ALBION – Two proposals in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget could result in a big tax hit for Orleans County.

Hochul has proposed increasing the hourly rate for assigned counsel from $75 to $119 an hour.  This would cost the county approximately $200,000 per year, said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer.

The increase in rates for lawyers in assigned counsel would cost counties and New York City about $150 million more annually, according to an analysis by the New York State Association of Counties.

A bigger impact on county taxpayers would be a proposal for the state to keep federal funding for the Medicaid program that currently is shared with counties and New York City to pay towards Medicaid.

The executive budget would end the Affordable Care Act enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (eFMAP) federal pass-through to counties and New York City. That would zap $1,059,034 per year in revenue to the county budget, or 5.6 percent of the county’s tax levy.

“This ends twenty years of the state sharing the eFMAP funding with counties,” Welch said. “This would be devastating to our taxpayers. Interested persons should contact the Governor’s Office expressing their opinion on this proposed change in the funding of Medicaid for our residents.”

NYSAC has analyzed the governor’s proposals and said eliminating the ACA eFMAP federal pass-thru will require the 57 counties to spend at least $280 million more annually, and about $1 billion more when New York City is included.

Orleans County Youth Board also wants to honor adults who work and volunteer in service to young people

The Orleans County Youth Board wants to honor local youths for their community service and adults for their work on behalf of children in Orleans County.

The Youth Board each year recognizes about 20 youths for their outstanding community service or if they have taken on an extraordinary role in their family. The nominees should be between 14 and 21. Nominations are due by March 31.

In addition to the youth awards, at least two adults will be honored for their service to young people.

The Helen R. Brinsmaid Memorial Youth Worker Award recognizes a youth-serving professional whose work surpasses normal expectations. The award is open to all youth-serving professionals including administrators, caseworkers, counselors, school personnel, juvenile justice workers and others who work with youth and families.

Four people received the Helen R. Brinsmaid Adult Youth Worker Award in 2022: Heather Jackson, a juvenile probation officer; Annette Finch, who is recently retired as director of community services for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee; and Mike and Cheryl Wertman for their work covering youth sports for the Orleans Hub and the former Journal-Register.

The Eileen Heye Adult Volunteer Recognition Award is given to an adult who provides service as a volunteer to Orleans County youth. The Youth Bureau is looking for nominees who are role models for youths, and give of themselves to better the life of children. This might include working directly with young people through youth groups or organizations or by advocating for youth services.

Last year the Eileen Heye Adult Volunteer Recognition Award was presented to Jaime Allport, a volunteer in the Albion Youth Sports Athletic Program. Allport is at the field on games days, from sunrise to sundown. She keeps track of all the rosters, keeps the stats during the games, and will work the concession stands.

Forms can be downloaded at the Orleans County web site. Click here for more information.

For information, contact the Youth Bureau at 585-344-3960 or youthbureau@co.genesee.ny.us.

New Comfort Inn hotel in Medina, Airbnbs, hotel at Bent’s fuel increase

Photo by Tom Rivers: The new Comfort Inn & Suites in Medina opened on March 18, 2022. This photo shows Medina Sandstone Society members in the lobby and front desk area on March 16 for a tour before the opening.

ALBION – Orleans County exceeded $100,000 in bed tax revenues in 2022 for the first time.

There is a 4 percent occupancy tax on hotel rooms and other lodging. That tax added up to $111,013 in 2022.

That topped the previous record high of $79,102 in 2021. The third most was collected in 2020: $58,438.

The county’s occupancy tax has been trending up, increasing annually in recent years. Besides the past three years the totals include $58,424 in 2019, $51,002 in 2018, and $45,374 in 2017, according to data from the county treasurer’s office.

The county is seeing more short-term vacation rentals such as Airbnbs. A 58-room Comfort Inn & Suites opened on March 18 last year in Medina, giving the county its first branded hotel. Bent’s Opera House also opened 10 hotel rooms in 2021.

Kim DeFrank, the county treasurer, said those new lodging options are the biggest reason for the boost in bed tax.

The county sets aside the bed tax to fund tourism department and initiatives to bring in visitors. The increase in funds allowed the county to hire a sportsfishing coordinator in December 2022, filling a position that had been vacant for nearly five years. Ron Bierstine will promote the county’s top tourism draw of sportsfishing. He will be attending more of fishing shows, including in Pennsylvania and Ohio where the county draws many of its fishing visitors, said Dawn Borchet, the county’s tourism director.

The county also has stepped up its digital advertising on Facebook to promote events in Orleans to attract more visitors to the area, Borchet said.

“The campaigns that we have done on Facebook have increased our traffic on our website and additional requests for brochures on Orleans County to be sent to visitors considering our area,” she said.

The county tourism in 2021 also added a billboard along the Thruway in Batavia, promoting the fishing opportunities in Orleans with salmon and trout. That billboard was paid for over two years with federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.

Borchet said the billboard gets noticed

“Just this past weekend our office, was at a show in Edison, NJ and we had people come up to the booth, letting us know they noticed the billboard on the NYS Thruway,” she said.

Sportsfishing has a total economic impact of $28 million in Orleans County, according to the NY State DEC Anglers Survey for 2017. 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.

The tourism department promotes local festivities, museums and other attractions. Click here to see the county’s tourism website.

This year there are many positions up for election at the town and county levels. Paul Lauricella, the Conservative Party chairman in Orleans County, encourages potential candidates to consider running with the Conservative Party line.

People interested can email Lauricella at cadmasterp@aol.com or call at 585-765-9106. They will need to send a submit a letter of intent and fill out a questionnaire.

After that, Lauricella and the party leaders will set up appointments for interviews in front of the committee.

“Endorsements are not guaranteed but all will be heard,” Lauricella said.

Interviews will be Feb. 11 and Feb. 18, so Lauricella encouraged people to submit the paperwork soon.

The local positions up for election this year include:

• County – sheriff and seven legislators
• Albion – town supervisor, two other town board seats, town clerk and highway superintendent
• Barre – town supervisor, two other town board seats, town clerk, town justice and highway superintendent
• Carlton – town supervisor, and two other town board seats
• Clarendon – town supervisor, two other town board seats, town clerk, town justice and highway superintendent
• Gaines – town supervisor, two other town board seats and highway superintendent
• Kendall – town supervisor, two other town board seats and highway superintendent
• Murray – town supervisor, three other town board seats
• Ridgeway – town supervisor, two other town board seats and town justice
• Shelby – town supervisor, two other town board seats, town clerk, town justice and highway superintendent
• Yates – town supervisor, two other town board seats, town clerk and highway superintendent

Photo by Tom Rivers: Genesee Community College’s main campus in Batavia is shown in this file photo from March 2021. GCC also operates campus centers in Orleans, Wyoming and Livingston counties.

ALBION – Orleans County, which spent over $2 million in community college chargebacks in 2020, was well below its budgeted amount in 2022 of $2,050,000.

The county paid $1,657,803 to community colleges last year. That was down from $1,839,535 in 2021 and $2,214,515 in 2020.

The $2.2 million total in 2020 prompted county legislators to set a $2,050,000 cap for the county expense, with anything cost over that to be paid by towns in the county.

But since the $2,050,000 cap was put in place for 2021, the county hasn’t exceeded that amount, meaning the towns haven’t had to pay.

By state law, counties contribute to the community college costs for residents, even if they take classes at community colleges in other counties. The formula was supposed to be the counties, the state and student each paying about a third of the costs, but the state percentage has dropped, pushing a higher percentage of the cost on students and the counties.

Among students in Orleans County, Genesee Community College is the most popular option – by far. GCC accounted for $1,284,261 or 77.5 percent of the county’s total chargebacks of $1,657,803, according to data from the county treasurer’s office.

GCC operates a campus center in Medina, as well as the main campus in Batavia, and other campus centers in Wyoming and Livingston counties. GCC also offers online classes.

Here is a breakdown of what the county was billed for chargebacks from community colleges in the state:

• Genesee Community College ­– $1,284,261
• Niagara County Community College – $139,237
• Monroe Community College – $122,694
• Fashion Institute of Technology – $50,049
• Erie Community College – $22,687
• Finger Lakes Community College – $21,517
• Mohawk Valley Community College –$4,997
• Jefferson Community College – $2,893
• Onondaga Community College – $2,613
• Jamestown Community College – $2,475
• Jefferson Community College – $1,666
• Cayuga County Community College – $1,664
• North Country Community College – $531
• Hudson Valley Community College – $528

The operating chargeback rate for GCC for full-time students is $5,890, plus a $300 capital charge rate per full-time student. That compares to the operating chargeback rates of $4,330 in Erie, $4,560 in Monroe and $6,360 for NCCC.

The Fashion Institute of Technology has the highest operating chargeback in the state at $16,800 per full-time student while Onondaga Community College is the lowest at $2,960.

(Editor’s Note: Joe Palumbo, owner of the Albion Gun Shop, wanted to clarify that the purchased guns aren’t for sale at his shop. He served as the middleman for the guns to be sold back to Sheriff’s deputies and other local law enforcement officers. He said he did the background checks for free as a courtesy for the Sheriff’s Office.)

ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office is switching over from 45 mm handguns to 9 mm handguns and the old guns are being sold.

The County Legislature on Tuesday agreed to sell 23 outdated Glock Model 21, 45 ACP caliber pistols to J.S. Palumbo of the Albion Gun Shop for $310 each or $7,130 total.

The Legislature approved other resolutions relating to the Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, including:

• Authorized acceptance of a $172,413 domestic terrorism prevention grant  through the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. The grant covers two years, from Sept. 1, 2022 to Aug. 31, 2024.

• Accepted $150 in community donations with $100 towards SWAT and $25 each to animal control and the K9 unit.

• Set the following civil office fee schedule for mileage for round trips by the Sheriff’s Office, effective Feb. 1: $20 for Albion 14411 zip code; $24 for Elba, Middleport, Kent and Waterport zip codes; $26 for Medina, Bergen, Brockport, Clarendon and Holley zip codes; $28 for Lyndonville, Oakfield and Kendall zip codes.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Orleans County Legislator John Fitzak, right, presents a proclamation for National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Accepting the proclamation on Tuesday are Sharon Nenni, left, a caseworker for the Safe Harbour Program and Theresa Elam-Zwifka, director of services for the for Orleans County Department of Social Services.

Legislators highlighted human trafficking which is a commercial sex act induced by force, fraud, or coercion or when a person induced to perform such an act is not yet 18 years old.

Legislators also said trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

“Human trafficking can happen to anyone, but certain populations are disproportionately at risk, including people affected by prior abuse or sexual violence, poverty, and unstable living situations or homelessness, as well as those systemically marginalized and underserved,” legislators said in the resolution.

The county a year ago used a state grant to start the Safe Harbour program, which is designed to offer a safe place for teens (12-18 years of age). In addition to providing education and awareness, Safe Harbour provides lessons in life skills to promote a strong foundation to help children launch into their future.

The Legislature on Tuesday voted to accept $43,350 in Safe Harbour NY funding from the state Office of Children and Family Services. That will fund a countywide response to child trafficking and exploitation during 2023.

The unemployment rate in Orleans County was 3.4 percent in December, one of the lowest rates on record in the county but up slightly from the 3.2 percent in December 2021.

In Orleans there were 16,400 people working in December 2022, compared to 16,300 in December 2021, according to the state Department of Labor. The number of people on unemployment was up from 500 to 600 during those 12 months, according to DOL data.

Other nearby unemployment rates from December 2022 include Genesee at 2.9%, Erie at 3.2%, Livingston at 2.9%, Monroe at 2.9%, Niagara at 3.5% and Wyoming at 3.3%.

Statewide the rate was 3.8 percent (down from 4.5 percent in December 2021) and nationally it was at 3.3 percent (down from 3.7 percent in December 2021).

The unemployment rate in Orleans is edging up after reaching a record low of 2.5 percent in October 2022. It was then 3.0 percent in November 2022.

Before 2022, the county’s unemployment rate has only dipped below 4 percent a few times in the past three decades:

• During 1990s, Orleans was below 4 percent twice – 3.8 percent in September 1999 and 3.9 percent in October 1999.
• From 2000 to 2009, the rate dipped below 4 percent twice – 3.8 percent in September 2000 and 3.6 percent in October 2000.
• From 2010 to 2019, the unemployment rate was below 4 percent five times – 3.5 percent in September and October 2018, 3.7 percent in November 2018, 3.7 percent in September 2019, and 3.8 percent in October 2019.

Then in 2021, the rate only dropped below 4 percent with 3.8 percent in November and then 3.2 percent in December.

During the pandemic, the unemployment rate hit a high of 16.8 percent in April 2020.

ALBION – The Orleans County is making a big change in its meeting schedule, starting tomorrow.

For at least 25 years, the meetings have been on Wednesdays. They used to be the second and fourth Wednesdays, generally starting at 4:30 p.m. They then changed to once a month on the fourth Wednesday.

But the Legislature decided to try to fourth Tuesdays this year, with the first session on the new schedule tomorrow.

The Legislature is changing the meeting times to see if that will boost public participation in the county government.

In 2023, the Legislature will meet on the fourth Tuesday during the months of January, March, April, May, June, August, September and October. The meetings will be on the third Tuesday for February, July and December.

The regular meeting on Tuesday starts at 4:30 p.m., but there will be a public hearing at 4:25 on an application for assistance for Freeze-Dry in Albion.

The meeting is in the legislative chambers at the Orleans County Office Building, 14016 Route 31 W in Albion.

Some of the resolutions on the agenda include:

• Setting a public hearing for 6 p.m. on Feb. 9 to reapportion the four legislative districts for the County Legislature.

• Submitting a Community Development Block Grant application to the state for up to $675,000. That grant would assist Freeze-Dry in a $3 million investment and expansion at 11 West Ave. The company is estimating the project will create 45 new jobs.

• Endorsing an application from the Vintage Aircraft Group, which is seeking state funding to purchase and install a solar farm at Pine Hill Airport in Barre.

• Approving an agreement with LeBella Associates to be paid up to $165,000 for architectural and engineering services for a new fuel farm for the county on West Academy Street by the Orleans County DPW.

Part of Albion-Gaines district shifts into western part of Murray

This map shows a plan for four of the districts for the Orleans County Legislature.

ALBION – Orleans County officials are proposing redistricting changes to bring four County Legislature districts into nearly the same size after population changes created too much of a disparity among the districts.

The districts are allowed to have up to 5 percent variance in population. But the current districts, without changes, are at 11.7 percent deviation, which is out of compliance with state and federal law.

The county worked with Skyline Demographic Consultants, Inc. to bring the four legislative districts within an acceptably close size. Click here to see a high resolution map.

The county is looking to add part of western Murray to a district that currently is the towns of Albion and Gaines. That gives the Albion-Gaines (District 3) more people and also takes away from District 4 that includes Murray, Kendall and Carlton.

The Murray section going to District 3 includes 522 people from Murray’s election district 5.

During the last redistricting about a decade ago, the county added a small part of Shelby to District 2 that included Yates and Ridgeway. This time the county is looking to move more of that area back into District 1, the Shelby-Barre-Clarendon district. That represents a shift of 418 people, said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer.

The County Legislature next meets on Jan. 24 and expected to set a public hearing on the changes for Feb. 9.

This shows the proposal for the section of Shelby in red that would be included in the Yates-Ridgeway District and the section in blue that would be in the district that includes Barre, Clarendon and most of Shelby.

There are also three at-large countywide positions that Welch said don’t need any changes because they represent the same population – the entire county. Those positions include an at-large legislator from the western end (towns of Yates, Ridgeway and Shelby), at-large from central (Albion, Gaines, Carlton and Barre) and at-large from the east (towns of Kendall, Murray and Clarendon).

“The three at-large districts had no boundary changes since they are the entire county,” Welch said. “The east, west and central only pertains to where the candidates come from and not about who can vote for the candidates. All registered voters in Orleans County may vote for the at-large legislator candidates.”

The orange part of Murray would be shifted into a district that includes Albion and Gaines, while the yellow would be in a district that includes Carlton, Kendall and most of Murray.

County officials are pushing to get the boundaries set for the four other districts because it is getting close to the start of the election cycle. The primary schedule has been moved up from September to June.

Candidates will soon be interviewing with political party leaders to run for the positions, and candidates need to get petitions signed to get on the ballot for a primary and the general election.

The Orleans County Democratic Party has filed a legal challenge for the County Legislature to do redistricting and bring the districts into balance. Welch said the county was working on redistricting before the lawsuit from the Democrats.

The county’s population in the 2020 census was 40,343 people. That census block population shows 1,456 incarcerated people at two state prisons in Albion. Those people are to be reallocated to their home counties for redistricting purposes, Welch said.

The state Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR) lists the three census blocks where the prisons are located as a negative 76 population. That doesn’t make sense to Skyline Demographic Consultants because there aren’t any residential structures in those blocks, outside of the prisons. The firm recommended the county zero out those blocks, instead of doing a negative-76.

County officials are taking out the 1,456 population for the prisons. That number has then been subtracted from the 40,343 in the census and with another small adjustment the total for the county is 38,891 for redistricting. Dividing that by the four legislative districts puts the ideal district at 9,745.

State law allows a 5 percent deviation. A plus or minus of 2.5 percent from the ideal would be 245 people.

The redistricting proposal puts the deviation at a maximum of 4.2 percent, with District 1 down by 2.02 percent from the ideal and District 3 at 2.22 percent over the ideal.

District 1 with most of Shelby, all of Barre and Clarendon would be 9,548 people, or down 197 people or 2.02 percent from the ideal.

District 2 with Yates, Ridgeway and small portion of Shelby would be 9,725, or 20 fewer than the ideal or under by 0.21 percent.

District 3 with Gaines, Albion and part of western Murray would be a population of 9,961, which is over the ideal by 2.22 percent or 216 people.

District 4 with Carlton, Kendall and most of Murray would total 9,747 people, only 2 more than the ideal or off by just 0.02 percent.

The redistricting changes would move 940 people into different districts, which is 2.4 percent of the population, Welch said.

Without redistricting, the deviation would be 11.7 percent. The current District 1 is 6.3 percent under the ideal, while District 2 is 4.1 percent over, District 3 is 3.1 percent below and District 4 is 5.4 percent above the ideal.

Some of the criteria from the state for redistricting include the following:

• Districts shall not be drawn with the intent or result of denying or abridging the equal opportunity of racial or language minority groups to participate in the political process or to diminish their ability to elect representatives of their choice.
• Districts shall consist of contiguous territory.
• Districts shall be as compact in form as practicable.
• Districts shall not be drawn to discourage competition or for the purpose of favoring or disfavoring incumbents or other particular candidates or political parties.
• The maintenance of cores of existing districts, of pre-existing political subdivisions including cities, villages, and towns, and of communities of interest shall also be considered. To the extent practicable, no villages or cities or towns except those having more than forty percent of a full ratio for each district shall be divided.
• Districts shall be formed so as to promote the orderly and efficient administration of elections.

Goal: learn about themselves and many facets of the community

Photos by Tom Rivers: Patrick Weissend, a graduate in the 2018 Leadership Orleans class, facilitated the opening retreat on Thursday. Weissend, vice president and branch manager of the Bank of Castile in Medina, was in the debut class of the program and remains active on the steering committee.

LYNDONVILLE – The new class of Leadership Orleans kicked off an opening retreat on Thursday at the White Birch Golf Course.

The 25 class members from agriculture to manufacturing, education to government, small business owners to nonprofit service providers.

Katie Oakes, horticulture educator for the Cooperative extension and U-Pick manager for Lynoaken Farms, said she looks forward to learning more about the county.

They will meet monthly in the coming year, building leadership skills and gaining knowledge, experiences and meeting people from many different sectors in the community.

There have been 123 graduates from the program so far. Some of them have gone on to serve on local government or non-profit boards. The goal of the program was to build up citizen capital and have more informed leaders to help the community face its challenges.

The program receives a stipend from the county, and there are many sponsors of programs throughout the years. The class members also pay tuition to be in Leadership Orleans.

The schedule for this year includes the two-day opening retreat in January, legislative affairs in February, economic & workforce development in March, community health in April, communities & culture in May, outdoor leadership in June, tourism & recreation in July, volunteerism in August, agribusiness in September, education in October, simulated society in November, closing retreat on Dec. 7 and graduation on Dec. 14.

The sixth class is full with 24 members. Skip Helfrich, director of Leadership Orleans since it started, said the program is strong with lots of interest from the community. There are already 15 people who want to be in next year’s class.

Here are the members of the 2023 Leadership Orleans:

• Jen Batt, director of community services for Arc GLOW
• Julie Berry, author and owner of Author’s Note in Medina
• Gabe Bruning, owner of Mountain Mule Ciderhouse
• Angela Conway, elemental school principal at Albion Central School
• Tracy Cliff, deputy clerk for Orleans County
• Carl Creasey, training manager with Claims Recovery Financial Services in Albion
• Jesse Cudzilo, executive director at GLOW YMCA in Orleans County
• Cass Eagle, store manager and classroom instructor for Community Action of Orleans and Genesee
• Taylor Gilbert, credit representative with Farm Credit East
• Kristin Gross, benefits specialist for Orleans Community Health
• John Fitzak, legislator for Orleans County
• Shelly Harling, Yates town clerk
• Katie Harvey, director of personnel and self insurance for Orleans County
• Meg Johnson, executive director of Orleans Community Health Foundation
• Dana Joy, clinical supervisor for GCASA
• Gwen Large, volunteer and member of Lyndonville Lions Club
• Kristy Lindner, senior engineer of quality at Baxter Healthcare
• Jamie Lyndaker, director of operations for Genesee Community College in Orleans County
• Nellie Moyer, operations manager at Claims Recovery Financial Services
• Brian Neal, manager at Orleans Poverty Hill Farms in Albion
• Katie Oakes, horticulture educator for Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension
• Sarah Osborne, probation supervisor at Orleans County Probation Department
• Michael Restivo, financial advisor for Brighton Securities
• Jessica Rockcastle, senior human resources representative at Baxter Healthcare
• Elizabeth Tuttle, youth services librarian at Hoag Library in Albion

Orleans County Legislator John Fitzak introduces himself to the class. Fitzak recently retired as a corrections officer and is working to develop a marina on the Erie Canal in Albion, where he owns a bottle redemption center.

The unemployment rate in Orleans County for November was 3,0 percent, which is the second lowest rate in the county in the 32 years of data available from the state Department of labor.

The only month it was lower was in October when the rate was 2.5 percent.

The 3.0 percent rate in November 2022, compares to 3.4 percent in November 2021, 5.2 percent in November 2020 and 4.4 percent in November 2019.

In Orleans County there were 16,300 employed in November and 500 on unemployment.

The labor force has shrunk in the past three years from 18,000 in November 2019 to 17,100 in November 2020, to 16,900 in November 2021 and November 2022, according to DOL data.

Statewide the unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in November, compared to 4.9 percent the previous November and 8.5 percent in November 2020. The 3.8 percent was up from the 3.6 percent in October. It was at 3.9 percent in September.

Here are the unemployment rates among Western New York counties:

• Orleans, 3.0 percent
• Genesee, 2.5 percent
• Livingston, 2.6 percent
• Wyoming, 2.7 percent
• Monroe, 2.9 percent
• Niagara, 3.2 percent
• Erie, 3.1 percent
• Chautauqua, 3.5 percent
• Cattaraugus, 3.5 percent
• Allegany, 3.2 percent