By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 February 2026 at 10:48 am
Income limit would stay at $24,700 but percentages of exemptions would go up
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature is looking to increase the maximum exemptions for low-income seniors from 50 percent off their property taxes to 65 percent.
The county, however, isn’t proposing to increase the income limits for people 65 and older to be eligible for an exemption. That will remain at a $24,700 threshold.
The Legislature will have a public hearing at 4:25 p.m. on March 24 at the legislative chambers of the County Administration Building, 14016 Route 31 W.
The Legislature is proposing the following exemptions based on income levels:
$16,000 or less – 65 percent exemption
$16,000.01 to $16,999.99 – 60 percent exemption
$17,000 to $17,999.99 – 55 percent exemption
$18,000 to $18,999.99 – 50 percent exemption
$19,000 to $19,999.99 – 45 percent exemption
$20,000 to $20,999.99 – 40 percent exemption
$21,000 to $21,999.99 – 35 percent exemption
$22,000 to $22,899.99 – 30 percent exemption
$22,900 to $23,799.99 – 25 percent exemption
$23,800 to $24,699.99 – 20 percent exemption
Gov. Kathy Hochul in December signed legislation to allow local municipalities to increase the size of the exemptions from a maximum 50 percent to 65 percent.
“No New York senior should lose their home because they can no longer afford their property taxes,” Hochul said on Dec. 6 in announcing the higher exemption levels. “By signing this legislation, we are working to make New York more affordable for our seniors on fixed incomes and empowering them to age in place, at home, in the communities they know and love.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 February 2026 at 10:20 am
Charlie will promote fishery at parades, other public appearances
Provided photo: Charlie the Chinook is shown on a trailer during last year’s parade in Carlton.
ALBION – For about 40 years a 13-foot-long fiberglass fish has promoted the fishery in Orleans County. Last year, the fish was named “Charlie the Chinook.”
Charlie rode on a trailer and appeared at the Carlton parade and other events. A banner declared Charlie to be “King of Orleans County.”
But Charlie has been falling apart. He was cracked and being held together with duct tape, said Ron Bierstine, the county’s sportsfishing coordinator.
The Orleans County Tourism Department is getting a new fiberglass body for a replica Charlie the Chinook float. The County Legislature on Tuesday approved spending $5,235 to Fiberglass Animals and Objects in Seward, Neb. A grant from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council will cover the cost.
County Tourism also received a $2,500 from Brookfield Power to go towards painting the fish and refurbishing a trailer for the new chinook.
Bierstine said the giant fish has been popular and well received by the public for nearly four decades.
“He jazzes people up,” Bierstine said.
The big fish was created in the early 1980s to promote a Rotary fishing derby. It was made by Jack Elam and Bob McGaffick.
For about 25 years it was on a trailer on Route 279 in Gaines next to the Bait Barn run by the late Al Capurso. Students in the Medina FFA about a decade ago worked to bring the fish back to its original luster.
The Medina students needed to rebuild the tail, strip down and rebuild the fins, fix holes and re-do the interior wire structure. They applied many coats of paint and studied the right coloring to make the fish look like a Chinook salmon – it’s green and brown with some blue, with a gray belly and a pink stripe on the sides.
Bierstine said he looks forward to getting the new fish out to meet the public. Fishing is the county’s top tourism draw, generating about $28 million in economic impact, according to a 2017 report from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Here’s how the fish looked about a decade ago when it was outside the Bait Barn, Al Capurso’s shop in Gaines. The late Capurso had the fish for about 15 years before giving it to the county tourism department to promote the fishery.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 20 February 2026 at 8:58 am
Van service transporting 818 veterans to appointments in 2025
Photo by Ginny Kropf: The Medina chapter of Sons of the American Legion donated $2,000 to the Veterans’ Van Service in Albion on Thursday. Presenting the check to Phyllis Schrader, chair of the Veterans’ Van Service, and David Kusmierczak, president of the Joint Veterans Council, are, from left, Wayne Hale and Phil Rudnick, SAL members; and Scott Carlton, Medina SAL commander.
MEDINA – Maintaining a fleet of vans to provide free medical transportation to Orleans County veterans would likely be impossible without the support of many local organizations throughout the county.
One of these organizations is Sons of the American Legion, whose Medina chapter on Thursday morning donated $2,000 to the Veterans’ Van Service. Making the presentation to Phyllis Schrader, chair of the Veterans’ Van Service, and David Kusmierczak, president of the Joint Veterans Council, were SAL commander Scott Carlton and members Wayne Hale and Phil Rudnick.
Carlton said the SAL hold various fundraisers throughout the year, enabling them to support programs for veterans, such as the Van Service. One such fundraiser is clam night, starting at 4 p.m. today, until sold out, at the American Legion on North Main Street in Medina.
“We’ve supported the Van Service for many years,” Hale said. “This makes about $8,000 we’ve donated over the years.”
The Veterans Van Service has been in operation since 1997, an idea of local veteran, the late Jim Andre.
“Jim saw a need for such a service and the idea was developed by the late Frank Tower, then the Veterans’ Services officer, and the late Frank Berger, a legislator and a veteran,” Schrader said.
Initially, the service started Dec. 13, 1996 with a card table, a phone and one van, operating out of the county office building. The first year in operation they provided 5,184 hours of service by the all-volunteer drivers and office schedulers. They had driven 37,099 miles on the first van when a second one was acquired.
“We started with one driver and now we have 20 drivers and 10 office staff, all volunteers,” Schrader said.
For years, the late Owen Toale of Medina shopped for suitable vans.
“We only buy good, used vans,” Schrader said. “We can’t afford new ones.”
The fleet now consists of five vans.
The vans are available to transport any veteran from Orleans County to medical appointments in the Western New York area, namely Medina, Lockport, Buffalo and Rochester.
Veterans must give the Van Service two weeks’ notice of their appointment so office staff can secure a driver. The service is totally free to veterans.
Gas and maintenance of the vans is paid for by the Buffalo Veterans’ Administration, funded by private donations.
The Veterans’ Van Service operates under the Joint Veterans’ Council and now occupies its own office in the Orleans County Veterans’ Services office in Albion.
Schrader attends the Joint Veterans’ Council meeting the third Monday of each month and reports on the van service’s activity for the previous month.
Year-to-date figures for 2025 were 616 trips transporting 818 veterans; 27,334 total miles driven; and 3,874 hours by 26 volunteers.
In other news from the Veterans Service Office, clerk Jackie Lonnen announced the Jospeh P. Dwyer Peer to Peer Program will sponsor three free games of bowling for veterans on Feb. 28 at Medina Lanes. The event, from 1 to 5 p.m., will include pizza, wings and soft drinks. Veterans must RSVP by calling (585) 589-3219.
Also, on April 1 Lonnen said they will be giving away 100 hams to veterans for Easter. More details will be forthcoming.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 February 2026 at 9:31 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: Congresswoman Claudia Tenney speaks during Tuesday’s Orleans County Legislature meeting.
ALBION – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney spent 2 ½ hours meeting with Orleans County legislators and department heads on Tuesday, hearing about the challenges of providing services in a rural county.
Orleans is part of the 24th Congressional District in New York, which includes all or parts of 14 counties, stretching from Niagara County to northern New York.
Tenney praised the team of county legislators and department heads and said some of the successes in the county should be emulated around the state.
Orleans County, for example, has one of the lowest error rates in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Tenney said. The federal government funds SNAP, which provides low-income individuals and families with food benefits.
President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 changed how SNAP is administered, with states penalized that exceed a 6 percent payment error rate.
Tenney, during Tuesday’s County Legislature meeting, said New York State has one of the highest error rates in the country, but counties like Orleans “are significantly less than the state.” She doesn’t want Orleans to be penalized based on the overall state’s error rate.
She said the new changes imposed by the federal government have put more workload on the county’s DSS staff. She favors giving the smaller counties more time to implement the changes.
Tenney said the county struggles to provide services due to a limited tax base and the crushing weight of state mandated programs, including Medicaid, which costs the county more than $8 million a year.
She would like to see the state rein in the costs of Medicaid without hurting needy people around the state.
County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson thanked Tenney for spending the afternoon in Albion meeting with the department heads and county legislators.
“You spent a lot of time in Orleans County and we can’t tell you how much we appreciate that,” Johnson said.
The congresswoman said the Orleans County team “is hitting it out of the park” for local residents, finding cost savings in providing local services.
Johnson, contacted today, said the county reached out to Tenney about stopping by and hearing the concerns from the county level.
“We appreciate her willingness to take the time to truly listen and better understand the priorities of Orleans County,” Johnson said. “She spent two and half hours meeting with our department heads and legislators, attentively hearing firsthand about the challenges and needs facing our community. Her thoughtful questions, engaged presence, and approachable demeanor made the discussion both meaningful and productive.”
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney complimented the county’s team of department heads and county legislators.
Provided photo: Kendall student and Youth Board member Emma O’Neill meets with Senator Rob Ortt during the ANYSYB conference in Albany.
Members of the Orleans County Youth Board traveled to Albany on February 2 and 3 to participate in the Annual Association of New York State Youth Bureaus (ANYSYB) Youth Leadership Forum. Approximately 250 students and Youth Bureau representatives from across the state attended
Kendall Jr./Sr. High School student Emma O’Neill and her mother Carrie O’Neill – both Youth Board members – and Orleans County Youth Bureau Director Kelly Kiebala took part in the two-day event which included leadership workshops, teambuilding exercises, and discussion groups.
On the second day, participants were encouraged to visit the offices of their state representatives. The Orleans County delegation visited with the offices of Senator Rob Ortt and Assemblyman Steve Hawley.
The Department of Motor Vehicles state-wide will be shutting down at 2 p.m. on Friday and upgrade and modernize their aging technology systems.
The DMVs expect to reopen on Wednesday morning after the Presidents Day weekend. The upgrades are the first segment of a new, modernized system to give customers better and more streamlined service, and to help DMV staff serve New Yorkers more efficiently, the state DMV said.
During this time, the state DMV will migrate about 30 million records to the new system and complete the transition to bring the first phase of the upgrade online. No DMV transactions will be able to be completed during this period, including through the state DMV website, and no one will be available to answer phones.
“With one consolidated, state-of-the-art system, we will be replacing hundreds of software applications, some of which date back to the days of Nelson Rockefeller,” said DMV Commissioner and Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Mark J.F. Schroeder. “I truly believe it will give our staff the ability to serve New Yorkers better, faster, and more comprehensively than ever before.”
The DMV’s new modernized system will enable employees to process transactions effectively and efficiently in one secure platform rather than moving between outdated systems, further supporting the agency’s goal of one trip to an office and done, Schroeder said.
The new system will also bring additional online transactions, making it easier for New Yorkers to do what they need on their own time and from the comfort of their own homes. And it will help the agency implement future technology enhancements faster and more seamlessly.
In Orleans County, the DMV will close at 12:30 p.m. on Friday. Customers who are in line by 12:30 p.m. will be served. However, all DMV operations cease at 2 p.m. The office will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday.
“February tends to be a slower time of year for DMV offices across the state so this is the best time to implement the system but we understand this can still be an inconvenience for residents,” said Nadine Hanlon, the Orleans County clerk.
ALBION – The Orleans County Youth Bureau today announced that nominations are now open for its 44th Annual Youth Recognition Awards. The purpose of these awards is to recognize those youth who have performed outstanding service for our community and/or have assumed an extraordinary role within their families by helping to support themselves.
“Each year we look to highlight the young people in our community who are committed to serving others, whether it’s through volunteer efforts or assuming tremendous responsibility within their own families, said Kelly Kiebala, Director of the Orleans County Youth Bureau. “By honoring the hard work of our award winners, hopefully we can inspire others to follow their lead.”
Anyone is welcome to nominate a candidate, but nominations from family members must be accompanied by a supporting recommendation from a non-family member. Nominees must reside in an Orleans County school district and be a minimum of 14 years of age and under the age of 21 before June 30.
In addition to the youth recognition awards, the Youth Bureau is also accepting nominations for the Helen Brinsmaid Award, given to an Orleans County youth-serving professional, in a paid position, whose work surpasses normal expectations, and the Eileen Heye Adult Volunteer Recognition Award, presented to an adult who serves the youth of Orleans County in a volunteer setting.
“Young people need mentors and positive role models and we have been very fortunate to honor some tremendous individuals over the years who did a remarkable job with our young people,” said Kiebala. “If you know someone who is making a difference working with our youth, please consider nominating them.”
All nomination forms can be found at the Youth Bureau webpage (click here). Nominations must be submitted to the Youth Bureau by March 15.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 February 2026 at 9:48 am
Residents, businesses worry about costs of taxes, health insurance, utilities
Photos by Tom Rivers: Kelli Nicholas Owens gave some of the highlights of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget during the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Luncheon last Friday at the Fair Haven Inn in Gaines. Owens is executive director of the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. Behind her are Lynne Johnson, the Orleans County Legislature chairwoman, and State Sen. Rob Ortt.
GAINES – Speakers at the annual legislative luncheon for the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce said costs of living and doing business in the state – from utilities, health insurance, taxes, child care – are all straining peoples’ wallets making in difficult to get ahead.
Gov. Kathy Hochul presented a $260 billion executive budget that includes $4.5 billion for childcare and also eliminates taxes on tipped wages up to $25,000. The governor’s budget does not include a tax increase and makes “unprecedented funding” in law enforcement, said Kelli Nicholas Owens, executive director of the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley said bringing down the costs to live and do business in the state should be a top priority for elected officials, especially for the governor and State Legislature. He said the state’s Medicaid program is a budget buster and some of the benefits should be reined in to reduce the costs. Medicaid provides health coverage to more than 7.5 million people in the state and costs about what Florida and Texas spend on the program combined, despite those states each having more people than New York, Hawley noted.
She provided some highlights of Hochul’s budget, including an additional $1.7 billion for prekindergarten and childcare, during the legislative luncheon last Friday that was attended by about 50 people.
“I think we can all agree that something needs to be done about childcare, especially in the rural areas,” Owens said.
Universal childcare is also an economic development issue, helping more parents to be able to work at a time when there are shortages of employees around the state, Owens said.
Hochul also is targeting fraud to lower vehicle insurance rates for New Yorkers, and aims to reduce rising home insurance costs by increasing accountability and transparency for insurers. She wants expanded discounts for homeowners and housing providers who invest in damage mitigation measures for their homes or multifamily properties.
The governor also is demanding strict fiscal discipline from utilities for lower bills.
“The governor is really trying to get to those pocketbook issues that affect everyday Americans,” Owens said.
Some attendees of the luncheon said the high costs in the state are causing people to go elsewhere.
State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt said the governor and State Legislature need to bring down the costs of living in the state, and resist bailing out Buffalo, New York City and other municipalities that get themselves into financial woes.
“The problem is everything is more damn expensive – cars, food, energy, insurance,” Ortt said.
State Sen. Rob Ortt, second from right, said Gov. Hochul and the State Legislature need to get serious about the affordability crisis in the state that is forcing many residents and businesses to flee to other states. Other speakers at the luncheon up front included, from left, Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, and Allison Barkowski, representing Congresswoman Claudia Tenney.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley said the state needs to cut back.
“We cannot continue to be all things to all people,” he said.
He said the election of Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, as New York City mayor has concerned many in the state’s largest city and some have said they will move out of NYC. Hawley said he hopes those people will find their new homes in upstate New York, rather than another state.
Ortt would like the governor to do more to bring down costs, but he acknowledged it is a difficult state to govern and build consensus. However, Ortt said Hochul knows the small towns like Holley and Kendall and needs to be thinking more of those places when she pushes policies statewide.
Owens, the state official representing Hochul, urged the rural areas to build a strong coalition to bring a louder voice to Albany. Owens used to work for New York Farm Bureau and she saw how that organization reached legislators in Albany through its Taste of NY Reception and Lobby Day. This year it will be Feb. 9-10.
Owens suggested the chambers of commerce in rural areas band together and be part of the Farm Bureau outreach effort.
Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer, said Orleans has been able to consistently stay under the state-imposed tax cap that generally allows about a 2 percent tax increase. But Welch said the county budget continues to be dominated by state mandated expenses that are more than 100 percent of the tax levy.
The county has seen more than a million-dollar increase in one of those programs: Mental Health Law Expense 730.30, where people deemed unfit to stand trial are committed to a facility. That can cost $30,000 to $50,000 a month per person.
The “730” expense went from $57,000 in 2023 to $367,000 in 2024 (with $50,000 budgeted). This year the budget was increased to $550,000 but the county was at $1,267,000 in 2025 with December’s bill yet to arrive. The budgeted amount for 2026 is $1.5 million. The cost used to be a 50-50 split with the state, but the state made it a 100 percent county expense.
The county has expanded its work week from 35 to 40 hours a week for county employees to help make up for a worker shortage and also to lessen the need to buy more health insurance policies, which has been another big cost on the county budget, Welch said.
“We’re trying to get as much efficiency as we can with what we have,” he said.
Tony Cammarata, Kendall town supervisor, said there has been a gradual residential push from the Town of Greece going west into Hilton and Hamlin. He expects Kendall to see residential and business growth, especially with the expansion of public water and sewer in the town.
“We’re next in line,” he said about the western migration from Monroe County.
County Historian Catherine Cooper highlighted how the county this year will be observing the 250thanniversary of the United States declaring its independence. This follows a very busy 2025 when the county celebrated its own bicentennial and also the 200th anniversary of the completion of the Erie Canal.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 February 2026 at 12:48 pm
County revenues increase 9.3 percent or by $2.2 million
ALBION – Sales tax revenues for Orleans County jumped 9.3 percent in 2025 or nearly $2.2 million from $23.42 million in 2024 to $25.59 million in 2025.
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli has a report showing the sales tax revenues for the counties in 2025. Orleans had one of the strongest growths in the state.
The county has seen steady growth in sales tax in recent years. It has now gone up nearly $8 million from the $17.7 in 2019 to the $25.6 million last year.
Orleans County sales tax revenues
$25.6 million in 2025
$23.4 million in 2024
$23.1 million in 2023
$22.5 million in 2022
$21.8 million in 2021
$19.4 million in 2020
$17.7 million in 2019
In Orleans County, nearly all of the local sales tax generated stays with the county government. The 10 towns and four villages collectively have remained at $1,366,671, the same amount they have received since 2001. The town and village share amounts to 5.3 percent of the $25.6 million total.
Among counties, sales tax revenue increased 4.0 percent in 2025, with 52 of 57 counties seeing an increase. Among the rural GLOW counties, Wyoming and Livingston both went down slightly.
GLOW counties
Genesee – $55.81 million in 2024 to $59.91 million in 2025, 7.4 percent increase
Livingston – $48.13 million in 2024 to $47.99 million in 2025, 0.3 percent decrease
Orleans – $23.42 million in 2024 to $25.59 million in 2025, 9.3 percent increase
Wyoming – $26.82 million in 2024 to $26.77 million in 2025, 0.2 percent decrease
Chenango County saw the biggest increase at 11.8 percent, followed by Yates (11 percent), Hamilton (10.9 percent) and Delaware (10.7 percent).
Sullivan County had the steepest decline at 5.2 percent, followed by Schoharie (3.9 percent) and St. Lawrence (3.0 percent).
State-wide sales tax growth was up 3.9 percent, up significantly from the 0.6 percent in 2024 and higher than the average pre-pandemic growth rate (3.0 percent), the state comptroller’s office stated in its report.
New York City accounts for about half of the state-wide sales tax revenue. NYC saw a 5.0 percent increase in sales tax revenue, totaling $10.9 billion, which was up by $521 million.
