ALBION – Orleans County legislators in a 7-0 vote this morning approved the county’s $65,614,624 budget for 2017.

The budget wasn’t controversial. It was unchanged from a tentative plan filed last month by Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer, and no one opposed the plan during a budget hearing last week.

The budget will reduce the tax rate by 3 cents to $9.86 per $1,000 of assessed property.

However, the county will take in 2.5 percent more in taxes, up $405,260 to $16,728,410. The 2.5 percent increase remains under the tax cap because the county was under it in recent years and can carry over that difference.

David Callard, chairman of the County Legislature, said the tax cap leaves little cushion for legislators.

“It was important to hold the line on taxes, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult,” Callard said. “There’s always more that you could do and would like to do but we’re bound by constraints.”

The tax rate will go down slightly because total assessed value in the county grew 2.844 percent from $1.650 billion to $1.696 billion.

Overall spending is up 1.8 percent or by $1.18 million to $65,614,624.

Some highlights of the 2017 budget include:

• The 2017 budget includes four mental health positions to staff ten new satellite offices across the five districts that had been added throughout 2016.

“These positions are revenue generating, justifying themselves from a cost benefit standpoint,” Nesbitt said in his budget message.

• The Office for the Aging has a grant to add a full-time aging service specialist. In January 2017, a statewide advertising campaign will encourage New Yorkers to contact NY Connects throughout the state as a No Wrong Door entity providing access to long-term care services. This newly created position will screen all calls and walk‐ins for individuals from birth to death for long-term care services.

• The amount budgeted for pensions with the New York State Retirement System was down $27,387 from 2016 at $2,627,117 (a reduction of just over 1%). This is reflective of some employees on Tier 5 and 6, Nesbitt said.

• The county jail shows the largest single increase of any department at $277,127.

“Regulators at the state level have forced the county to eliminate most of the revenue for boarding inmates in our facility,” Nesbitt said in his message. “The state has also required that the county change the methodology for allocation of command staff at the facility. This has resulted in additional costs to the facility.”

• The nine major state mandates that used to make up 90 percent of statewide county property taxes are down slightly from $16,397,378 in 2016 to $16,319,197 in 2017. This reduction is primarily due to reductions in the local Medicaid share resulting from enhancements in the Affordable Care Act.

“If the ACA is repealed, it will have a significant impact on property taxes across the state of New York and likely forcing universal Tax Cap overrides by counties across the state,” Nesbitt said.

• The tax rate will go down slightly because total assessed value in the county grew 2.8 percent from $1.650 billion to $1.696 billion.

Agency funding

• The Cornell Cooperative Extension was boosted from $232,500 in 2016 to $240,000 in 2017.
• The Orleans Economic Development Agency was increased from $166,500 in 2016 to $170,000 in 2017.
• The Soil and Water Conservation District was boosted from $77,500 in 2016 to $80,000 next year.
• The four public libraries in Albion, Holley, Lyndonville and Medina collectively will receive $10,000, the funding level since at least 2012.
• The county will keep funding at $3,000 for the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.
• The Sportsmen’s Federation will continue at $1,000 in 2017.

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File Photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Jail, built in 1970, may not be a long-term answer for housing inmates.

ALBION – Orleans County officials want to talk about a shared jail with Genesee County.

The project would be several years away, but David Callard, Orleans County Legislature chairman, wants to get started with looking at a regional jail.

Both counties may need upgraded jail facilities in the future. The state Commission on Corrections was pressing Orleans for a new jail, but has allowed the county to keep using the existing jail after Orleans spent about $1 million in 2013 for a new roof, boiler system, and a series of energy efficiency improvements, including new caulking around about 100 windows and also on the seams of the building.

The state however isn’t allowing the county to exceed the 82-inmate capacity. The county for many years was given a waiver to accommodate a bigger jail population on the weekends.

With no waiver, the county is boarding out some inmates, and also isn’t accepting inmates from other counties if the capacity tops 82 inmates.

That issue has cost the county about $350,000 in lost revenue this year, Callard said Monday during a county budget hearing.

Genesee is interested in an expanded and updated jail. Callard said the two counties should look at a joint project.

Orleans wants to work with Genesee on a study to see how a shared jail would be run and where it could be best located. The two counties would need State Legislature approval for a shared facility. The state law currently requires each county to have its own jail.

Callard said the two counties have already been trailblazers for shared services. They run a health department with a shared director and some shared staff, as well as a joint board of directors for the Board of Public Health. Orleans and Genesee are the only counties in New York, and one of just 16 in the country, with a shared health department, Callard said.

That example and experience of the two counties working together may help Orleans and Genesee overcome barriers to a shared jail.

Callard said Orleans is reaching out to Genesee officials to first pursue a study of the new jail.

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ALBION – Orleans County legislators will take comments from the public this evening on a proposed $65,614,624 budget. The financial plan increases overall spending by 1.8 percent.

The tentative budget would reduce the tax rate by 3 cents to $9.86 per $1,000 of assessed property. However, the county would take in 2.5 percent more in taxes, up $405,260 to $16,728,410. The 2.5 percent increase remains under the tax cap because the county was under it in recent years and can carry over that difference.

The tax rate will go down slightly because total assessed value in the county grew 2.8 percent from $1.650 billion to $1.696 billion.

The public hearing will be at 7 p.m. today at the Orleans County Courthouse.

The County Legislature has scheduled a meeting for Monday, Dec. 5, at 9:30 a.m. at the Orleans County Legislative Chambers, 3 South Main St., Suite 2, Albion.

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There were fewer driving while intoxicated arrests in the latest DWI saturation patrol by law enforcement agencies in Orleans County.

The Albion Police Department hosted a multi-agency DWI saturation patrol from 9 p.m. on Nov. 23 to 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 24. Three people were arrested for DWI, a 40 percent drop from the five arrested a year before.

“This is positive news in our efforts to reduce accidents caused by intoxicated drivers,” said Roland Nenni, police chief for Albion and Holley. He supervised the multi-agency DWI patrol.

“The reduction of DWI arrests is a positive and motivating factor when these types of details are conducted,” he said. “Many believe that law enforcement wants to make more DWI arrests during these details, however we like to see the opposite. Law enforcement stopped many people and found the overwhelming majority to be responsible and not under the influence of alcohol.”

This detail combined the efforts from every law enforcement agency in Orleans County. The agencies involved consisted of the Albion Police Department, Medina PD, Holley PD, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Orleans County Probation, and New York State Parole.

The detail results are as follows:

DWI arrests: 3 – 1 in Holley (Holley PD), 1 in Medina (Medina PD) and 1 in the Town of Ridgeway (State Police).

Traffic stops: 118.

Tickets issued: 18.

Agency breakdown:

• Albion PD – 54 stops, 1 Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 2nd, 2 Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 3rd, 3 Suspended Registrations, 1 Unlicensed Operation 1- Operating Without Insurance, 1 License Plate Lamp Violation.

• Medina PD – 24 stops, 1 DWI arrest, 1 headlight violation.

• Holley PD – 18 stops, 1 DWI arrest, 1 Unlawful Possession of Marijuana Arrest, 1 Uninspected Motor Vehicle, 1 Fail to Keep Right Violation.

• NY State Police – 15 stops, 1 DWI arrest, 1 Unlawful Possession of Marijuana.

• Orleans County Sheriff’s Office – 7 stops.

This is the third year with a saturation patrol in Orleans County. Compared to last year, there was a 70 percent increase in vehicle stops.

“The data from this year’s detail indicates that less than 3 percent of the motorists stopped were intoxicated, whereas in previous years we have seen data as high as 20 percent of the motorists stopped were intoxicated,” Nenni said.

Each law enforcement agency had officers assigned to the detail in their respective jurisdictions, as well as officers doing their normal working patrol. There was a briefing at the Albion PD, and the officers then returned to their respective jurisdictions with the Albion PD assisting each agency with logistical and operational support.

“Intoxicated drivers do not follow jurisdictional lines, so we decided that we would not either,” Nenni said. “The Albion Police Department and its partners are planning similar details for the future. We will continue to use every resource and tool available to create a reduction in offenders and arrest those who continue to endanger others by driving while intoxicated.”

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ALBION – Another group of entrepreneurs has graduated from the Microenterprise Assistance Program, a 10-week class that gives small business owners tips in marketing, handling stress, computers, legal issues, bookkeeping and taxes – all factors that are key to running successful businesses. They also must complete a business plan.

The Orleans Economic Development Agency has run the program since 1999 and nearly 450 people have completed the program.

The graduates are now eligible to seek low-interest financing for up to $30,000 from the Orleans EDA. The EDA also is offering downtown rental subsidies – $3 per per square foot annually – for entrepreneurs to move into the downtown business districts in Albion, Holley, Lyndonville and Medina.

The EDA is capping the rental subsidies at $4,500 a year, the maximum for a 1,500 square foot space.

The EDA also has $100,000 in grants to share with small businesses (5 or fewer employees) that need working capital, equipment purchases or inventory. The grants are capped at $15,000 per recipient.

The new graduates held their classes at The Orleans Business Center at the Arnold Gregory Memorial Complex in Albion. There was a graduation program last week at The Village Inn.

The following are the newest graduates of MAP:

Anna Cichocki, Holistic Wellness Center; Wendy Moriarty, Lamp Refurbishing; Andy Hendel, Andy Hendel Farms; Joy Beth, Fit Body Bootcamp Franchise; James Preston, Preston’s Farm; Michael LaVoice, Into The Enigma LLC; Sharon Houseknecht, Holistic Practitioner; Jonas Trapiss, Distinct Vinyl & More; Shawn Ramsey, Canal Side Tattoo; Andriy Basisty, Holley Bottle & Can Returns; Robert Smith, For the Games; Kylie Hughson, Teasers Hair Salon; Jamie Beadle, Biotic Bliss Soil Company; and Julie Zicari.

The EDA is preparing for the spring class which starts in April. There are spots available. Contact Diane Blanchard, MAP manager, at (585) 589-7060.

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Libraries stay the same, Cobblestone Museum remains out of budget

Photos by Tom Rivers: Jennifer Gray, a chalk artist and director of the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, works on a chalk art creation of the Statue of Liberty and an American flag on May 27 by the Albion Middle School. The Arts Council requested a funding boost from the county from $3,000 to $5,500. The tentative budget keeps the funding at $3,000.

ALBION – The tentative Orleans County budget gives funding increases to some agencies, while keeping the libraries unchanged.

The budget also doesn’t provide funding for the Cobblestone Museum, despite a request from the museum for some support from the county.

“We looked at them all on a case by case basis as we perceived the overall need,” said David Callard, the Orleans County Legislature chairman. “It varied among the organizations.”

Callard said the county has upped funding for some agencies in recent years, but is constrained because of the state-imposed tax cap.

For three years, from 2012 to 2014, the agencies were all frozen in their county contributions. That was when the county was feeling the burden of deficits from the county nursing home.

That facility became privately owned in 2015. Once it was out of the county budget, the county had a bigger cushion for infrastructure projects, and the agencies.

Here is a snapshot of how the county has contributed to different agencies since 2012:

• The Cornell Cooperative Extension went from $219,150 in 2012-14, to $225,000 in 2015, $232,500 in 2016, and to a tentative $240,000 in 2017. The agency requested $275,000 next year.

• The Orleans Economic Development Agency was at $150,000 in 2012-14, and then went to $170,000 in 2015, $166,500 in 2016, and $170,000 in 2017. The $170,000 is what the agency requested for next year. The EDA generates some of its own funds through fees for local projects.

• The Soil and Water Conservation District was funded at $57,750 in 2012-14, and then went to $75,000 in 2015, $77,500 in 2016 and to a tentative $80,000 in 2017. Soil and Water requested $90,000 next year.

• The four public libraries in Albion, Holley, Lyndonville and Medina collectively receive $10,000, the funding level since at least 2012. They requested $1 per county resident or $42,883.

County legislators in the past have said the libraries have the option of collecting taxes to raise their own funds, which isn’t an option for the other agencies.

“We feel it’s an important to at least maintain a level of support for the libraries,” Callard said. “We haven’t forsaken them.”

• The county provided $1,000 a year to the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts in 2012-14, and increased that to $3,000 in 2015 and 2016. The Arts Council requested $5,500 in 2017. The tentative budget keeps the funding at $3,000 for 2017.

• The Sportsmen’s Federation received $500 annually from 2012-14, and was bumped up to $1,000 in 2015 and 2016. The tentative budget keeps the federation at $1,000.

This photo shows the inside of the cobblestone schoolhouse, which was built in 1849. The school closed in 1952 and looks much like it did when it was a functioning school.

• Cobblestone Museum board members Diane Palmer and Susan Starkweather-Miller asked legislators in September for county funding for the museum, the only National Historic Landmark in Orleans County. The museum includes seven historic buildings, as well as outhouses and other important community artifacts.

Callard said he favored some county support for the museum, but the seven-member Legislature didn’t reach that consensus.

Neighboring Genesee County also has a National Historic Landmark with the Holland Land Office Museum. Genesee provides $37,282 in county funding for that museum in Batavia, which is a smaller site than the Cobblestone Museum.

The Legislature will have a hearing on the $65.6 million budget at 7 p.m. on Nov. 28 at the County Courthouse in Albion, and has scheduled a Dec. 5 meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the legislative chambers of the County Clerks Building to adopt the budget.

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ALBION – The tentative budget for Orleans County would reduce the tax rate by 3 cents to $9.86 per $1,000 of assessed property.

However, the county would take in 2.5 percent more in taxes, up $405,260 to $16,728,410. The $2.5 percent increase remains under the tax cap because the county was under it in recent years and can carry over that difference.

The tax rate will go down slightly because total assessed value in the county grew 2.844 percent from $1.650 billion to $1.696 billion.

The tentative budget was filed on Wednesday by Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer and budget officer. The County Legislature will have a public hearing on Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Orleans County Courthouse.

Overall spending is up 1.81 percent or by $1.18 million to $65,614,624. This will be the third year the county hasn’t had the nursing home, and Nesbitt said that spared the county from an estimated $2 million tax hit for 2017.

Here are some highlights from Nesbitt in the tentative budget:

• Mental Health

The county has opened satellite mental health offices in each of the five school districts, and is now working to offer integrated primary care and mental health services in a collaborative partnership with Oak Orchard Health.

The 2017 budget includes four positions to staff ten new satellite offices across the five districts that had been added throughout 2016.

“These positions are revenue generating, justifying themselves from a cost benefit standpoint,” Nesbitt said in his budget message.

The county is seeking grants to shift some services to the main campus by the County Administration Building. Those grants funds could be used to develop a new facility to modernize Public Health and Mental Health operations, expand offerings, and reorganize county facilities, Nesbitt said.

“An added benefit of the project will be a reduction of wear and tear on historic Courthouse Square, taking pressure off the historically significant buildings,” he said.

• Aging

Office for the Aging has a grant to add a full-time aging service specialist. In January 2017, a statewide advertising campaign will encourage New Yorkers to contact NY Connects throughout the state as a No Wrong Door entity providing access to long-term care services. This newly created position will screen all calls and walk‐ins for individuals from birth to death for long-term care services.

• Planning

The county last year added a planning professional to the Planning Department to address comprehensive planning in the local communities, including waterfront revitalization, harbor dredging and community development.

• Pensions

Although the overall employer contribution percentage remained the same and full-time equivalent numbers are up slightly from 2016, the amount budgeted for the New York State Retirement System was down $27,387 from 2016 at $2,627,117 (a reduction of just over 1%). This is reflective of some Tier 5 and 6 penetration, Nesbitt said.

• Health Insurance

Orleans County continues to benefit from a partnership with the Alliance of Western New York, Nesbitt said. The county’s overall premium increase is projected at a 2.77 percent increase or $131,956.

• County Jail

The county jail shows the largest single increase of any department at $277,127.

“Regulators at the state level have forced the county to eliminate most of the revenue for boarding inmates in our facility,” Nesbitt said. “The state has also required that the county change the methodology for allocation of command staff at the facility. This has resulted in additional costs to the facility.”

• State mandates

The nine major state mandates that used to make up 90 percent of statewide county property taxes are down slightly from $16,397,378 in 2016 to $16,319,197 in 2017. This reduction is primarily due to reductions in the local Medicaid share resulting from enhancements in the Affordable Care Act.

“If the ACA is repealed, it will have a significant impact on property taxes across the state of New York and likely forcing universal Tax Cap overrides by counties across the state,” Nesbitt said.

The local cost of the nine state mandated programs equals 97.56 percent of the county property tax levy, he said.

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Photo by Tom Rivers: Richard Coleman of Eagle Harbor Road in Barre made this sign with his grandson. “Your putting your stamp out there, rather than somebody else’s,” Coleman said about the home-made sign. Coleman said he supports Donald Trump for his push to strengthen the military and boost the economy.

Of the 62 counties in New York, Orleans is expected to have one of the biggest shows of support for Donald Trump today.

Orleans is solidly Republican and two years ago when Rob Astorino ran against Andrew Cuomo for governor, Orleans voters gave Astorino 73.4 percent of the vote. That was the second highest percentage of all counties. Only Wyoming County, at 76.0 percent, topped Orleans in backing the Republican candidate. (State-wide, Cuomo won re-election with 54 percent of the vote.)

Ed Morgan, the Orleans County Republican Party chairman, said he expects big numbers for Trump in Orleans. The Orleans GOP Committee was the first of all the NY counties to endorse Trump back in February.

Trump signs far outnumber ones for Clinton on the local landscape.

Morgan said the GOP county leaders compare votes in their counties to see the Republican support. Morgan said Orleans might be able to wrestle bragging rights from Wyoming when it comes to which county votes the most Republican today.

He said the Republican ideals strike a chord with many local residents.

“We’re a rural county with working people,” he said. “We’re a giving county.”

The voter enrollment rolls count 10,732 Republicans in Orleans, compared to 5,518 Democrats.

There are 23,263 registered voters total. The number of independent voters – blanks – at 5,100 nearly matches the number of Democrats. Appealing to independents and third parties can help a Democrat in a Republican-dominated county.

There are also 1,113 registered members of the Independence Party and 542 Conservatives. Other party enrollments include: Working Families, 154; Green, 64; Libertarian, 35; Women’s Equality, 3; and Reform, 2.

Even Jeanne Crane, the leader of the Orleans County Democratic Party, said she expects Orleans County will give Donald Trump strong support today.

The county is solidly Republican, and that enrollment advantage is tough for a Democratic Party candidate to overcome, she said.

Crane has been encouraged by many blue signs in lawns in support of Hillary Clinton for president. Crane said those public displays aren’t always easy in a county where Democrats are at such a disadvantage.

“It’s tough for a Democrat in Orleans County because we’re outnumbered 2-to-1 by the Republicans,” she said.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

CHURCHVILLE – Members of the Mad Scientists, a First Lego League team from Orleans County, is congratulated after being named one of five teams to advance to a regional competition on Dec. 11 at the University of Rochester.

This photo shows Emma Foote, Bryce Wilson and Zachary Neal getting high-fives from officials and leaders of today’s qualifier at Churchville-Chili Middle School. There were 18 teams with the top five advancing to regionals.

The Mad Scientists also won the award for best project. The Mad Scientists developed a prosthetic leg for a dog.

This photo shows Joshua Bovenzi and the team accepting that award. The FLL teams throughout the country had to do a project on “Animal Allies.” They needed to research animals, present that information during today’s competition, and build and program a robot to perform different tasks.

The Mad Scientists include, from left: Joshua Bovenzi, Bryce Wilson, Emma Foote, Deegan Bragg, Zachary Neal and Aiden Miller.

Orleans County has three FLL teams who compete in the 4-H program. The Orleans teams are led by Marlene and Erik Seielstad of Albion. They have led the program, open to students in grades 4 through 8, since it started five years ago.

This team was named the “B-Keepers.” They researched bees and their importance in pollinating crops and vegetation and offered solutions to fight Colony Collapse Disorder, which has hurt the bee population. The team include, from left: Jacob Foote, Nicolas Burke, Bryce Mathes, James Michael Beach and Isaac Becker.

This team from Orleans – KOWZ (Kids Only Work Zone) – created a contraption for a dog to turn on the lights in the dark. Dogs can’t reach a light switch, but with this invention they could pull on the bottom lever and turn on the lights. Parents of a child in a wheelchair at the competition today liked the invention so much, they took it home with them to use in their house for their son. The KOWZ team includes Jayden Neal, Russell Kingdollar, Jacob Draper, Lance Moyer and Samuel Yousey.

The Hippie Pandas, a team from a Girl Scout troop in Churchville, once again was named the overall champion in the qualifier. The Hippie Pandas are a dominant team and advanced to the national competition in 2014.

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