Photo by Tom Rivers: This house on East Avenue in Albion sold during the Aug. 22 Orleans County tax foreclosure auction. It sold for $29,500, about $14,000 more than what was owed in back taxes.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 September 2023 at 11:33 am
ALBION – The annual tax foreclosure auction in Orleans County typically concludes with a big net loss for the county coffers, with most of the properties not selling above what is owed in back taxes.
But at the auction on Aug. 22, 17 of 27 properties sold above the delinquency amount in taxes for $310,924 in profit.
The other sales, however, were below what was owed in back taxes in fines. (One of those sites on South Main Street in Holley has been in limbo for about 20 years after the Diaz Chemical leak in January 2002. The site sold for $40,000 at the tax auction, well below the $321,572 in unpaid taxes.)
The 10 properties that sold below what was owed in taxes had a cumulative loss of $416,723. That looks like a net loss for the county of $105,796 when the profitable sales are included.
The county has always been able to use the profits from the sales that were more than the unpaid taxes to help may up for the losses with the other sales.
But a recent Supreme Court ruling says governments can’t take in more than what is owed. County Treasurer Kim DeFrank told county legislators on Aug. 22 she is waiting for guidance on what to do with the money from sales that were above the amount of back taxes owed. Those funds may be put into a trust until there is a determination on how those funds should be directed.
For the county that would be a loss of $416,723 from what would have been profitable sales from the auction.
Altogether, the 27 sites sold for $644,000, but the total delinquency for the properties was at $749,796. The county also assumes the unpaid taxes for the villages, towns and school districts.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 August 2023 at 10:15 am
ALBION – Ken Schleede, a resident of Yates-Carlton Townline Road, said the road is seeing more severe flooding, concerning many local residents.
He said the changes started about a dozen years ago. He presented photos of his submerged road from a recent rainfall to the Orleans County Legislature last week.
Last year in February a sinkhole forced the county to close a section of the road between Ashwood and Alps roads. The county then had to rebuild that part of the road.
The road continues to get flooding this year after many rain events.
“We definitely have an issue there,” Schleede told county legislators last week.
John Papponetti, the county DPW commissioner, agreed there is a flooding problem on Townline Road. He said it happens in other parts of the county as well.
The DPW has been working with landowners and the Soil & Water Conservation District to try to deal with the water, and keep it off roadways.
“It’s a problem we have across the county,” Papponetti responded. “We just can’t stay on top of it.”
Papponetti said an increase in farmers tiling their fields, which directs water to ditches, may be resulting in more water in ditches and spilling over onto roadways.
“It’s sending more water to our system,” he said.
When it rains 2 to 3 inches in a storm, the result can be a flooded road.
“That’s more than our drainage system can handle,” he said.
Papponetti said he would meet with Schleede to look at Townline Road again, and see if the system can be improved.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 August 2023 at 8:29 pm
The number of people employed in Orleans County is up by 400, from 16,700 in July 2022 to 17,100 last month, according to the state Department of Labor.
The county’s unemployment rate dipped from 4.1 percent to 3.5 percent during that time, with the number of unemployed down from 700 to 600.
The unemployment rate nationally was 3.8 percent last month, the same as in July 2022. However, the number of people working has grown by 2.9 million in the year – from 159.1 million to 162.0 million.
Statewide, the unemployment rate has dropped from 4.3 to 4.1 percent from July 2022 to last month. New York also has 178,200 more people working in that time – from 9.284 million to 9.462 million.
These are the unemployment rates for July 2023 in Western New York counties:
Press Release, Orleans County Treasurer Kim DeFrank
ALBION – The Orleans County Treasurer will be accepting school tax payments beginning Sept. 1 for Albion, Lyndonville and Medina school districts.
Payments can be made in person with cash or check or through the US mail by check. Office hours beginning Sept. 5 are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 34 East Park St., Albion.
The county treasurer this year is collecting the Albion school taxes for the first time.
Any questions regarding Albion, Lyndonville or Medina school tax bills, please contact the County Treasurer’s office at (585) 589-5353.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Emergency Management Office on West Countyhouse Road in Albion opened in 1962 as a bomb shelter. County officials want to build a new building that would be above ground with about twice the space.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 August 2023 at 7:53 am
ALBION – The fire chiefs in Orleans County, as well as the Orleans County Fire Advisory Board, are urging county officials to keep working to replace the emergency management building on West Countyhouse Road.
That building opened in 1962 as a bomb shelter. It is mostly below ground. The site is about 8,000 square feet and lacks handicapped accessibility. County officials are eyeing a new building that would be about twice the space.
“The present facility is woefully outdated and incompatible with the needs of the Office of Emergency Management and the fire service of Orleans County,” wrote Allen Turner in an Aug. 16 letter. He is secretary/treasurer for the Fire Chiefs Association and secretary for the Fire Advisory Board.
“A proper building that is ADA compliant, technologically up-to-date and that allows for large group instruction is both necessary and long overdue,” Turner wrote.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was in Albion last Friday to present a $2 million check towards the project which is an estimated $12 million. The county is also seeking $2.4 million from the state towards a new building.
“We realize the cost is substantial but it is also necessary,” Turner wrote to county legislators. “The building built during the heart of the Cold War period is simply not amenable to the needs of 2023. Please do all in your power to make a new, modern facility a reality.”
The new building is planned to be about 17,000 feet. That includes about 11,000 square feet for offices and classrooms, and another 5,600 square feet for equipment storage.
The county’s backup dispatcher center would be there, as well as training space for firefighters and other first responders. There are three full-time employees that work out of the building as well as part-time fire investigators and fire coordinators. There is also space for ham operators to operate if the communications systems totally fail.
The $12 million preliminary price for the new project includes taking down two radio towers – one is 485 feet tall and the other is 225 feet – and replacing them with one tower that would be about 300 feet high. The old underground building would also be demolished as part of the project.
County officials are working with LaBella Associates to develop more detailed plans and designs for the facility.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announces a $2 million federal grant towards a new emergency management facility for Orleans County. She is shown on Aug. 17 speaking outside the current building.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 August 2023 at 7:33 pm
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has extended a contract with sheriff’s deputies, allowing 2 percent raises annually from 2024 to 2026.
The agreement include 24 members in the Orleans County Deputy Sheriff’s Association. The contract includes changes in the steps.
The deputies had a hiring step which was below a step 1 and went up to step 6, said Jack Welch, the county chief administrative officer.
“We still have a hiring step but now there are four steps,” Welch said. “The current deputies at the highest step will be placed in step 3 for 2023 and step 4 for 2024.”
The sergeants’ grade and the lieutenants’ grade each had seven steps, but now of these grades have four steps, he said.
“The employees in step 7 will go to the new step 4 for 2023 and remain in step 4 for 2024,” Welch said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 August 2023 at 11:28 am
County Legislator Don Allport
ALBION – Orleans County Legislator Don Allport, R-Gaines, would like to see the sales tax rate in the county drop by a penny, from 8 to 7 cents.
Allport said residents have felt the squeeze in their pocketbooks from soaring inflation. Reducing the sales tax by a penny would add up in a big way for many residents and businesses, Allport said during Tuesday’s County Legislature meeting.
The state and county each take in 4 cents for every taxable dollar. Those 4 cents added up to $22.5 million for Orleans County in 2022, with about $1.3 million of that distributed to the 10 towns and four villages.
The county used to get 3 cents, but raised it to 4 cents on June 1, 1993. The county needs State Legislature permission every two years to keep the 4-cent tax.
That extra penny translates to about $5.6 million. Without that, the county would face a steep property tax increase or would have to significantly scale back services, other county legislators said.
Allport cast the lone vote against seeking to keep the local sales tax rate at 4 cents.
“If we were allowed to go back to 3 percent that would put $5 million back into the economy,” Allport said. “We should be lowering taxes on the economy.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce honored businesses and residents during an annual awards dinner on Oct. 20, 2022 at the White Birch in Lyndonville. Pictured, front, from left: Brad, Ken, Gregg and Elizabeth Rush from Rush’s Farm Market, Agricultural Business of the Year; Faith Smith, director of Orleans Koinonia Kitchen, Chamber’s Community Service award; Anthony Tardibone and Bryan Hazel, owners of Roadies Pizzeria & Sports Bar, Small Business of the Year. Second row: Becky Gagne, co-owner of Red, White and Moo, New Business of the Year; Lillian Strickland and Rebecca Alexander of Dubby’s Tailgate, Phoenix Award; Michael Smith of Orleans Koinonia Kitchen; and Jenna and Martin Bruning of The Gallagher Barn, The Hidden Gem. Back row: David Gagne of Red, White and Moo; Brian Alexander of Dubby’s Tailgate; David Snell of Snell Realtors, Lifetime Achievement; Shawn Ramsey, owner of Canalside Tattoo, Business of the Year. Missing: George Bidleman, Business Person of the Year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 August 2023 at 5:06 pm
The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its 25th annual business awards banquet on Oct. 19 at the White Birch Country Club in Lyndonville.
The deadline to nominate a business or person is Sept. 11.
The categories include:
• Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.
• Lifetime Achievement – This award is presented to an individual with a long-term record of outstanding business achievements.
• Phoenix Award – This award is presented to an organization or business that has successfully adapted or re-used an existing facility.
• New Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business or organization that has opened in the past year.
• Community Service Award – This award is presented to a business, organization or individual that has provided meaningful contributions to the community in either professional or non-professional spheres.
• Agricultural Business of the Year – This award is presented to an agricultural business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.
• Small Business of the Year – This award is presented to a small business that has experienced significant achievements/success throughout the year.
• Hidden Gem – This award is presented to a business that has made a positive contribution to tourism in Orleans County.
Courtesy of Orleans County Tourism: Lynne Menz of the Orleans County Tourism Department designed these glasses for the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The county is using funds from the tourism department to purchase 25,000 of these glasses.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 August 2023 at 1:10 pm
Orleans County Tourism and also the Chamber of Commerce urge local businesses and organizations to plan promotions and events for the total solar eclipse.
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature wants to see the county benefit from the hoopla and influx of visitors from the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
Orleans is in the direct path of totality between 3:19 and 3:23 p.m. A total eclipse occurs about once every 18 months somewhere on Earth, but only happens in the same place about every 360 to 410 years.
The County Legislature on Tuesday approved spending $9,045 from its contingency fund to buy 25,000 eclipse glasses with the Orleans County tourism logo. The glasses will provide some eye protection and also be a keepsake from a memorable day.
The county is working with the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce on acquiring the glasses. The $9,045 was approved to go to the Chamber which will then buy the glasses. They are expected to be made available and distributed by the county, and local towns and villages.
Orleans County will be in the direct path of the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024 between 3:19 & 3:23 PM.
Orleans County businesses, organizations and schools: send us your plans to commemorate this once in a lifetime event and we will promote it on our Events Calendar. Complete and submit this form to be considered. (Must be available to the public.)
“This will be a big tourism draw,” said Dawn Borchet, the county’s tourism director.
People are already booking hotel rooms and other lodging in the county that day. She knows plans are in the works to open public land, including at Lakeside Beach State Park, for viewing opportunities of the eclipse.
“It’s fun,” she said today. “It only happens once in a lifetime.”
The county tourism has a page on its website devoted to the eclipse. The tourism department urges businesses, schools and other organizations to share their plans on the tourism site for commemorating and participating in the historic day. (Click here for more information.)
Darlene Hartway, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, also sees the eclipse as a big opportunity for businesses and the county.
“People are already booking hotels,” she said. “It’s going to be beneficial for our area. It’s gearing up to be a momentous thing.”
She commended the Legislature for approving the expenditure for the glasses.
Businesses would be wise to have promotions for the eclipse, to help make the day even more memorable for local residents and visitors, Hartway said.
I Love New York created this graphic showing the path of the solar eclipse. Orleans County is in direct path of the phenomenon.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 August 2023 at 11:23 am
Lisa Stenshorn, clerk to Legislature, praised for earning certification
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Nyla Gaylord, acting executive director for the United Way in Orleans County, accepts a proclamation on Tuesday from County Legislature Fred Miller.
The Legislature proclaimed September as “United Way Month in Orleans County.” The organization was praised for an annual fundraising campaign that supports many agencies in the county.
The United Way has also spearheaded other projects in recent years, acquiring grants to assist residents with digital literacy and other issues, including housing.
“The Orleans County Legislature urges all community-minded citizens to not only applaud the efforts of the volunteers but also the contributions of these agencies by offering their wholehearted support,” the Legislature stated in the proclamation.
Lisa Stenshorn, clerk to the County Legislature, is congratulated by Legislator Bill Eick for becoming a “Certified Legislative Board Clerk,” a distinction earned through the NYS Association of Clerks of County Legislative Boards. Stenshorn has been clerk to the Legislature since January 2021.
Legislator Fred Miller, right, presents a proclamation to Renee Rowley, child support coordinator for the county. She is joined by, from left: DSS Commissioner Holli Nenni, and child support staff Danielle Champeney, Holden Carter, Jennifer Hammons, Pam Jenks and Danielle Kickbush.
Legislators declared August as “Child Support Awareness Month.”
“Parents have the most critical role in the development of their children, and an obligation to provide safe, loving and secure environments in which their children can grow and flourish,” the proclamation states. “Studies have shown that when both parents provide financial and emotional support, children are less likely to engage in unhealthy and unproductive behaviors and are more likely to do well in school and succeed later in life.”
Legislators praised the Child Support Enforcement Program and child support professionals in county for “a vital role in assisting parents in achieving and maintaining economic security for their children.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 August 2023 at 8:37 am
Holli Nenni
ALBION – The homeless population is increasing in Orleans County, with available emergency housing maxed out, forcing the county Department of Social Services to use rooms outside Orleans at hotels in Batavia, Niagara Falls and Brockport.
Holli Nenni, the DSS commissioner, said the county spent $1,435,600 on emergency shelter from July 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023. That is double what the county was paying for about a year before that.
The number of people placed as homeless increased from 45 in July 2022 to 75 last month, she told local officials on Tuesday evening during the monthly Orleans County Association of Municipalities meeting at the Black North Inn.
Of those 75, the county DSS found housing in Orleans County for 45 of those people with the other 30 having to take rooms outside the county. The DSS works with Dollinger’s in Albion and the Medina Motel to house people in need of emergency shelter.
Nenni said the county has 12 new applications this month for more people who are homeless without a place to stay.
She said there isn’t enough affordable housing in the county.
“This is a complicated issue and we struggle to meet with it every year,” she said.
The Orleans County Legislature declared a state of emergency on May 17 due to the homeless situation and the lack of available beds in case migrants or asylum seekers were sent to the county from New York City. That state of emergency remains in effect.
The state of emergency declaration has been modified since May to not mention migrants or asylum seekers. County officials said the homeless crisis warrants the declaration on its own.
“The state of emergency has been declared due to the County of Orleans experiencing a housing crisis due to an increase of 164% in placement of homeless persons since July 2022 exceeding our limited number of temporary and permanent emergency housing facilities,” according to the declaration on June 16. “In-county placement of emergency homeless persons have increased 134% and out-of-county placement of emergency homeless persons have increased 400% since July 2022.”
The challenge to find emergency housing could get even more difficult once the cold weather season is here. The state’s “code blue” executive order requires DSS to find shelter for homeless from Nov. 1 to March 31, or when the temperature drops below freezing or during other inclement weather. DSS is required to find the shelter without going through the usual application process, Nenni said.
Last year, 153 people were served in the county through “code blue” for a total of about 500 stays. The state reimbursed the county 100 percent for those expenses. Nenni said the state is setting the county’s allocation at $73,000 for this year for “code blue.”
With the homeless population outside of code blue, Nenni said the state reimburses the county 29 percent of the cost for housing single adults. If DSS finds housing for a homeless family, the state reimburses the county about half the expense, she said.
The local DSS also needs to find transportation for the people to get to appointments, even when they are placed out of county.
Nenni said DSS is looking for more options locally to help those in need of housing. One local organization is considering running a warming shelter at a local church to have another housing option locally for “code blue.”
“We want to develop a warming shelter because we have so much overflow already and code blue is coming,” Nenni said.
She said two landlords also are willing do two-week stays for homeless residents, which could turn into longer-term housing.
The Holley Hotel last Aug. 24 was closed due to sanitary conditions, which took 40 units out of mix. Many people in need of emergency housing stayed at the Holley Hotel, which hasn’t reopened yet.
Nenni said none of the current group of people receiving homeless assistance were tenants at the Holley Hotel when it closed.
She has reached out to other hotels in the county about providing emergency housing, but they have declined. The hotels receive the full daily rates, but the county does not have to pay sales or occupancy taxes on the rooms.
Photo by Tom Rivers: U.S. Kirsten Gillibrand right, was in Albion today to present a ceremonial $2 million check to Orleans County officials, including Justin Niederhofer, the emergency manager director; and Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the County Legislature. The money will go towards a new emergency operations center that would cost about $12 million.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 August 2023 at 1:19 pm
ALBION – Orleans County is $2 million closer to building a new emergency operations center. The county needs about $10 million more to replace a bunker-style civil defense center on West Countyhouse Road.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand met with county officials today to present a ceremonial check for $2 million. That is the maximum in federal aid the county could receive for the project, said Justin Niederhofer, the county’s emergency management director.
The county also has applied for a $2.4 million state grant and is awaiting whether that will be approved. There isn’t a set timetable on when the new building will be constructed. The funding secured by Gillibrand needs to be spent by the end of 2025.
The emergency management office was built as early 1960s bomb shelter. It has a leaking roof and a shortage of space.
The current building is 8,000 square feet – 80 by 100 feet. Most of the structure is underground. It isn’t handicapped accessible and doesn’t have enough space for the emergency management office, Niederhofer said.
The new building is planned to be about 17,000 feet. That includes about 11,000 square feet for offices and classrooms, and another 5,600 square feet for equipment storage.
The county’s backup dispatcher center would be there, as well as training space for firefighters and other first responders. There are three full-time employees that work out of the building. There is also space for ham operators to operate if the communications systems totally fail.
“The new facility will be ADA compliant, appropriately sized to accommodate all needed staff, support equipment and allow for the emergency operations center to be at a ready state,” Niederhofer said. “It will ensure the EOC can be operational in minutes versus hours, while simultaneously utilizing the backup dispatch and the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, which provides back up communication capabilities during disasters.”
Kirsten Gillibrand greets firefighters and first responders, including Scott Buffin, the assistant EMO director for the county.
Gillibrand said the federal funding will assist Orleans in having a modern facility where first responders can plan and be quickly deployed to help residents in all kind of emergencies.
The $12 million preliminary price for the new project includes taking down two radio towers – one is 485 feet tall and the other is 225 feet – and replacing them with one tower that would be about 300 feet high.
The initial civil defense center cost $107,000 to build, County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said.
Construction costs have dramatically risen since then, especially since the Covid pandemic.
Johnson said the county “is in desperate need of an upgrade” at the site. She thanked Gillibrand for advocating for the county to be awarded the federal funding.
“Through Sen. Gillibrand’s unyielding dedication to public safety, and her genuine compassion for the people she serves, she has secured $2 million to help us build a brand-new Emergency Management Office,” Johnson said.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand gets a tour of the current emergency management office, which was built as an underground bunker.
Justin Niederhofer, right, said the site is too small for many training classes and programs, as well as other services and storage needs for the emergency management office.
A preliminary site plan by LaBella Associates puts the new building next to the current structure. It would be west of the current building and would include parking.
County officials are expected to seek more detailed designs from LaBella as the project moves forward.
Kirsten Gillibrand meets long-time ham radio operators Bruce Sidari, center, and Terry Cook. They both said they welcome a more modern facility.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 August 2023 at 5:51 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Orleans County DPW (Buildings and Grounds and Highway Departments) collected more than 1,000 tires today during the annual household hazardous waste collection day at the County DPW. The top photo shows Andy Beach in a loader for the DPW, moving the pile of tires.
The county will pay Modern Disposal Services to remove the tires. An exact count of the disposed of tires wasn’t available but county officials believe it topped the 1,200 from a year ago.
County residents claimed 570 slots to dispose of household hazardous waste. Propane tanks and fluorescent bulbs were popular items for residents to unload at the collection event, said Corey Winters, a planner with Orleans County Department of Planning and Development. That department manages the annual event in August.
This photo shows one of five boxes full of old propane tanks.
Employees from Environmental Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati wrap up the collection event today. The county typically pays the company about $18,000 to collect and remove the household hazardous waste, with the state them reimbursing the county about half of the costs.
Household chemical and items that can be discarded include: oil-based paints solvents, polishes/waxes pesticides, motor oil & filters adhesives & resins, fluorescent bulbs, auto tires (limit 10), auto & marine batteries, household batteries, aerosols, acids, corrosives, antifreeze and empty propane tanks.
County officials say the collection day for tires has resulted in far fewer being discarded in countryside ditches and over embankments.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 August 2023 at 3:04 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Aug. 14, 2021 shows the Orleans County DPW moving tires into the pile by the DPW garage on West Academy Street in Albion. Orleans County residents were able to drop off 1,200 tires that day.
ALBION – There are still slots available for Orleans County residents to get rid of household hazardous waste and tires at no charge.
The county has its annual household hazardous waste collection day this Saturday outside the Orleans County DPW on West Academy Street in Albion.
So far residents have registered for 385 of 600 spots to dispose of household hazardous waste, and 130 have signed up to unload old tires with 80 spots still available.
The county typically pays Environmental Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati about $18,000 to collect and remove the household hazardous waste, with the state them reimbursing the county about half of the costs.
Household chemical and items that can be discarded include: oil-based paints solvents, polishes/waxes pesticides, motor oil & filters adhesives & resins, fluorescent bulbs, auto tires (limit 10), auto & marine batteries, household batteries, aerosols, acids, corrosives, antifreeze and empty propane tanks.
Items that won’t be accepted include explosives, pressurized tanks, ammunition, PCBs, pathologic waste, infectious waste, radioactive waste, syringes, pharmaceuticals, computers & electronics, tires on rims, commercial & farm vehicle tires.
The collection runs from 8 to noon for household waste and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for tires. The event is organized by the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development. For more information, call the department at (585) 589-3198 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday through Friday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 August 2023 at 4:51 pm
Issue won’t be on ballot in November to allow more time to gather data, try to make case to the public
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature voted unanimously today to rescind a resolution from July 19 that would have put a District Court up for public referendum on the November ballot.
The Legislature is putting the issue on “pause” to allow a committee more time to gather and present facts to the public.
The Legislature passed a resolution on July 19 to have voters decide whether the county would shift to a District Court to handle many of the criminal cases currently in town courts. The District Court would be full-time Monday through Friday.
The proposal faced a lot of pushback from town justices and other community members during a July 20 public meeting in the legislative chambers of the Legislature. They wanted more specifics on how the court would operate, what it would cost and why the town courts aren’t sufficient.
The county faced an Aug. 7 deadline from the Board of Elections to remove the referendum from the ballot. The Legislature called a special meeting at 3:30 p.m. to rescind the resolution.
“The committee needs more time,” said Kathy Bogan, the county attorney.
The committee exploring the District Court includes District Attorney Joe Cardone, Sheriff Chris Bourke, Public Defender Joanne Best, Albion Town Justice Joe Fuller (representing the Orleans County Magistrates Association), Assistant DA Susan Howard, County Chief Administrative Officer Jack Welch, former Gaines Town Justice and Assistant DA Bruce Schmidt and county legislators John Fitzak and Skip Draper.
Fuller spoke during the July 20 public meeting and made it clear he is adamantly opposed to a District Court. He said there are too many unknowns with the court, and believes the town justices are fulfilling their duties in court facilities that are all paid for.
Cardone and Public Defender Joanne Best said they see a push from the state to have District Courts with judges who are trained as attorneys. Cardone and Best want to see the county move to a District Court before a state mandate.
They said a District Court would offer more consistency with justice in Orleans County, and would operate on a full-time daily schedule to allow cases to move more quickly.
Jack Welch, the county chief administrative officer, said the committee will work to provide “clear and concise answers” for the public.
The committee needs financial data from the town courts on the expenses and revenues at the town level. Cardone said few of the courts have provided that information. The committee may pursue those facts through the Freedom of Information Act.
Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said the Legislature’s vote to rescind the resolution to allow more time to make the case to the public was in response to the concerns raised at the public meeting on July 20.
“What’s important is we’re listening to the people,” she said.
