Provided photos

LYNDONVILLE – Leadership Orleans on Friday graduated the first class of the program with a celebration at the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville. Pictured in front, from left, include: Kelly Kiebala, chairwoman of the steering committee; Kaitlyn Delamarter, executive director of United Way of Orleans County; Lisa Tombari, executive assistant for Talis Equity: Kathy Hodgins, director of treatment services for GCASA; Nadine Hanlon, clerk of Orleans County Legislature; and Jackie Gilbert, owner/vice president of Darrell’s Place.

Second and back row, from left: James DeFilipps, deputy for Orleans County Sheriff’s Office; Doug Farley, director of Cobblestone Society & Museum; Patrick Weissend, vice president and branch manager of Tompkins Bank of Castile; Nick Nesbitt, owner/manager for Nesbitt Fruit Farms & Nesbitt Bros. LLC; Steve Hicks, financial advisor with Brighton Securities; RJ Linder, credit representative for Farm Credit East; Brett Kast, orchard manager for Kast Farms; Robert Batt, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County; Eddie Moss, director of computer services for Orleans County; Ed Fancher, executive director of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee; Josh Mitchell, funeral director with Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes; Mike Ryan, manager of operations for RTS Orleans; Tim Hollenbaugh, service manager/sales for Bentley Brothers, Inc.; Eric Watson, president of Watson Enterprises; Jessica Root-Olinger, manager for Dale S. Root Trucking LLC; Heidi Truschel, community relations manager for the Arc of Genesee Orleans; and Skip Helfrich, Leadership Orleans director.

Eddie Moss, director of computer services for Orleans County, speaks on behalf of the class and thanked supporters of the program.

The debut class comes from a cross section of the community, including law enforcement, government department heads, farm owners, agency directors and other business leaders. The program picked residents who have demonstrated leadership abilities, interest in community affairs, and a commitment to Orleans County’s future.

Each month the group learned about a different sector of the community, including government, arts and culture, volunteerism and non-profit organizations, community health, tourism and recreation, agribusiness, economic & workforce development, and education.

The class met Thursday for a retreat to recap the year. This brainstorming session includes Marlee Diehl, front left, and Nadine Hanlon, and Nick Nesbitt, back left, and RJ Linder.

Charlie Nesbitt, left, and Skip Helfrich, Leadership Orleans director, welcome people to the graduation program. They acknowledged sponsors and supporters of the program.

Nesbitt also received a special recognition for helping with recruitment and fundraising for the first class. Peggy Marone, director of Leadership Genesee, also received a special recognition award for helping to develop the curriculum and build the organizational structure for the program in Orleans County.

The second class of 25 participants will start next month.

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Photos by Tom Rivers: Marsha Cook, left, receives an award as an outstanding 4-H leader from Kristina Gabalski, 4-H program leader. The meeting was held at the new Lures Restaurant & Bar at the Bald Eagle Marina on South Lakeland Beach Road.

KENDALL – The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County held its annual meeting on Tuesday night and honored many supporters of the agency.

John Curtin was named “Friend of the Extension” for donating 4.5 acres of woodlots by the fairgrounds near Wood Road. The Extension may use the wooded area for a nature trail, outdoor camping and perhaps other uses,” said Robert Batt, the Extension executive director.

Having the land creates many possibilities for the agency, Batt said.

The Extension also named Brett Ross a “Friend of the Master gardeners.” Ross grows thousands of day lilies on East Shelby Road near the Millville hamlet in Shelby. He donates many varieties of day lilies to the Master Gardeners’ plant sale in September, said Katie Oakes, the Master Gardener coordinator. Ross and Curtin were unable to attend the annual meeting on Tuesday.

There are 15 master gardeners who led about 300 people in classes and workshops the past year. The master gardeners were also at numerous community events.

The 4-H program named an outstanding 4-H leader. Marsha Cook of Albion has been the leader of the Super Kids Club the past five years. She has been helping in 4-H for more than decade. Her son Brandon, 18, is aging out of 4-H but daughter Hollee, 7, will be involved for several more years.

“It’s good the kids,” Cook said about 4-H. “There’s more to life than textbook learning.”

She likes the hands-on projects through 4-H. Cook is an active fair volunteer, including in the weeks leading up to the fair helping to make sure the grounds are in tip-top shape, said Kristina Gabalski, the 4-H program coordinator.

“Marsha is always ready to step up and help wherever she might be needed in the 4-H program, including help with the annual holiday workshops in advance of the Holiday Fair,” Gabalski said.

Robert Batt, executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, thanks supporters of the agency. He also led a trivia contest at the annual meeting.

Several 4-H leaders marked milestone anniversaries of service this year, including: Kayla Sucy and Marsha Cook for five years; Merri Mathes for 10 years; Barb Kurzowski for 20 years; and Sara Johnson for 30 years.

“Their guidance, care and dedication have helped shape so many young lives,” Gabalski said about the 4-H leaders. “There would be no way to provide 4-H programming to the youth of Orleans County without them.”

There are 454 youth, ages 5 to 19, enrolled in the 4-H program, with 89 leaders and volunteers.

The 4-H’ers had more than 3,000 exhibits at the Orleans County 4-H Fair, which was attended by over 24,500 people during the fourth week of July.

There are now three schools – Kendall, Medina and Lyndonville – with afterschool 4-H clubs.

The Extension also elected five people as members of the board of directors.

• Ben Flansburg is president and co-owner of BCA Ag Technologies, a precision farming company that specializes in GPS and precision control of agriculture equipment. He also is active with the Barre Volunteer Fire Company.

• Jose Iniguez is a fruit grower and co-owner of Fish Creek Orchards in Waterport.

• Christopher Oakes of Medina is the production manager for LynOaken Farms in Lyndonville.

• Joseph Sidonio of Holley is a Marine veteran and self-employed n the mining and quarrying industry. His daughter Amelia is active in the 4-H Rabbit Raisers and the Senior Council.

• Zach Welker of Medina breeds, shows and markets registered Holstein genetics in addition to helping as Sk Herefords, where his wife Alana is a partner. Welker is a co-leader and barn superintendent of the beef/dairy club, and a board member for the Animal Welfare/Market Auction Committee as well as the Fair Committee.

Three board members who are finishing their terms and leaving the board were commended for their service. They include Kathy Harling, Patrick Woolworth and Tim Kirby.

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Agency pushes to get out final loans before March 31 deadline

New York State is closing the revolving loan funds administered by local development corporations, including one through the Orleans Economic Development Agency.

The economic development agencies throughout the state have until March 31 to approve funding through the accounts.

The Orleans EDA has approved many loans for small businesses the past 17 years since the fund was created. The state first approved $320,000 for the Orleans EDA to loan to small businesses in 2001.

Jim Whipple, the EDA chief executive officer, said the agency has a great record of repayment. The loans are offered at 75 percent of the lowest prime rate. They go to new small businesses that would typically have a hard time getting financing from a bank.

“We’re hoping the state comes up with another of doing these,” Whipple said today. “Ours has been very successful. It is very helpful to start-up businesses.”

The EDA would only makes loans available to business owners who completed a Microenterprise Assistance Program that offers advice and expertise for running a small business. About 500 people have completed MAP the past 20 years.

Three recent graduates have the local OK for loans through the revolving loan fund. That includes $35,000 for Heather Collella, who operates DC hauling; $40,000 to Richard T. Gallo Sr., who operates Gallo’s Hauling; and $15,000 for Bonnie Heck, owner of Herbalty Cottage in Medina.

Those loans were approved by the County Legislature last week and need state approval for a final OK.

The County Legislature last week agreed to have the county administer the fund’s repayments and income in the future.

Whipple said additional loans may be approved before March 31.

He is optimistic the program will return through the Orleans EDA.

“We’re going to be out of the loan business, but we will be back,” Whipple said. “I guarantee it.”

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Photos by Tom Rivers: Barre has a water tank that serves water users in Barre and Albion.

ALBION – Orleans County and many of the local municipalities will work together with a consultant on a study of the water infrastructure in the county and the possibility of creating a regional water system.

The County Legislature last week approved spending $125,000 for the Wendel firm to complete a water efficiency study. The county expects to receive about $75,000 in state funding for the project, with the county paying $30,000 and other municipalities kicking in $20,000.

“The county wants to maximize the water resources in the county,” Chuck Nesbitt, the county chief administrative officer, told local municipal leaders during a recent meeting about the study.

The study will take an inventory of all the water infrastructure in the county, as well as the personnel devoted to maintaining water lines and running water plants.

The study may show the need for new transmission lines to move water to spots in the county that would be ideal for economic development.

County and municipal officials expect the study will show potential cost savings and efficiencies that will reduce costs and increase capacity. There may be opportunities for sharing services with water meter reading, water billing, and potentially water distribution system repairs.

During meetings with village and town officials, county leaders said this isn’t a precursor to a takeover of the village and town water systems. They would each keep their own infrastructure. One scenario could have a water superintendent overseeing the systems in more than one jurisdiction and a water department focused on fixing leaks and maintaining the system.

Currently each town has a highway superintendent who also functions as the water superintendent. Many of those superintendents are nearing retirement and may not be easy to replace, especially with the licenses needed to serve as water chief.

Gerald Summe, executive vice president of Wendel, met with the Albion Village Board on Oct. 10 and urged the board to participate in the study. The board approved contributing $2,000 to the cost.

“Manpower and skill sets is probably one of the biggest challenges you’re seeing,” Gerald Summe, executive vice president of Wendel, told local officials during a recent meeting.

Creating a regional water system in the county would improve the chances for state and federal funding to maintain and upgrade water treatment plants, and also the transmission lines, Summe told the local officials.

“If you work together you put yourself in a better position to get grants,” he said.

The Village of Albion is currently the main water provider in central Orleans with its water plant in Carlton, using water from Lake Ontario. Albion provides about 1.7 million gallons of water daily for 15,000 customers.

The Village of Lyndonville has a smaller water plant with about 2,200 customers and 400,000 gallons daily. Holley uses water from a well, and is supplemented by the Monroe County Water Authority. The MCWA is the primary supplier in eastern Orleans, with Albion serving a portion of Murray.

The Niagara County Water District is the water supplier for the Village of Medina and most of Shelby and Ridgeway.

The 10 towns have a series of water districts all with varying debt service rates. If the municipalities went to regional system, the debt would stay with each district. There could, however, be more customers to spread out the costs for upgrades to a local water treatment plant and for running new transmission lines to get water where it needs to go.

One scenario could have a single administrator of the water system, while the towns and villages share staff for maintaining the water systems.

Summe said there are significant grants available to help upgrade the water systems in Orleans County. But the first step is doing a study to provide an “economic justification” for the funding.

The Albion Village Board voted to contribute $2,000 to the study. Board members said they would welcome more grants to help upgrade its water plant.

Wendel said it’s likely the state will contribute about $47,500 in a grant through the Local Government Efficiency Program and $25,000 through the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA).

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Dawn Borchert

ALBION – Orleans County has 1,150 campsites and wants to welcome more visitors to stay at those sites.

The Orleans County Legislature last week approved spending $5,500 for a three=page ad in a directory through the Campground Owners of New York.

The state “I Love New York” funds will pay for half of the ad, while three local campgrounds and the County Tourism Department share with the cost.

“Camping is a big industry and Orleans County is going to be part of it,” Dawn Borchert, the county’s tourism director, told county legislators last week.

A report last year from Tourism Economics said camping is a $1.2 billion industry in the state with 350 privately owned campgrounds with 30,000 campsites. There are also 16,000 campsites in state and municipal parks.

The campground report, based on 2015 data, counted 11,500 total jobs related to the campground industry in the state.

The campground directory includes 175,000 copies, Borchert said.

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Orleans cites state mandates, community college hikes for budget strain

Photos by Tom Rivers: Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer, goes over the budget during a public hearing on Monday. The County Legislature approved the budget unanimously on Wednesday.

ALBION – The seven-member Orleans County Legislature on Wednesday unanimously approved a $71,031,480 budget for 2019. The budget increases spending by 1.86 percent with taxes going up by 2.51 percent.

Although the tax levy, what the county collects in taxes, increases by 2.51 percent or by $419,921, from $17,150,323 to $17,570,244, the tax rate will go up 5 cents or 0.5 percent, from $10.05 to $10.10 per $1,000 of assessed property.

The county could have increased taxes by 2.60 percent and still stayed within the tax cap.

“We have put forward a strong budget for you, a fiscally sound budget that will support infrastructure, stay under the tax cap and keep the county running for another year,” Lynne Johnson, County Legislature chairwoman, said at Monday’s public hearing at the courthouse.

The county continues to feel the strain of funding many state mandated programs, from Medicaid to indigent defense legal services, public assistance for adults and families, preschool special education, youth detention and other programs required by the state but needing local taxpayer dollars.

Those mandated programs account for 93 percent of the tax levy. That percentage has been dropping. It was 116 percent in 2013, and has fallen to 111 percent in 2014, followed by 105, 100, and 98 in 2018.

One of those programs has been on the rise. The county pays about a third of tuition for community college for residents of Orleans. The average community college chargeback rate has increased by nearly $1,000 in the past three years, from $2,932 to $3,846 and will cost the county $1.9 million next year.

Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer, presented the budget during a hearing on Monday. He said county taxpayers pay less in taxes than in nearly all counties in the state.

The $769 per capita in taxes in 2017 in Orleans ranks 55th lowest of the 57 counties, Nesbitt said, while total government expenditures are 51st in the state out of 57 counties, Nesbitt said, citing data from See Through NY.

The budget hearing on Monday in the main courtroom at the County Courthouse didn’t draw any comments from the public. The hearing was mainly attended by county officials.

Other highlights of the 2019 budget include:

• A 23,000-square-foot addition to the County Administration Building is under construction. A new bond payment for the project begins next year at $437,629 for that project. There are two major obligations being retired in 2020 for the courthouse and 2022 for the radio system that should begin to relieve that pressure going forward, Nesbitt said. Those two payments account for $683,693 in the 2019 budget.

• The budget funds 430 positions and includes some additions. The Sheriff’s Office has added a School Resource Officer at the Kendall and Lyndonville school districts, with each district paying $100,000 for the deputy. Buildings and Grounds is adding an employee to assist with Solid Waste and Recycling as well as additional maintenance, and the District Attorney’s Office has budgeted for an additional part-time assistant DA to cover new duties related to Raising the Age of Criminal Responsibility.

• The dome for the Orleans County Courthouse needs $140,000 in repairs. County officials have set aside the funds in the 2019 budget.

• The county will maintain funding to several outside agencies in 2019. The Cooperative Extension receives the most funding of an outside organization at $240,000. That is the same as 2018. Other funded organizations include the Orleans Economic Development Agency at $190,000, up from $180,000 in 2018; Soil and Water, $92,500, same as 2018; Four public libraries, $10,000, same as in 2018; Mercy Flight $5,000, same as 2018; Sportsman’s Federation, $4,000, up from $1,000; and GO Art!, $3,000, same as 2018;

• The budget also includes 2 percent raises for the seven county legislators. Their pay will go from $17,778 to $18,133 for the chairwoman, $13,442 to $13,711 for the vice chairman, and $11,850 to $12,087 for the other legislators.

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New radio towers will be added in Lyndonville, Kendall

ALBION – The state has approved a grant for nearly $6 million for Orleans County that will add two new radio towers and make other upgrades to the county’s emergency communications system.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the $5,897,141 grant this morning. The grant will pay for new 180-foot-tall towers in Lyndonville and Kendall, as well as technology to connect separate radio systems and new radio channels to strengthen communications between multiple jurisdictions and agencies.

The county will also add radio equipment to the Holley water tower to improve coverage in the Holley area.

The project will fund software and other upgrades for the system, which serves firefighters, law enforcement, highway employees, probation and some other municipal workers in the county.

The system currently has poor coverage in the Holley area, along Lake Ontario and some other isolated locations in the county, especially in buildings with thick walls.

The county in August submitted a grant application through the 2018 Statewide Interoperable Communications Targeted Grant through the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Office. The state is allowing a maximum of $6 million per county for the grants.

Tim Warth, a consultant for the county with Radio Technologies, said in August that Orleans is one of 10 counties in the state identified as “in need.”

The proposed project would also improve interoperability with neighboring counties, allowing personnel to cross county boundaries and still have a radio signal.

The two new 180-foot-high towers in Lyndonville and Kendall would enhance coverage by the lake, and allow a lower strength signal so Orleans isn’t interfering with Canada’s system, Warth said.

The county currently has towers in Shelby on Maple Ridge Road by the Medina water tank, on Countyhouse Road in Albion by the Emergency Management Office and on Route 31A by the Clarendon Highway garage.

The county would like to have the tower in Lyndonville on West Avenue and in Kendall at the firemen’s field near the Town Hall.

“It’s a huge effort, a great effort by our consultant and the county communications committee,” said Dale Banker, the county’s emergency management coordinator. “It will enhance our emergency communications, especially at the Kendall and Lyndonville schools. It’s almost doubling our capacity.”

The new Lyndonville tower would allow for a connection with Niagara County, which received a $6 million grant and is looking to add a tower in Barker. The Kendall tower or the Holley site could allow a connection with Monroe County’s system, Banker said.

“A big part of these grants is interoperability,” he said. “The state wants neighboring counties to communicate with each other.”

The towers have a generator and small shelter. Banker said the county may pursue another grant when this project is complete to add a tower in Carlton by the town highway building on Route 98 and an additional tower in Albion by the Public Safety Building.

The state today announced $32 million for seven counties to improve emergency communications.

“In emergency situations, it’s critical that first responders have the resources they need to quickly and efficiently respond to calls for help,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement. “This funding will allow counties to continue to upgrade and improve their emergency communications systems and in the process create a stronger, safer New York for all.”

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File photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Courthouse dome is an iconic landmark in Albion. This photo was taken on May 5, 2015.

ALBION – The dome for the Orleans County Courthouse needs $140,000 in repairs. County officials have set aside the funds in the 2019 budget.

The dome has several leaks. Inside the dome are about a dozen buckets to collect the dripping water after it rains.

The county will have a rubberized coating put on the dome to protect it from leaks, said Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer. That new coating will last for at least 25 years, he said.

“We want to preserve that asset for the county long-term,” Nesbitt said Monday during a public hearing on the county’s proposed $71.0 million budget.

The courthouse, which was built in 1858, is the focal point of the Courthouse Square, a district on the National Register of Historic Places.

The $140,000 repair on the dome is among $3,181,106 in capital projects for the county in the 2019 budget.

Most of the projects are in the highway department and include $1.5 million in road work, which is funded through the state with CHIPS – Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program.

CHIPS money will also pay $185,000 for a 10-wheel dump truck, $55,000 to replace a 3-ton dump truck and $69,365 toward dump truck leases.

The county will also do $669,000 of preventive maintenance on four bridges, with $535,000 from the federal TIP (Transportation Improvement Program) and $134,000 from the county.

The highway department will also do $100,000 of patching and sealing county roads with the county paying that expense.

Other capital projects will also be 100 percent funded by the county: $143,452 for vehicles in the Sheriff’s Office, $14,140 for a jail van lease, $9,000 to add a vehicle for animal control, $46,000 for computer services upgrade, $14,000 for wireless point to point project for computer services, $11,000 for Public Safety Building rewire for computer services, $6,645 for generator at Veterans Service Agency, $9,000 for a pickup truck lease for Weights and Measures, and $9,000 to replace the UTV (all-terrain vehicle) at the County Marine Park.

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First bridge to close for work is Bennetts Corners Road, with last of 7 to be complete in 2020

Press Release, NYS Department of Transportation

Photo by Tom Rivers: Erie Canal is pictured on Dec. 8, 2017 in Albion with the Gaines Basin Road bridge in the background. This bridge is one of seven that will be worked on in Orleans County.

New York State Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Paul A. Karas today announced the start of a $10.7 million project that will rehabilitate seven historic Erie Canal bridges in the Orleans County towns of Murray, Albion, Gaines, Ridgeway and the Village of Medina.

The rehabilitation work, to be completed in the next two years, is necessary to raise legal weight limits on the bridges and will provide safe access for residents, local farms and businesses, which are vital to economic activity across Orleans County.

“All New Yorkers know the importance and history of commerce along the Erie Canal, especially in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region, which is home to nearly 70 percent of the canal bridges in the state,” Acting Commissioner Karas said. “By investing in this critical infrastructure today, we are helping to preserve that history and maintain the integrity of these bridges for years to come.”

The project has identified for rehabilitation seven single-lane truss bridges constructed between 1909 and 1914. The locations of the bridges over the canal include:

• Bennetts Corners Road, between Route 31 and Gulf Road, in the Town of Murray.

• Telegraph Road, between Route 237 and Groth Road, in the Town of Murray.

• Transit Road, between Route 31 and West Brockville Road, in the Town of Murray.

• Densmore Road, north of Route 31, in the Town of Albion.

• Gaines Basin Road, between Albion Eagle Harbor Road and West Bacon Road, just north of the Albion Correctional Facility, in the Town of Gaines.

• Bates Road, between Telegraph Road and Portage Road, in the Village of Medina.

• Marshall Road, between Route 31 and School Road, in the Town of Ridgeway.

The canal bridge on Telegraph Road in Murray is pictured in February 2015.

The bridge carrying Bennetts Corners Road over the Erie Canal will be the first of seven to close, beginning on December 3rd, for up to six months. Each bridge will be worked on consecutively through Summer 2020.

The work on these bridges will include installing high-strength galvanized steel to replace steel floor systems, low chords, gusset plates, and truss elements. Bridge railing and guide rail on the bridge approaches also will be improved and each bridge will be repainted. The alignments and profiles of the bridges will not change.

“Since being elected in 2014, I have advocated for these long-awaited improvements to our canal bridges, many of which are in my district,” said State Sen. Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda. “I am pleased to see that many of these bridges are getting much needed improvements. These bridges are vital in ensuring quick and reliable routes for many residents, businesses, and local farms in Orleans County.”

The improvements will require each bridge to be closed to traffic for up to six months at a time, although access to businesses, including public boat launches, will be maintained throughout construction. The approaches to each bridge will be open for local traffic. Work will be done on some of the bridges simultaneously. Pedestrian access to the Erie Canal Trailway also will be maintained throughout construction.

“Safe, reliable and robust infrastructure is the backbone to healthy economic development and one of the many aspects of a flourishing society, and there are few matters more pressing than addressing the insufficient conditions of our area’s bridges,” said State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia. “These seven bridges are not only paramount to our emergency services, daily commuters, agriculture and farm equipment and interstate travelers, but are part of the Erie Canal system’s distinct history. I am pleased to see such a large investment in Orleans County’s infrastructure and look forward to improved travel this spring.”

Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, said, “The Orleans County Legislature is extremely pleased to see that the New York State DOT is continuing to move ahead with plans to ensure the long-term viability of our transportation system. We have made significant efforts to clarify our concerns and priorities and the State has in turn made an effort to understand and respond to those concerns.”

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Photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Sept. 9, 2015 shows the Falls Road Railroad in Albion. The railroad runs through Orleans County near Route 31, and stretches from Lockport to Brockport.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday announced $27.1 million to fund rail and port improvement projects across New York State, including $900,000 for the Falls Road railroad, which runs from Lockport through Orleans County to Brockport.

The grants, from the Governor’s Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program, will support projects that strengthen infrastructure and economic development vital to the movement of goods throughout the state.

“New York’s rail and port infrastructure is critical to local economies across the state, and these grants will not only support existing commercial activities but to help attract new business investments as well,” Governor Cuomo said. “With these improvements, we can keep these economic engines running, and ensure safe and efficient travel for both passenger and freight customers statewide.”

The funding for Falls Road Railroad, which is owned by Genesee Valley Transportation in Batavia, includes bridge repairs and track rehabilitation.

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The winner of the 2018 Orleans County Tourism Photo Contest has been announced. Sharon Gavenda won with her picture, “Summer Morning on Lake Ontario.”

This is the third year the Orleans County Tourism Department has sponsored the contest. There were 11 judges who picked their top five photos, and five honorable mentions from 45 images. Those photographs captured the essence of Orleans County – including 11 sunsets, landscapes, wildlife and architecture.

“Blue Heron” by Ann Kimmel came in second.

Judges were asked to consider:

Does the subject have a tourism draw? Is this an interesting attraction worth traveling to? Is it current?

Quality: Is the photographer skilled in using interesting design elements such as depth-of-field, perspective, texture, symmetry or contrast? Is this image “Magazine Cover Worthy”?

“Only in the OC” – Is the image iconic to Orleans County or could this picture be taken anywhere? Does it represent Orleans County’s character?

The WOW Factor: Does the image spark a positive emotion in you?

The I-GOT-IT! Factor: Was the photographer in the right place at the right time?

Photographer’s identities were not disclosed to the judges. Results were based on responses the judges ranking the images from 1 to 10 and the highest score determined this year’s winners.

To see the top 10 in the contest, click here.

“St. Mary’s Sandstone & Glass” by Kellie Hurrell was third overall.

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Photo by Tom Rivers: County officials on April 25 break ground on a new $10 million addition to the County Administration Building. The 2019 budget includes the first debt payment of $437,629 for the project.

ALBION – Orleans County officials have put together a tentative $71,031,480 budget for 2019 that increases spending by 1.86 percent and would raise taxes by 2.51 percent.

There will be a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 26 on the budget. That hearing will be at the Orleans County Courthouse. To see a copy of the budget, click here.

The tax levy, what the county collects in taxes, would increase by $419,921, from $17,150,323 to $17,570,244 for 2.51 percent. However, the tax rate would go up 5 cents or 0.5 percent, from $10.05 to $10.10 per $1,000 of assessed property.

Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer, filed a copy of the tentative budget on Wednesday. He is the county budget officer.

“The $71 million budget recommendation continues a consistent and stable approach to investment in the county infrastructure, the organization and ongoing fiscal stability,” Nesbitt said in his budget message.

Nesbitt, county legislators and department heads wanted to maintain core county services and stay within the tax cap. The budget complies with the tax cap, leaving a $25,393 cushion under the cap, Nesbitt said.

The budget bears the burden of funding about 40 state programs, Nesbitt said. The state offers partial reimbursements for some of the programs. But the costs left to the county are a main driver in the tax levy, especially the Medicaid program.

“Counties are charged with responsibilities by New York State,” Nesbitt said. “The state then under funds these programs or doesn’t fund them at all.”

The tentative budget includes $16,662,210 to cover the nine state mandated programs, which is 95 percent of the property tax levy. The county contribution to the state programs is up $359,700 from 2018.

A 23,000-square-foot addition to the County Administration Building is under construction. A new bond payment for the project begins next year at $437,629 for that project. There are two major obligations being retired in 2020 for the courthouse and 2022 for the radio system that should begin to relieve that pressure going forward, Nesbitt said. Those two payments account for $683,693 in the 2019 budget.

The budget funds 430 positions and includes some additions. The Sheriff’s Office has added a School Resource Officer at the Kendall and Lyndonville school districts, with each district paying $100,000 for the deputy. Buildings and Grounds is adding an employee to assist with Solid Waste and Recycling as well as additional maintenance, and the District Attorney’s Office has budgeted for an additional part-time assistant DA to cover new duties related to Raising the Age of Criminal Responsibility.

In his budget message, Nesbitt notes the county continues to share some funds with the towns and villages, including $1,366,671 in sales tax, a number that has been frozen since 2001. However, county officials say many smaller counties do not share any sales tax with towns and villages. The county is budgeting for a $560,000 increase in sales tax next year, which will help absorb some of the rising expenses.

The county will pay $1.9 million for the local chargeback for community colleges in 2019. In some counties, that bill is sent to the towns.

The county will maintain funding to several outside agencies in 2019.

The Cooperative Extension receives the most funding of an outside organization at $240,000. That is the same as 2018. The organization didn’t seek an increase in 2019.

Other funded organizations include:

• The Orleans Economic Development Agency is budgeted for $190,000, up from $180,000. The EDA requested $190,000.

• Soil and Water, $92,500, same as 2018, requested $100,000

• Four public libraries, $10,000, same as in 2018, requested $42,883;

• Mercy Flight $5,000, same as 2018;

• Sportsman’s Federation, $4,000, up from $1,000, requested $4,000;

• GO Art!, $3,000, same as 2018, requested $4,000

• The Cobblestone Museum also requested $7,500 but remains out of the budget as a line item. The Legislature the past two years have approved $3,000 in end-of-the-year funding,

The budget also calls for 2 percent raises for the seven county legislators. Their pay will go from $17,778 to $18,133 for the chairwoman, $13,442 to $13,711 for the vice chairman, and $11,850 to $12,087 for the other legislators.

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