own lives. Listeners can expect an engaging blend of wisdom, humor, and storytelling that promises to entertain and enlighten.
“What to Do with Your Old Explicit Content” is now available for streaming on the Caronia Media Podcast Network and is available on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and Spotify.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Adult services librarian Michael Magnuson watches Carrie Heise use a computer at Hoag Library which has been fitted with a magnifying shield for those with vision problems.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 April 2024 at 12:58 pm
ALBION – Carrie Heise often goes to Hoag Library to use their computers, but with developing vision problems, found it difficult to see the screen.
She had heard about a shield which magnifies letters and one day mentioned the idea to librarian Betty Sue Miller.
Carrie Heise of Albion is delighted with the addition of a magnifying shield to one of the computers at Hoag Library. She suggested the idea and librarian Betty Sue Miller wasted no time ordering one.
Miller immediately said, “Let’s see what we can do about this.”
Miller contacted Lions International who suggested she reach out to Advantage Tech Support Company in regard to which model to buy.
She ordered the shield they suggested and it was fitted on one of the library’s computers, which are available for the public to use.
“I thought of putting it on a computer in the teen room, but realized that would be an invitation for kids to play on it, then someone who really needed it wouldn’t be able to use it,” Miller said.
The shield also comes with a special keyboard with larger keys, making it easier for a person with impaired vision to use.
Miller said more and more people are using their computers at the library rather than replace their own equipment at home.
That was the case with Carrie and her husband Bud. When the cost of their internet service kept going up, they decided to cancel it and take advantage of the library’s computers.
Miller said several people have mentioned having the magnifying shield on one of the computers will be a huge benefit to them.
Miller has also ordered a foldable privacy screen which will fit on either side of the computer, ensuring the user’s privacy. In addition, the new magnifying shield is designed so what is on the screen is only visible to the person sitting right in front of it.
“When people ask if we would consider something new, we are happy to do it,” Miller said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 April 2024 at 8:46 am
(The 2024 numbers are preliminary. The tax rolls will be filed on May 1. Property owners have the option of challenging those assessed values through the grievance process.)
ALBION – The new assessment notices arrived in the mail last week for property owners in Albion and Gaines, and most people are seeing a significant increase.
The two towns and village of Albion last did community-wide reassessments five years ago in 2019. The town boards decide when to do the reassessments and Albion and Gaines contract with the county Real Property Tax Services for the job.
Usually the town-wide reassessments are done every three years. But Albion and Gaines officials pushed it back when real estate sales started to surge in the Covid-19 pandemic, first in 2020. But the real estate sales haven’t come down, said Dawn Allen, the county’s real property tax services director.
The median sale price in Orleans County is up nearly 50 percent from 2019 to 2023, going from $104,900 to $155,000, according to the NYS Association of REALTORS
Orleans County median home prices
2019: $104,900
2020: $117,011 (up 11.5%)
2021: $139,000 (up 18.8%)
2022: $145,200 (up 4.5%)
2023: $155,000 (up 6.7%)
Percent change from 2019 to 2023: (up 47.8%)
Source: NYS Association of REALTORS
Allen and Coleen Pahura, the Albion and Gaines assessor, said home prices have been on the rise in Albion and Gaines, with an even larger percentage increase in the village. And that’s after many years of stagnant prices in the village.
The average prices for single-family homes outside the village in the towns of Albion and Gaines is up 55.5 percent from 2019 to 2023 – from $143,731 to $223,443.
The average prices in the village, while a much lower sales amount, saw a larger percentage increase. The average single-family price was $77,081 in 2019, and that jumped by 80.5 percent in four years to $139,136 in 2023.
Average sales price outside village in Albion & Gaines (single-family homes)
2019: $143,731
2020: $181,378 (up 26.2%)
2021: $181,221 (down 0.1%)
2022: $220,537 (up 21.7%)
2023: $223,443 (up 1.3%)
Total change: up 55.5%
Average sales price inside village (single-family homes)
2019: $77,081
2020: $88,904 (up 15.3%)
2021: $113,808 (up 28.0%)
2022: $135,683 (up 19.2%)
2023: $139,136 (up 2.6 %)
Total change: up 80.5%
The higher sales prices are driving the higher assessments. Pahura and Allen said the assessments need to reflect the market rate for the properties.
They have fielded many calls in the past week from Albion and Gaines property owners, who are concerned about such a dramatic rise in their assessments.
Allen and Pahura explain the assessed value should reflect what the property would sell for on the market today. And the reality is the houses are selling for far more than just a few years ago, whether a small house or a larger one in immaculate condition.
Bigger assessments don’t mean bigger tax bills
Higher assessments don’t necessarily mean taxes are going up, Allen and Pahura noted. For example, Shelby and Ridgeway completed community reassessments last year. When the school tax bills came out in September, the Medina tax rates dropped more than 30 percent in those two towns.
Ridgeway was down from $21.67 to $14.03, while Shelby decreased from $20.59 to $14.03.
Albion Central School is presenting a school budget that keeps the tax levy the same for 2024-25. The district will see lower tax rates due to the bigger tax base when the tax bills come out in September.
Village finally sees some sizable growth in the tax base
The higher assessments will boost a village tax base that has been shrinking in recent years.
The tax base went down 1.08 percent or by $1,663,794 – from $154,457,302 in 2022-23 to $152,723,508 in 2023-24. Most of the loss in tax base was from the assessed value be lowered at the plaza at 318 West Ave. That plaza includes Save-A-Lot, Pro Hardware, Dollar Tree and the vacant spot formerly for Gordman’s.
Going back to 2014, the village tax base was $140,751,091. The number went up 8.5 percent in the following nine years, an average of less than a percent a year. With the new assessments, the tax base is up 40 percent.
The Albion Village Board is working on the 2024-25 budget, but the new assessments won’t take effect until the following year for the village. The new assessments first will be used for the school taxes in September.
Village of Albion Tax Base
2022: $154,457,302
2023: $152,723,508
2024 (before new assessments): $152,793,508
2024 (with preliminary assessments): $214,805,983
Difference: up 40.7 percent or $62,082,475 since 2023
The taxable value for the towns of Gaines and Albion are both up about 40 percent. The increase is a little more in Albion, 41.5 percent, compared to the 37.2 percent in Gaines.
Town of Gaines (county taxable value)
2023: $134,379,190
2024: $184,351,498
Difference: up 37.2 percent or $49,972,308
Town of Albion (county taxable value)
2023: $233,211,567
2024: $330,015,604
Difference: up 41.5 percent or $96,804,037
The new assessments aren’t final numbers. They may be tweaked before the May 1 filing deadline, and could see more changes if people go through the grievance process, meeting with the assessor and a Board of Assessment Review.
“It’s going to be a moving target for a while,” Allen said about the final numbers.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Karen Kinter, CEO of Oak Orchard Health, speaks during a celebration for a new warming center at Christ Church on Dec. 20. The site offered cots, coffee, tea, soup and hygiene kits when the temperature dropped below 32 degrees at night.
Press Release, Orleans County Legislature
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature today acknowledged the partnership of several agencies in providing a warming center for homeless individuals at Christ Church in Albion during this past winter.
“In response to the urgent need for shelter and support during harsh weather conditions, Oak Orchard Health in partnership with Orleans County announced the opening of its Warming Center in November of 2023,” said Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislature Chairman. “This crucial initiative provided refuge and assistance to individuals experiencing homelessness, ensuring their safety and well-being during extreme cold.”
State law requires that a Code Blue alert go into effect when temperatures are expected to fall below 32˚F with wind chill for at least two consecutive hours and that emergency shelter for the homeless be provided.
The warming center was open to serve individuals in need on 131 code blue nights this past season and a total of 63 individuals, including repeat individuals, took advantage of the center. In addition, the Hoag Library was open to serve individuals during their normal business hours.
“Now that winter conditions are hopefully behind us, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to the volunteers and organizations who have contributed their time, resources, and compassion to make the warming center possible,” Johnson said. “The success of this effort is a testament to our community’s incredible compassion and generosity.
Johnson recognized the invaluable collaboration of local partners, including but not limited to, the Department of Social Services, Christ Episcopal Church, Oak Orchard Health, Orleans United Way, HOAG Library, Community Action, Ministry of Concern, Independent Living, Medina Area Association of Churches, Orleans County Emergency Management and Hands 4 Hope.
“The cooperation of these organization was instrumental in establishing and operating the Warming Center and together, we worked to ensure that every community member has a warm and safe place to seek refuge during inclement conditions,” Johnson said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 April 2024 at 9:37 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Albion fire hall on North Platt Street is shown on Sunday during an open house and recruitment effort for the Albion Fire Department.
ALBION – The Albion and Gaines community is moving towards a new joint fire district that would have its own fire commissioners, and own budget and taxing authority.
There will be a public hearing at 6 p.m. on April 24 at the LGI room in the high school for the community to hear details about the district and to ask questions.
The Albion Town Board, Gaines Town Board and Albion Village Board held a joint meeting on March 27 at the Gaines Town Hall. The three boards all voted in favor of establishing the joint fire district.
The fire department’s budget is currently part of the Albion village budget, with the Village Board functioning as the commissioners overseeing the fire department budget. The two towns currently contract with the village for fire protection. In 2024, Gaines will pay $116,390 and the Town of Albion will pay $115,362.
Albion village officials have long felt the village bears an undue financial cost for the fire department budget. With the joint fire district, the costs will be based on the taxable values of each municipality, which village officials see as a better way to fund the department, especially with new fire truck purchases in the near future, including a ladder truck.
The joint fire district should also better identify the true costs of providing fire protection in the community by taking the department out of the village budget.
Fire Chief Jeremy Graham and Deputy John Papponetti both will give presentations during the public hearing on April 24.
Graham said he favors the joint district. Local residents will have a bigger voice in the fire service by electing commissioners and voting on any bonding for trucks and other equipment.
“The taxpayers will have a say,” Graham said. “They will have a vote.”
Holley and Lyndonville both recently moved the fire department out of the village budget and into their own fire districts. That lowered the village taxes, but there is a new fire district tax in January.
The Albion Fire Department had activities for children during the open house on Sunday, including giveaways of plastic firefighter helmets.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Firefighters are on the scene of a fire at 30 North St. last night in Albion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 April 2024 at 10:53 am
ALBION – The man who died in a fire at Oak Orchard Estates last night has been identified as William E. Christy, age 68.
He was home at 30 North St. when his trailer became engulfed in flames. Christy did not get out of his trailer despite efforts from his neighbors, firefighters and responding law enforcement officers to get inside and help him.
First responders were dispatched to the site at 11:42 p.m. for a reported house fire with one person trapped inside.
Upon arrival, neighbors were observed attempting to gain entry into the trailer, Police Chief David Mogle stated in a news release.
Albion police officers along with the Albion Fire Department and Orleans County Sheriff’s Office also attempted to gain entry into the residence, but were unsuccessful.
Minutes later it became unsafe for all involved emergency responders and civilians to attempt to get into the residence, which was fully engulfed in flames, Mogle said.
The fire was contained at approximately 12:10 a.m. State fire investigators are trying to determine the cause of the fire.
The Albion Police Department and Albion Fire Department were assisted by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, the Orleans County Emergency Management Office, Critical Incident Stress Management team, state fire investigators and firefighters from Barre, Ridgeway, Carlton, Kendall, Medina and Shelby.
