By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 November 2023 at 4:59 pm
County also approves buying new armored vehicle for SWAT at $319K, and 5 other new vehicles for Sheriff’s Office
ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will provide security services at Walmart in Albion from Nov. 23 to Dec. 31, with the store paying the highest rate of overtime along with the cost of fringe benefits.
The County Legislature approved the agreement last week. Sheriff Chris Bourke said the Sheriff’s office has partnered with Walmart with security for several years during the holiday season.
This year’s contract calls for the Sheriff’s Office to provide 57 hours of security to the store, primarily the outside perimeter and parking lot areas, Bourke said.
• The Legislature last week also approved purchasing three new 2023 Chevrolet Tahoes at $73,008.64 from Joe Basil Chevrolet in Depew. That is a government discount rate and includes up fitting.
• The county also will be buying two new 2023 Ford Explorers for $73,610.74 from Bob Johnson Ford in Avon. That is the government discount rate and includes up fitting.
• The County Legislature also approved the following purchases for the SWAT: $319,867 for an emergency response armored vehicle to be paid to Lenco Armored Vehicles in Pittsfield, MA; 12 ballistic helmets, 12 chinstrap extenders, and 12 helmet bags for $10,192 to be paid to Safeware in Lanham, MD.
• The Legislature also approved paying Lyons Collision in Medina $21,676 for a service repair of the Sheriff Office’s 2015 Marine Boston Whaler Boat M-2. Due to insurance recovery monies received, the county cost is $2,000.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 November 2023 at 2:43 pm
County officials say Orleans faces many rising costs, including from homeless crisis
ALBION – Orleans County’s tentative budget for 2024 totals $92,494,994, which is down 1.5 percent from 93,702,812 in 2023.
However, despite the reduction in spending the county is proposing a 3.25 percent tax increase with the tax levy going up $607,000 to $19,264,000. The levy was $18,657,000 in both 2022 and 2023.
Jack Welch
The county will have a public hearing on the budget at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 30 at the Orleans County Legislative Chambers, 14016 Route 31 W, Albion.
“Orleans County released its tentative budget that continues to stay below the state property tax cap, even with the tremendous budget pressures we are facing from high inflation and unfunded state mandates,” said Lynne Johnson, County Legislature chairwoman. “It is unconscionable that just nine state mandates now account for 98.9% of our total tax levy in this year’s budget proposal but that is the reality we are dealing with as Albany attempts to pass their budget problems onto us.”
Although the levy is up over 3 percent, the tax rate will drop by $1.30 from $9.87 to $8.57 or by 13.2 percent. That is because the reassessments in several towns in the county have boosted the overall assessed value by 19.0 percent or by $358.9 million to $2.25 billion.
The budget was filed on Wednesday by Jack Welch, the county chief administrative officer. Welch said putting together the budget was a challenge due to “volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity such as promises broken, the core inflation rate that is twice as high as it was two years ago, continued employment challenges of retaining and hiring new employees, prolonged supply chain issues which have no certainty of the price of goods or the delivery of goods as quoted.”
He said actions by the state government has stressed the county budget. That includes a loss of over $3 million in federal funds through the eFMAP Medicaid reconciliation for the Affordable Care Act enhanced payments. That state eliminated that money from counties, Welch said.
The county also will lose out on $1.1 million in annual Medicaid to State (formally MMIS) payments, he said.
“The second loss we have had to endure is the wireless broadband Congressional Directed Spending funding in the amount of $1.5 million because Orleans County was not the lead agency,” Welch said in his budget statement. “We are moving forward to complete the wireless broadband project in 2024 utilizing our own funds.”
Welch said a homeless crisis for temporary and permanent emergency housing placements has increased the workload for the Department of Social Services. Assisting the homeless as well as other mandated programs through DSS prompted the county to increase the hours for DSS workers from 35 to 37.5 hours per week with a goal of 40 hours per week rather than hiring additional employees, Welch said
“All of these changes have had the greatest impact on the component of the budget titled Economic Assistance and Opportunity,” he said in his budget message. “The 2024 budgeted county cost for these services is 17.5% over 2023 budgeted county cost.”
Nine state mandated programs account for $19,056,290 or 98.9 percent of the proposed 2024 tax levy. For 2023, the “9 for 90” mandates totaled $16,877,758. That is a 12.9% increase for Orleans County, Welch noted.
Lynne Johnson
The 2024 Capital Plan totals $7.8 million with a county cost of $3.5 million without using debt. Highway projects – bridges, roads, culverts and equipment – account for $6.7 million of the capital expense. Technology upgrades also are a significant part in the Capital Plan with departments updating end-of-life platforms, Welch said.
The county also is facing a 7.8 percent increase in health insurance costs, bringing the total expense to about $8 million.
Welch said sales tax revenue has been strong and that takes some pressure off property taxes. The county also is in line for $4.3 million in state and federal funding for bridge work and other highway improvements.
The county budget provides funding for other organizations in the county, with some slated to get an increase and others not.
The four public libraries will stay at $10,000, according to the 2024 tentative budget. The Cobblestone Museum is budgeted for $3,000, when the organization previously wasn’t in the budget but sometimes received $3,000 from the county’s contingency funds.
The budget allocates $200,000 for the Economic Development Agency, up from $190,000 in 2023. The Soil & Water Conservation District would go from $95,000 in 2023 to $97,500.
The Sportsmen’s Federation would see its funding cut from $1,000 to $0.
The Cooperative Extension would at $240,000, even though the organization requested $275,000. The Extension has been at $240,000 since at least 2020. The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council would stay at $4,000.
The annual fee for solid waste and recycling service will increase by $4 to $220. This fee will continue to support the e-waste collection efforts for county residents at three sites across Orleans County.
“The program remains very popular, with high demand for the disposal of CRT monitors and televisions,” Welch said. “The county is also planning to continue to offer the Household Hazardous Waste pick up annually which includes residential tires.”
Sales taxes receipts are budgeted $20.8 million and strong sales tax growth has taken some of the pressure off the tax levy, helping the county to stay below the property tax cap for 2024.
“I commend Chief Administrative Officer Jack Welch and all our of department heads for putting together a responsible budget that properly funds our services while maintaining accountability to taxpayers,” Johnson said. “The need for our services has never been greater, yet our employees continue to find ways to meet that demand within the confines of our budget.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 November 2023 at 4:43 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Mary Ellen Messmer is happy on Tuesday when she was presented a special recognition award in appreciation for her 28 years of service with the Orleans County Health Department. Messmer is retiring as a supervising public health nurse.
Next to her is Public Health Director Paul Pettit, left, and County Legislator Don Allport.
Messmer was the county’s employee of the year in 2020-21 in recognition of her efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic. Back then she took the lead with case investigations when someone tested positive for Covid. She was praised for showing compassion to residents in a stressful situation.
Messmer started her career with the county as an RN charge nurse 28 years ago in the county nursing home and then move to the Supervising Nurse in the Public Health Department.
“Your dedication and expertise has benefited our county tremendously, especially leading the nursing response during the Covid pandemic, managing the migrant outreach community preventing illnesses and making sure individuals are compliant with various additional treatments,” county legislators said in the recognition award. “We appreciate your support and commitment, which will forever be widespread, long lasting and extremely appreciated. The Orleans County Legislature does hereby wish you well as you enjoy retirement.”
Photos by Tom Rivers: Jennifer Szalay, center, is congratulated as the Orleans County Employee of the Year on Tuesday by Katie Harvey, director of Personnel and Self Insurance, and County Legislator John Fitzak.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 November 2023 at 1:02 pm
ALBION – A Department of Social Services worker who has helped homeless residents find temporary shelter has been named the Orleans County Employee of the Year.
Jennifer Szalay, a principal social welfare examiner, was recognized during the Orleans County Legislature meeting on Tuesday as the employee of the year. She was commended for her work in assisting the local homeless population, which has soared in the past year to the current level of 90 placements.
Many of the local motels are full so Szalay and the DSS have had to secure rooms in out-of-county motels.
Szalay and the DSS have been short-staffed for much of the year, and Szalay has often come in early and stayed late to get the work done and support her co-workers, said Katie Harvey, director of personnel and self insurance for the county.
“This employee has grown as a leader and become such a valued asset to the Department of Social Services and Orleans County,” Harvey said. “Due to multiple vacancies within the unit, (Szalay) has shown her dedication continuing to manage vacant caseloads, train newer staff and support her entire team through a very difficult year.”
Szalay of Medina said she shows empathy to people in crisis and tries to connect them to services to help them long-term to be self-sufficient.
She often tries to assist people facing eviction of utility shut-offs so they can not be forced out of their residence and become homeless.
“We’re trying to help people through some of these hard problems,” she said. “These are difficult challenges. I try to be empathetic to their circumstances.”
Some of the people who are homeless have mental health issues, disabilities and drug and alcohol addictions that can make it harder to be self sufficient, she said.
Jennifer Szalay accepts a plaque as employee of the year from Katie Harvey and John Fitzak during the Orleans County Legislature meeting on Tuesday. Legislator Bill Eick is in back.
Szalay started with DSS in 2009 as a keyboard specialist. At the time, she was “shy and quiet,” Harvey said.
But Szalay’s confidence and skills grew and she has been promoted several times, to social welfare examiner, then to senior social welfare examiner overseeing public assistance and HEAP programs before being promoted last year to principal social welfare examiner.
The county’s Employee Assistance Program recognizes an employee of the month in the county government, taking nominations from employees and department heads.
The employees of the month for the past year include:
October 2022: James White from Sheriff’s Office
November 2022: Jennifer Gonzalez from DSS
December 2022: Martin Stirk from Sheriff’s Office
January 2023: Justin Niederhofer from Emergency Management
February 2023: David Foeller from Sheriff’s Office
March 2023: Tisha Dought, Taylor Tinkous and Patricia Urquhart from Mental Health
April 2023: Cory Martindale from Sheriff’s Office
May 2023: Ariel Ambrose from Sheriff’s Office
June 2023: Jennifer Leverenz from District Attorney’s Office
July 2023: Mark Tucker from Mental Health
August 2023: Jennifer Szalay from DSS
September 2023: Devon Pahuta, Brian Marsceill and Kevin Colonna from Sheriff’s Office
From this pool of candidates, a department head makes a recommendation to a separate committee which then considers the service the employee has performed, Harvey said.
Photo and information courtesy of Orleans County Legislature
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature recognized November as National Adoption Month as Legislator Fred Miller presented a proclamation to Teresa Elam-Zwifka, Director of Child & Family Services (left) and Lianna Sheffer, Supervisor of Preventative Services, of the Orleans County Department of Social Services.
National Adoption Month is a nationwide effort to educate the public and prospective parents on the struggles many adoption eligible children face in finding a family and how they can help. It is also a time to celebrate the countless adoption success stories that brought parents and children together. To inquire about adoption and foster care in Orleans County, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 November 2023 at 12:30 am
Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke was re-elected and seven county legislators all will be back for another term in office.
Sheriff Chris Bourke
All of them were unopposed.
Bourke secured a second four-year term with 4,424 votes – 3,575 under the Republican line and 826 under the Conservative Party.
He has worked in the Sheriff’s Office for 39 years, starting in 1984 as a correction officer and then was a deputy sheriff before working 18 years as a lieutenant. He was supervisor of the Marine Patrol, and also was a K9 officer for 20 years.
Before being elected sheriff, he was undersheriff for four years.
Here are the results for the seven county legislators:
County Legislator (at-large from west) – Skip Draper of Medina, 3,604 votes, Republican (2-year term)
County Legislator (at-large from central) – Don Allport of Gaines, 3,550 votes, Republican (2-year term)
County Legislator (at-large from east) – Ed Morgan of Murray, 3,496 votes, Republican (2-year term)
County Legislator (District 1) – Bill Eick of Shelby, 1,238 votes, Republican (2-year term)
County Legislator (District 2) – Lynne Johnson of Lyndonville, 720 votes, Republican (2-year term)
County Legislator (District 3) – Fred Miller of Albion, 429 votes, Democrat (2-year term)
County Legislator (District 4) – John Fitzak of Carlton, 1,088 votes, Republican (2-year term)
Photo by Tom Rivers: Signs are posted at the front entrance of Hoag Library about the building at 134 South Main St. in Albion being a polling site for the election on Nov. 7.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 November 2023 at 9:47 pm
Orleans County residents go to the polls on Tuesday with voting from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
There are positions up for election in each of the 10 towns as well as the seven Orleans County legislators and the sheriff. There are 25,455 registered voters in the county.
Most of the polling sites are at town halls, although Albion votes at Hoag Library, part of Ridgeway uses the Volunteer Fire Company, and Carlton uses the Fire Company Rec Hall.
Here is a list of the polling sites:
Albion – Districts 1 through 6 – Hoag Library, 134 South Main St.
Barre – Districts 1 and 2 – Town Hall, 14317 West Barre Rd.
Carlton – Districts 1 through 3 – Carlton Fire Co. Rec Hall, 1853 Oak Orchard Rd.
Clarendon – Districts 1 through 3 – Town Hall, 16385 Church St.
Gaines – Districts 1 through 4 – Town Hall, 14087 Ridge Rd.
Kendall – Districts 1 through 3 – Town Hall, 1873 Kendall Rd.
Murray – Districts 1 through 6 – Town Hall/Highway Garage, 3840 Fancher Rd.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 November 2023 at 8:57 am
Provided photos: Dawn Borchert, the Orleans County tourism director, holds a yellow perch she caught at a “Learn to Fish Seminar for Women” on Oneida Lake organized by New York Sea Grant.
Dawn Borchert, the Orleans County tourism director, is always looking for ways to bring more visitors to the county, especially the top draw of sportsfishing.
She thinks there in an opportunity to bring more anglers to the county by reaching out to women.
Borchert recently attended a “Learn to Fish Seminar for Women” on Oneida Lake. She attended as a regular participant and not as the tourism director.
She would like to offer a similar seminar for women in Orleans County.
“As we all know in any industry or sport, some women don’t feel comfortable if it is a room filled with men, and by having a seminar/workshop like this we can expand our reach for anglers not only male but maybe female anglers, that would find Orleans County a nice fishing destination,” Borchert said.
Fishing has a $28 million annual economic impact in Orleans County, according to a 2017 angler survey from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Out-of-state anglers account for 70 percent of the fishing economic output in Orleans County, $19,620,488 of the $27,989,393. County residents who fish accounted for $1,767,334 in economic activity while other New York state residents outside Orleans represented another $6,601,571.
Borchert sees engaging more women in the sport as a way to boost that economic impact in the county. She cited a national survey from U.S. Fish and Wildlife that showed the number of female anglers increased from 7.5 million in 2006 to 8.9 million in 2011.
Borchert was grateful for the chance to go fishing recently on Oneida Lake. She drove 140 miles and used her father’s fishing gear.
“My dad fished for walleye all the time, so when I inherited his gear I wanted to learn how,” she said. “This clinic allowed me not only to learn the science around how Walleye live in the waters of NYS, but tips on how to catch Walleye.”
The Learn to Fish Seminar for Women was hosted by New York Sea Grant and the Cornell Biological Field Station on Oneida Lake. Borchert was among 10 women who learned the basics of walleye biology and behavior; walleye fishing gear with lures and techniques; and how to tie common fishing knots.
Dawn Borchert holds a brown trout she caught a few years ago on Sandy Creek in Orleans County.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 November 2023 at 11:22 am
Polling site open today and Sunday, and then sites open throughout county for general election on Tuesday
ALBION – The first seven days of early voting 322 ballots were cast. The county has one early voting polling site – the Orleans County Board of Elections Office, 14016 State Route 31 in Albion.
That site is open today and Sunday for early voting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The site is available for all 10 towns in Orleans County.
On the general election on Tuesday, each town will have their own polling location.
The early voting numbers so far include 44 on Oct. 28, 39 on Oct. 29, 52 on Oct. 30, 56 on Oct. 31, 42 on Nov. 1, 41 on Nov. 2 and 48 on Nov. 3.
To see a list of all the candidates for all 10 towns and the county positions, click here.
Orleans Hub has also posted many letters to the editor about the election. Click here to be directed to the letters to the editor section.
Photos and press release from Orleans County government
ALBION – In honor of Operation Green Light, the dome of the courthouse will be lit green from November 1 through November 12.
In the photo at right, County Legislator Fred Miller presents a proclamation to Nancy Traxler, Director of the Orleans County Veterans Services Agency, in support of Operation Green Light and in recognition of the great work the VSA does in helping those who served in our military get the benefits and support they earned.
Operation Green Light is designed to show support for our nation’s veterans, raise awareness of the county role in providing support and resources to veterans, and advocate for legislation that will strengthen counties’ ability to support veterans.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to participate in Operation Green Light by placing a green light in a window of their home or business.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 October 2023 at 7:20 pm
The unemployment rate in Orleans County was at 3.2 percent in September, up slightly from the 3.1 percent a year earlier, the state Department of Labor reported.
The state Department Labor reports 16,800 were working in the county in both September 2022 and 2023, but the number of unemployed increased from 500 to 600 (numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred).
The unemployment rates in Orleans County so far in 2023 include 4.8 percent in January, 4.3 percent in February, 4.0 percent in March, 2.9 percent in April, 3.1 percent in May, 3.3 percent in June, 3.5 percent in July, 4.0 percent in August and 3.2 percent in September.
Here is how that 3.2 percent for Orleans compares to other nearby counties in September:
Genesee, 2.7 percent
Livingston, 2.9 percent
Wyoming, 2.9 percent
Monroe, 3.4 percent
Niagara, 3.4 percent
Erie, 3.4 percent
The national unemployment rate is up too from 3.3 percent in September 2022 to 3.6 percent last month. State-wide the rate moved from 3.6 percent in September 2022 to 4.0 percent last month.
The U.S. has 2.67 million more people working in that period for 161.67 million total, while New York has 88,000 more employed from September 2022 to 9.35 million total last month, according to the DOL.
ALBION – Early voting for the Nov. 7 general election started for Orleans County voters. Early voting takes place at the Orleans County Board of Elections Office, 14016 State Route 31 in Albion.
The times are:
Saturday, October 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, October 29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday, October 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, October 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday, November 1 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday, November 2 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday, November 3 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, November 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, November 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Those with question can call the Board of Elections at (585) 589-3274.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The former Genesee Community College site on West Avenue in Albion has been purchased by Orleans County for $975,000. The building will be used for Probation and the District Attorney’s Office. The county also bought 25.7 of vacant land adjacent to the site for $500,000.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 October 2023 at 3:55 pm
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature agreed to spend $1,475,000 to acquire the former building used for Genesee Community College in Albion and 25.7 vacant acres adjacent to the property.
GCC hasn’t had classes at 456 West Ave. for several years. The county will buy the site from Herring Enterprises of Holley for $975,000.
The Legislature also agreed to pay James Herring Sr. $500,000 for 25.7 acres of vacant land adjacent to the site with a lot off Allen Road.
The county will move the Probation Department and District Attorney’s office out of the Public Safety Building and into the former GCC site.
“This purchase allows us to correct some deficiencies at the current PSB that we will be able to complete without bonding for a brand-new facility,” said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer.
The Public Safety Building has been the home for Probation, the DA’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office and the 911 dispatch center for the past 25 years. But that building has challenges, especially with a big flat roof. It will soon get a new HVAC system to help with heating issues in the building.
Once Probation and the DA’s Office move to the former GCC site, the building will be reconfigured for the Sheriff’s Office to allow for a more efficient operation, Welch said
The county had a consultant study the Public Safety Building, and the conclusion was the county should move its operations out of the site, which was once a building for furniture sales.
Welch said the vacant land gives the county’s additional options for the future, with no project planned right away.
“Vacant land is not guaranteed to be around forever,” he said.
The is the second straight month the county has purchased a building in Albion. Last month the Legislature approved spending $250,000 for the former Bank of America site at 156 S. Main St. It will become the treasurer’s office in 2024. That building has a drive-through and is more easily accessible than the current office on East Park Street, county officials said.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Scott Buffin, deputy director of the Emergency Management Office in Orleans County, speaks during Tuesday evening meeting of the Orleans County Association of Municipalities at the White Birch in Lyndonville.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 October 2023 at 9:25 am
LYNDONVILLE – Ambulances have been faster to respond to priority one calls in 2023, even with the Main Street lift bridge closed in Albion which has adding 2 minutes to some of the calls in central Orleans County.
The average response time in the county in 2022 was 12 minutes, 18 seconds for priority one calls. For the first six months of 2023, the response time was 11:47. In 2021, it was 11:42.
Scott Buffin, deputy director of the Emergency Management Office in Orleans County, went over the data on Tuesday during the meeting for the Orleans County Association of Municipalities at the White Birch in Lyndonville.
He also highlighted the number of dropped calls is down significantly from 323 in 2022 to a projected 160 this year. It was 80 for the first six month of 2023.
“It is huge to see that,” Buffin said about the reduction in dropped calls.
The report on the ambulance calls and response time also was shared during last week’s EMS Task Force meeting. But only representatives from the villages of Lyndonville and Holley attended that session, with no officials from Albion and Medina or any of the 10 towns. The fire companies in the county all had representation at that meeting last week for the task force.
Ambulance coverage has been a hot topic in the county the past two years with the decline in volunteer ambulance corps and the struggles of non-profit providers such as COVA in Albion.
This is the first year Monroe Ambulance has the contract to be the primary ambulance provider for four towns in central Orleans – Albion, Barre, Gaines and Carlton. Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance shut down late last year. Mercy Flight EMS has taken over COVA operations, but Mercy doesn’t have a contract for service in Orleans County.
Mercy, however, has been dispatched for 168 EMS calls in the first six months of 2023. Monroe has received 1,449 calls and the Medina Fire Department, 1,147.
The Kendall Fire Department’s ambulance ceased operations at the end of 2022, the last fire department with a volunteer ambulance in Orleans County. Clarendon, Holley, Carlton, Shelby and Albion all have discontinued the ambulance service, citing the time demands on volunteers for training and responding to calls.
There also was very little revenue for the volunteer fire departments for the service. And the non-profit organizations said they didn’t get enough in Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates for the service.
Monroe also is the main ambulance provider for Clarendon and Murray, and now in Kendall.
The company is seeking a $300,000 contract from the seven towns in eastern and central Orleans to continue coverage in 2023, with an ambulance based in Albion and another one in either Holley or Brockport.
Mercy Flight EMS also wants the contract for 2023 with two dedicated advanced life support ambulances in the county as part of a $180,000 contract agreement with the seven towns.
The town boards are working to approve a contract next month, with Monroe expected to again be the provider.
Tony Cammarata, the Kendall town supervisor, said he wants one more year with Monroe to study the response times and level of service. He wants to put the service out to an RFP (request for proposals) for the year 2025.
County Legislator John Fitzak said he would prefer to see a contract from the towns with both ambulance providers so there would be more dedicated ambulances eastern and central Orleans. Monroe and Mercy Flight could coordinate among the two how they would respond to calls.
“Work with both of them,” he said. “Don’t pit them against each other. If you work with both we’d have four ambulances instead of two.”
One concerning piece in the data, Buffin said, is there are often times when there isn’t an ambulance available, especially in the Albion area. If an ambulance is on a call or transporting someone, Buffin said there are then times with no immediate coverage. He noted the data shows the average amount of time per call for ambulance to be in service is 1 hour, 36 minutes.
The number of calls is way up in the county in the past two decades, from 2,876 in 2004 to a projected 5,300 this year. There were 5,620 calls in 2022 and 5,685 in 2021.
“The calls have gone up and the providers have gone down,” Fitzak said.
County officials were asked if they see the county taking the lead for a county-wide service in the future. Barre Town Supervisor Sean Pogue and Cammarata from Kendall said that may make the most sense.
“We’d much rather have the county take the lead on this,” Cammarata said.
County Legislator Ed Morgan said he doesn’t see that happening anytime soon. He noted the Medina Fire Department does a great job handling calls in western Orleans – the villages of Medina and Lyndonville and towns of Shelby, Ridgeway and Yates.
Other counties, such as Livingston, have a county-wide ambulance service. Wyoming County is going to start one, too.
Matt Jackson, the Medina fire chief, was asked if Medina would consider expanding to service more of the county. Jackson said not this time because staffing is one of the biggest challenges in providing EMS service, with paramedics and EMTs in demand. Those professionals suffer a high burnout rate of about 5 years in the profession.
“One of the biggest issues is manpower,” Jackson said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2023 at 8:19 am
Provided photo: Orleans County Treasurer Kim DeFrank holds an award recognizing the county’s money management.
ALBION – Orleans County Treasurer Kim DeFrank has been recognized for managing the county’s finances.
DeFrank invests county dollars, which makes more money. At the end of August, she had $44,478,480 invested.
“Every dollar is invested,” she said. “The taxpayers’ money is earning money every day.”
DeFrank was recognized at the recent New York State Association of Counties conference with the “90+ cashvest” Award. This distinction is given to entities that receive a score of 90 or better for four consecutive quarters on several money management benchmarks.
“What this award really says is that Orleans County’s cash flow and money management are excellent, investing every tax dollar possible to maximize interest earnings and we adhere to best practices,” DeFrank said. “That leads to lower borrowing costs and maximization of tax dollars. That’s what our taxpayers deserve and expect.”
