David Callard

‘For the remainder of my term I will give emphasis to the heroin and opioid abuse epidemic – a problem that is not only unique to us but threatens the very fabric of our country.’

David Callard announced today he will not be seeking re-election to the Orleans County Legislature. Callard is the current chairman of the seven-member group. He has been a member of the Legislature for nearly 24 years, following four years on the Ridgeway Town Board.

Callard, a Ridgeway resident, is a retired banking executive. He ran for Congress in 1996, losing to a long-time incumbent, John LaFalce.

Callard has led the County Legislature the past eight years, a time when the Legisature sold the county nursing home for $7.8 million, and redesigned the county government, streamlining operations and partnering with Genesee County with a shared public health director, Board of Health and other staff.

Callard and Orleans County officials have also partnered with Niagara County in the Niagara-Orleans Regional Alliance, a two-county group that has pushed for Broadband Internet, consistent dredging of harbors, and also opposed the Lighthouse Wind project in Yates and Somerset, and a new plan for controlling Lake Ontario water levels, that NORA fears will lead to more erosion on the south shore.

David Callard of Medina is congratulated by County Clerk Karen Lake-Maynard after he signed the oath of office on Jan. 2, 2014 to serve a two-year term as County Legislature chairman. Legislature Clerk Nadine Hanlon is in back.

Callard issued this statement this afternoon:

“By the end of the year I will have completed 28 years of public service.

The first four years were with the Town of Ridgeway as councilman and supervisor, and the next 24 years with the Orleans County Legislature – the last eight of which were as the chairman. My only desire has been to make life better for the people. As I move on and transition into the future I doubt that my desire to help will change.

This December I will leave office knowing that the county is well positioned for the future. To that extent I will review the state of the county at an upcoming general meeting of the legislature. For the remainder of my term I will give emphasis to the heroin and opioid abuse epidemic – a problem that is not only unique to us but threatens the very fabric of our country.

In the past week I have spoken with the District Attorney, the Sheriff, and the Task Force to facilitate not only enforcement of the law, but in the rehabilitation of the addicted. Our discussions will continue and I anticipate an announcement regarding new initiatives in which we will seek your involvement by the latter part of the month.

We are all impacted by the illegal use of drugs. We are all deeply saddened when somebody dies from an overdose of drugs. Most recently we were devastated by the death of a child of our county employee family.

The District Attorney has informed me that from this day forward, when somebody in Orleans County dies from an overdose, he will pursue State and Federal prosecution for wrongful death against the supplier.

The Sheriff, while enforcing the law, will also lead the effort to strengthen the rehabilitation side of the problem.

The legislature stands firmly in support of these efforts.

Orleans County is small and cohesive enough that it has the potential to accomplish great things. It is already drawing state attention on the departmental level for many innovative efforts. I am now calling upon the people of this county to join in an unprecedented county-wide fight, working with our State and Federal partners, in an effort against the illegal use of drugs to help us secure a better future for our children.”

These photos show some recent highlights of Callard’s tenure as Legislature chairman:

Legislature Chairman David Callard, Legislator and Public Safety Chairwoman Lynne Johnson and former Emergency Management Director Paul Wagner are pictured in May 2014 when the county celebrated a $7.1 million upgrade to its emergency radio system.

David Callard gives Narby’s Superette and Tackle owner Sharon Narburgh a hug following a ceremony on June 26, 2013 when the Point Breeze community received a trophy and check for $25,000 after winning the “Ultimate Fishing Town” competition.

David Callard speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 17, 2014, when the bridge on Route 279 was reopened following repairs. The county took out an $8 million bond to pay for several infrastructure projects, including bridge and culvert work, as well as new roofs and other upgrades to county buildings.

Return to top

Photo by Tom Rivers: Lori Grube, a dispatcher for Orleans County since 1998, is pictured at the 911 dispatch center with co-worker Mike Draper taking a call in the background.

ALBION – Public safety dispatchers in Orleans County last year handled 34,447 calls. Many of those calls were at a time of crisis, people reporting heart attacks, strokes, fires and other emergencies.

This week is “National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.” Sheriff Randy Bower is a former dispatcher for nearly 30 years. He said the dispatchers provide an essential service for the community.

“In a time of crisis, public safety dispatchers are the calming voice on the other end of the phone line,” Bower said. “They’re ‘the life blood’ of public safety, the true first responders; This is where it all starts.”

Bower provided a breakdown of the calls from 2016 (not counting non-emergency calls) –

• Police – Sheriff’s Office, 9,683; Medina PD, 6,197; Albion PD, 5,156; State Police, 2,187; Holley PD, 1,193; and Lyndonville PD, 78.

• Fire – Albion, 456; Barre, 208; Carlton, 262; Clarendon, 129; East Shelby, 82; Holley, 416; Fancher-Hulberton-Murray, 213; Kendall, 101; Lyndonville, 229; Medina, 287; Ridgeway, 287; and Shelby, 205. Total, 2,875.

• EMS – Clarendon Ambulance, 222; COVA, 2,090; Kendall Ambulance, 160; Medina Ambulance, 2,567; and Monroe Ambulance, 738. Total: 5,777.

The dispatch center has updated furniture with four movable work stations, allowing dispatchers to choose to sit or stand during their shifts. Bower said the county is working to add a fourth work station to accommodate busy times, such as storms and holidays.

He is pleased dispatch now has access to cameras within Medina Central School, and the sheriff said he is working with the other school districts to have accessibility to their cameras during an emergency.

Lori Grube is one of the county dispatchers. She started part-time in 1998 and has been full-time since 2001.

“It’s way more than answering the phone,” she said. “It’s a lot of multitasking.”

Grube, like many of the dispatchers, has been active as a firefighter. She was a member of the Holley Fire Department as an EMT before becoming a dispatcher.

Bower said the dispatchers are all highly skilled, providing life-saving advice in emergencies.

“Please join me in recognizing our public safety dispatchers for all of their hard work, dedication and service to our community,” he said.

Return to top

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – June Chippendale, owner of Antiques & Rusty Relics in Fancher, chats with her friend Terri Martinez during today’s Home, Garden & Outdoor Show. The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce has organized the event with 40 vendors at the 4-H Fairgrounds. The show is open today until 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Chippendale is attending her first Home Show as a vendor. She was there to promote an upcoming wine tasting and flea market at Antiques & Rusty Relics on April 22.

“I’m here to pump up business,” she said. “I want to get more people to know where we are on Route 31.”

Chippendale was pleased to make some sales early on Saturday at the Home & Garden Show. She is selling garden flags, enamel buckets, burlap, antiques and other garden items at the show.

Evie Hurt, owner of the Dazzling Dust Bunnies cleaning service, is among the 40 vendors at the Home & Garden Show. Hurt started the business in 2014 and now has four employees.

“This is a way to get face to face with clients,” she said about attending her first Home & Garden Show as a vendor.

Marie Preston and her daughter-in-law, Nadine Valentine, were at the booth for Preston’s Lawncare & Landscaping, which opened two years ago. The business has added a greenhouse on Zig-Zag Road in Albion.

Michael Klepp, a master gardener known as “The Plant Man,” answer a question from Grace Denniston at the Master Gardener’s booth.

Darcia Golda represents Sunrise Bees on McNamar Road in Barre. Sunrise has 1,000 hives and 40 varieties of honey. The business is owned by Eric Doud and Kevin Bezon.

Holly Ricci-Canham, left, is selling copies of her book, “Mom & Pop Farming in Orleans County, New York – The past brought to life.” She is pictured with her mother “Mike” Ricci and husband, Bud Canham, in back. They are chatting with Jane Sidari, right, and Irene Rouse of Albion.

The Home & Garden Show continues on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes a visit by the Easter Bunny from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and an Easter egg hunt beginning at noon for children ages 10 and younger.

Return to top

File photo by Tom Rivers: Jenna Roberts of Roberts Farm Market sets up a display of decorative yard flags in this photo from April 2013 during the Home and Garden Show at the 4-H Fairgrounds. Roberts Farm Market will be among 40 vendors when the event returns Saturday and Sunday.

KNOWLESVILLE – After taking a hiatus last year, the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Home, Garden & Outdoor Show is returning this weekend with vendors showcasing services and ideas for improving homes, gardens and recreation.

There will also be special events over the weekend at the show, including a chicken barbecue on Saturday beginning at noon, a K-9 demonstration on Saturday at 1 p.m. and the Easter egg hunt on Sunday beginning at noon.

The Easter Bunny will also be there for the egg hunt and will be available for photos. The egg hunt will be free to children ages 10 and younger.

“We want to promote local businesses and get people to spend more money in Orleans County,” said Becky Charland, director of the Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a good promotion for businesses and that’s what the Chamber of Commerce does.”

The show will by at the 4-H Fairgrounds on Route 31 and opens at 10 a.m. both days and continues until 6 p.m. on Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $1.

There are about 40 vendors committed for the show. There will be raffles and demonstrations on both days.

Return to top

Orleans County has been awarded a $448,993 state grant as part of $45 million in funding announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo today to upgrade emergency communications systems around the state.

“In an emergency, every second counts,” Cuomo said in a news release. “This critical funding will improve the quality and efficiency of emergency response capabilities across New York, while supporting the brave first responders who put their lives on the line every day to protect their neighbors and their community.”

Orleans County has a Radio Advisory Committee with representatives from highway departments, fire departments, police and law enforcement and the county’s Emergency Management Office. That group will consider options for how to use the funding, said Dale Banker, the EMO coordinator.

The county upgraded its 911 radio system in 2014 for about $7 million. That system, now three years old, already is a phase behind neighboring Genesee and Monroe counties, Banker said.

An upgrade of the Harris system in Orleans would allow the county’s system to be interoperable with Genesee and Monroe’s systems.

The county might also consider a long-term maintenance agreement with Harris as part of the grant.

The committee will also look at adding a dispatch station at the Public Safety Building. There are currently three stations and a fourth could be added, Banker said. There is also one backup station at the Emergency Management Office on West Countyhouse Road and an additional backup could be sought with the grant funds.

The state is expected to have a second round of grants for communications system improvements. The county committee has a wish list and will weigh how to best spend the money, Banker said today.

“It will definitely enhance our communications system,” he said about the funding.

The State Interoperable Communications Grant, which is administered by the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, has awarded more than $275 million in five rounds to 57 counties and New York City.

Orleans County in recent years has received about $133,000 annually with the grant program.

“It is vital to emergency response to continually upgrade and enhance communications systems including 911 technologies,” said John P. Melville said, commissioner of State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. “This grant funding allows counties and New York City to continue to make improvements to their emergency communications systems to help protect New Yorkers.”

Return to top

ALBION – There are currently 225 full-time jobs open in the county, from entry level to more high-tech positions, said David Callard, the chairman of the Orleans County Legislature.

Many good jobs go unfilled in the county because the job demands don’t match the available skill sets, Callard said.

The County Legislature last week urged the state and federal governments to invest in job training, to help unemployed or underemployed Americans boost their skills to fill needs in the economy.

Callard worries Orleans County will miss out on attracting new businesses and expansions because business leaders may not have confidence there are enough skilled workers locally to do the jobs.

“There are 225 full-time jobs available and we’re having trouble filling them for whatever reason,” Callard said. “We need a trained workforce to have businesses come.”

The Legislature approved a resolution last week seeking more federal funds for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The county used $100,000 in those funds last year to train 50 residents for skills in demand locally.

The Legislature is asking Congressman Chris Collins, R-Clarence, and U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to fight any funding cuts in this job training program.

The County Legislature also passed a resolution asking Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the State Legislature to fund a state-wide workforce strategy to ensure a pipeline of qualified workers for businesses.

The state should invest in more job training , weighing local, regional and state priorities, the Legislature said. That may include investments in community colleges, adult basic education and other worker training.

Return to top

The population is down in New York in the latest population estimates form the Census Bureau, which shows declines in 46 out of 62 counties.  Orleans County has one of the steepest drops, according to the data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Orleans County had 42,883 people in the 2010 Census. It is down by 1,538 residents to 41,345, based on the 2016 population estimates. That drop of 3.57 percent ranks as the 55^th most out of 62 counties.

The biggest population losses have been in upstate rural areas: Hamilton (down 6.22%), Delaware (5.12%), Tioga (4.48%) and Schoharie (down 4.36%).

The net migration for Orleans was down 1,497 since 2010. The Census reports that 1,762 people left the county and only 265 moved in since 2010. The change in natural increase (the difference between the number of deaths and births) was also down by 41 people.

In Western New York, only two counties saw population increases: Erie and Monroe, which are the largest counties in the region.

Monroe, which includes Rochester, was up 0.45 percent or by 3,325 people, while Erie County, which includes Buffalo, increased by 1,916 people or by 0.21 percent.

The smaller, rural counties in WNY all decreased in population since 2010. They include, from highest percentage of loss:

• Chautauqua, down 4.00 percent or by 5,400;

• Allegany, down 3.76 percent or by 1,842;

• Orleans, a decline of 3.57 percent or 1,538;

• Cattaraugus, a drop of 3.32 percent or 2,666;

• Wyoming, down 3.25 percent or by 1,371;

• Genesee, a decline of 2.43 percent or 1,462;

• Niagara, down 2.18 percent or 4,729;

• Livingston, down by 1.47 percent or by 960.

The Empire Center has an analysis of the latest population estimates, which show an overall decline in the state. The losses upstate were more than the gains in the New York City area. Click here for more information.

Return to top

County Legislature, Congressman Collins say it would be big cut in property taxes

Today is the big vote in the House of Representatives to repeal the Affordable Care Act with a new health care plan backed by President Donald Trump and many Republicans in Congress.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has been adamantly opposing the plan, saying it will result in a $7 billion hit to the state.

He also said reduced funding to hospitals will decimate the healthcare system. Medina Memorial Hospital would face $569,762 in cuts with the new Trump-backed healthcare plan, Cuomo said, citing analysis by the New York State Department of Health.

The healthcare proposal includes an amendment from Congressman Chris Collins that would relieve upstate counties from paying towards Medicaid, shifting about $2.3 billion to the state.

David Callard

The Orleans County Legislature voted unanimously to support the “Collins Amendment” in the American Health Care Act on Wednesday, saying it would provide significant tax relief, cutting the county tax rate in half.

“This would be a tremendous boost to the counties,” said Legislature Chairman David Callard. “We appreciate the initiative of our congressman.”

Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer, said counties have been opposing the local contribution to Medicaid for a half century. Nesbitt noted nearly all states don’t require a local share for Medicaid.

“This is significant and something after 50 years of fighting we’d be glad to support,” Nesbitt said during Wednesday’s Legislature meeting.

Cuomo has issued several press releases in recent days, warning of dire consequences to hospitals, and tax hikes in the state.

“The radical conservative ideology in Washington has declared war on New York with legislation that will devastate hospitals across the state and hurt New Yorkers,” Cuomo said on Wednesday. “These massive cuts will cripple our hospitals and ravage the health care services on which New Yorkers rely, with $7.8 million in cuts to hospitals in the 27th District alone. I urge members of the community to call their member of Congress and demand that they vote ‘no’ on this unconscionable piece of legislation.”

Callard said he believes the state can absorb the tax shift in Medicaid by reducing some of the benefits in the $60 billion annual Medicaid program.

Collins also urged Cuomo to rein in some of Medicaid’s costs. Collins faulted Cuomo and Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul for their resistance to the health care plan that would cut property taxes.

“Governor Cuomo and his sidekick are using doomsday predictions to scare everyday New Yorkers into allowing Albany to continue taxing them to death,” Collins said in a statement. “It’s absolutely disgusting the Governor would threaten the middle class with a tax increase, while holding a $14 billion taxpayer funded slush fund in his back pocket. As I have said before, if this Governor can’t find 1.5% to save in his budget, I am more than willing to find it for him.”

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley also chastised Cuomo for his pushback on the Medicaid funding shift.

“Gov. Cuomo’s shameless threat to New York families is absolutely offensive,” Hawley said. “New York State needs to join the rest of the nation and pay for Medicaid instead of leveraging the program on the backs of homeowners and local governments. We have an obligation to cover our most vulnerable but not in a ‘cradle to grave’ fashion by which our state offers more ‘optional’ benefits than any other state which increases the cost dramatically. We should be encouraging people and businesses to come here for the job opportunities and not because we promise these taxpayer-funded handouts.”

Return to top

Orleans pays $8.5 million annually to Medicaid program, accounting for about half of county tax burden

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature is expected to vote today in support of the “Collins Amendment,” a recent push by Congressman Chris Collins (R-Clarence) in the proposed new healthcare law that would shift the county share of Medicaid costs in New York to the state.

The move would save upstate counties about $2.3 billion, and would spare Orleans County $8,542,626, which is what the county currently pays towards Medicaid. That represents 52.3 percent of the county’s $16,322,820 tax levy, according to the New York Association of Counties, which supports the push to rid the counties of paying towards Medicaid.

New York is unusual is requiring counties to help fund Medicaid, a health insurance program for poor residents. The New York counties and New York City pay $7.5 billion to the program each year. In the other 49 states, only $2.2 billion is contributed by local governments for Medicaid.

“Year after year, Albany’s leadership relies on counties to foot the bill for New York State’s out-of-control Medicaid costs,” Congressman Collins said in a statement. “Enough is enough. This amendment will stop Albany from forcing its unfunded mandate down the throats of taxpayers, and help counties lower the property tax burden on hardworking families.

The Collins amendment would spare upstate counties from paying towards Medicaid, but not New York City, where taxpayers there contribute about $5 billion annually towards Medicaid.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state would struggle to pick up the increase from the counties, and hospitals, many already struggling to survive financially, would be forced to close with reduced revenue as part of President Donald Trump’s healthcare bill, called the American Health Care Act.

Cuomo faulted Collins and the Trump administration for pushing the cost shift as a move to secure more votes from upstate Republican lawmakers.

‘This amendment will stop Albany from forcing its unfunded mandate down the throats of taxpayers, and help counties lower the property tax burden on hardworking families.’ – Congressman Chris Collins

Tom Reed, a Republican congressman for the Southern Tier, said the Collins amendment convinced him to vote in favor of the Trump healthcare plan. Reed, in a news release on Tuesday, said the amendment would be a big tax lift in upstate.

“It’s time for the state to get its act together and quit putting the burden on upstate families and businesses,” Reed said in a statement.

Besides Reed and Collins, other Republicans in New York’s GOP congressional delegation have backed the “Medicaid Local Share Limitation” proposal, including John Faso (NY-19), Claudia Tenney (NY-22) and Elise Stefanik (NY-21).

The County Legislature’s resolution states that property taxes are high in upstate, and eliminating the local share for Medicaid would provide much needed local tax relief.

“Unfunded mandates such as Medicaid make up the largest portion of our county budget placing immense pressure on our ability to provide the services our residents expect and deserve at a reasonable cost,” the resolution states. “This amendment will allow us to be able to provide much needed tax relief to our constituents and provide more funds to improving our aging infrastructure.”

The Legislature meets at 4:30 p.m. today in the legislative chamber at the County Clerks’ Building, 3 South Main St.

Currently, New York State ranks second highest in the nation in both Medicaid spending per year ($60 billion) and spending per Medicaid beneficiary (44 percent more than the national average), according to Collins.

In addition, while New York State accounts for only 6 percent of the national population, New York accounts for 11 percent of total Medicaid spending. The outsized portion of the Medicaid burden counties are being forced to pay is creating a significant financial hardship, Collins said.

Kathy Hochul, the lieutenant governor, said in a statement on Tuesday that Collins should have the federal government pick up the difference from the counties, not the state. She called Collins, “Mr. Trump’s bag man,” using the amendment to get votes for an unpopular health care proposal.

“If Mr. Collins wants to buy votes let the federal government pick up the share rather that the people of New York,” Hochul said. “Local county taxes or state taxes New Yorkers still pay. One way or another, it is still coming out of New York taxpayers’ pockets.  Let Mr. Collins help New York State and his district by having the federal government pay – that is why he is in Washington. He could easily help pay by reducing the $150 billion tax cut to the richest 1 percent of Americans or buying one less tank from Trump’s record defense budget. Why make the people of his district pay for his politics. We do know Mr. Collins is adept at corrupt financial schemes but this is the ultimate insider trading scam.”

Return to top

The unemployment rate in Orleans County was 6.7 percent in January, which was down slightly from the 6.9 percent in January 2016.

The county actually had about 300 fewer people working in January compared to January 2016 – down from 16,700 the previous January to 16,400. Despite fewer people working, the unemployment rate went down because there were about 100 fewer people on unemployment, about 1,200 total, according to state Department of Labor data.

The DOL reports the state’s private sector job count increased by 123,600 during the 12 months to 8,035,600. The state’s unemployment rate of 5.0 percent was down from 5.3 percent in January 2016. Nationally, the rate was 5.1 percent in January, a decrease from 5.3 percent in January 2016.

Several counties topped a 7 percent rate for unemployment in January, including nearby Niagara at 7.1 percent. Other counties near Orleans have lower unemployment rates: Monroe, 5.0; Erie, 5.5; Genesee, 5.8; and Livingston, 5.8.

Wyoming County had the highest rate of the GLOW counties at 7.3 percent unemployment in January.

Nassau County had the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 4.1 percent and Hamilton was the highest at 9.4 percent.

Return to top

Photos by Tom Rivers: Bill McDonald and his wife Kay play in Medina from a boat in this photo from July 2015. They are part of the Old Hippies band which is calling itself “The Traveling Towpath Troubadours” for a canal concert series. The band travels to canal towns by boat.

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council has announced funding for many cultural programs in the two counties. The $63,084 was presented on March 2 to 24 grant recipients in Orleans and Genesee.

GO Art! has now administered the New York State Council on the Arts’ Decentralization Regrant Program for 30 years

The grant recipients for 2017 include:

Orleans County

• The Arc of Genesee Orleans, sponsored by Orleans County Chamber of Commerce, (Open Mic & Art Show) – $2,375

• Lee-Whedon Memorial Library (“Finally Fridays!”) – $2,800

• Lyndonville Lions Club (Music Fun in the summer in Lyndonville) – $3,800

• Orleans County Chamber of Commerce (Traveling Towpath Troubadours: Bicentennial  Celebration of the Erie Canal) – $5,000

• Village of Albion (Concerts on the Canal) – $2,673

• Village of Holley (Concerts at  Canal Park) – $1,000

• World Life Institute Inc. (Voices from Earth: Pottery Experience in Orleans County) – $4,908

• Yates Community Library (More Than Just Books ) – $4,400

The Who Dats, including guitarist Marty Hobbs, played to a big crowd by canal in Albion in June 2016.

Genesee County

• The Arc of Genesee Orleans (Art Show and Film Festival) – $2,394

• Batavia Concert Band (2017 Summer Concert Series) –$4,250

• Batavia Players (Summer Musical) –$1,750

• Byron-Bergen Public Library (Art and Music in the Community) – $2,250

• Genesee Chorale (Genesee Chorale 2017 Season) –$4,000

• Batavia Players (Spring After School Program) –$1,427

• Jill Pettigrew (NYS School for the Blind 150th Anniversary Permanent Ceramic Tie Mural) – $3,559

• Ted Canning sponsored by Genesee Symphony Orchestra (Steel Band Residency) – $1,725

• David Burke (Byron-Bergen Public Library Exterior Mural) – $2,500

“If you enjoyed any of the events or public art work created by the recipients, please note that the Decentralization Grant Program (DEC) is probably in danger of being cut or disseminated by Federal Budget cuts that is being proposed,” said Gregory Hallock, assistant director for GO Art! “If you care about art and culture in your life at the grass roots level, let your legislators know that we need funding to continue to promote art and culture in our community.”

Return to top

‘We’re having a staffing crisis because we’re not funded to pay them more than a fast food worker.’ Donna Saskowski, executive director of the Arc of Genesee Orleans

The State Senate and Assembly have both put in an additional $45 million in the state budget for pay increases for direct care workers for people with disabilities.

The raises are needed to stabilize the workforces for many agencies that serve people with disabilities, said Donna Saskowski, executive director of the newly merged Arc of Genesee Orleans.

Donna Saskowski

“We’re having a staffing crisis because we’re not funded to pay them more than a fast food worker,” Saskowski said.

The ARC chapters and other agencies that serve people with disabilities receive much of their funding from the state. Saskowski said state increases have lagged in recent years, making it difficult for the agencies to state competitive with their wages.

The ARC chapters are losing some workers to fast food, department stores and other industries, sometimes for entry level positions. That doesn’t seem right to Saskowski, who said her employees are making less money despite the need for more training and responsibility in their direct care jobs.

She is hopeful Gov. Andrew Cuomo will keep the additional $45 million in the budget.

The Arc of Genesee Orleans has more than 500 employees. Satkowski said many of them are so dedicated to the agency they have picked up second jobs so they can continue to serve people with disabilities. The pay increase would be a big boost for the workers and their familes, she said.

State Senator Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) is chairman of the Senate’s Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Committee. He announced on Thursday the Senate Republican Majority’s 2017-18 budget plan includes $45 million to support wage increases for direct care professionals.

“This is a tremendous step on an issue that is very dear to me – one that we have been working on diligently over the past year,” he said. “Senate Republicans are standing shoulder to shoulder with direct care professionals, individuals in the disability community, and nonprofit agencies who care for our most vulnerable population across the state. These employees deserve a fair living wage, and we will continue to fight for them in our state capital. This goes beyond the state’s fiscal obligation to these providers – it’s a moral imperative to help those most in need and we cannot leave them behind.”

Direct care professionals provide critical state services for individuals with autism, serious brain injury, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and other developmental and intellectual disabilities, Ortt said.

Currently, direct service professionals earn an average of $10-$13 per hour – just above the state’s minimum wage. To adequately meet the needs of direct care workers, the proposal provides $45 million annually to help ensure competitive salaries while reducing turnover rates and overtime costs for the nonprofits, and recruit qualified staff for the difficult work. Without new funding for direct care workers, the salary gap with minimum wage workers will lead to increased vacancies in the field as qualified individuals seek less strenuous work, such as in the fast food industry, Ortt said.

“We have lost people to better paying jobs,” Saskowski said today. “We’re looking for a fair wage.”

A final state budget is expected to be adopted by April 1.

Return to top

Medicaid, a health insurance program for poor residents, accounts for about half of the county tax levy

Chris Collins

Leaders from counties in New York are excited by a proposal by Congressman Chris Collins that would no longer require a local contribution to cover the Medicaid program.

In Orleans County that would cut the county property tax in half, said Chuck Nesbitt, the county chief administrative officer.

About half of the $16.7 million in county taxes goes towards Medicaid, a health insurance program for poor and disabled residents.

The county’s current tax rate is $9.86 per $1,000 of assessed property in 2017. If the state took over the county share of Medicaid, the county tax rate could be reduced to about $5. That would save a property owner with an $80,000 house about $400 a year.

Collins, a former county executive in Erie County, wants to see counties in New York freed from paying towards Medicaid, with that cost picked up the state.

Collins is proposing that change as part of a Republican push to replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

Kathy Hochul

Kathy Hochul, the lieutenant governor who lost a re-election bid for Congress to Collins, has fired back at Collins’ proposal, saying it would be costly for the state.

The counties used to pay 25 percent of Medicaid’s cost in New York. The state has capped the county share, which is now about 13 percent, Hochul said.

The state also has allowed counties to collect an extra penny in sales tax to help pay for Medicaid.

In addition to shifting $2.3 billion from county share to the state, the Republican plan for replacing the Affordable Care Act would result in lost federal funds and jeopardize hospitals, Hochul said.

“This ill-conceived plan would cost his home state approximately $2.3 billion,” Hochul said in a statement last Friday to the media. “Unbelievably, that’s on top of the cost of the Republican Affordable Care Act repeal plan – another $2.4 billion. Translation: Rep. Collins is proposing a tax increase on New Yorkers to the tune of $4.7 billion. This one-two punch would destroy all the hard work the Governor and Legislature have accomplished in the last six years to lower taxes across the board and achieve the lowest spending increases in recorded history. New Yorkers will be at risk of losing their healthcare, hospitals will be forced to lay off workers, and our vulnerable elderly will find it much harder to afford nursing home care.”

Few states require counties to pay towards Medicaid. It is a prime factor in New York’s higher property taxes, compared to most states, according to the New York State Association of Counties.

NYSAC issued its own response to the Collins proposal, and was critical of Hochul’s rebuke of the plan.

“The federal legislation introduced by Congressman Collins attempts to do what the State has been politically unwilling or unable to do,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario. “It provides real mandate relief for counties, so that counties can begin to reduce property taxes in the State.”

County leaders agree that property taxes are too high in New York, especially compared to other states, Acquario said.

The counties in New York contribute $7.5 billion to Medicaid, he said. In most states, the federal and state governments split the cost.

“We are disappointed that the State’s Lt. Governor, who has been a friend to counties, would oppose an action that would reduce property taxes and take a position against the state’s county government partners,” Acquario said. “The Governor’s administration can’t have it both ways. They cannot keep shifting costs to counties and force us to continue paying for their programs on the hand, and then demand lower property taxes on the other.”

Return to top