Apex will pay $1.1 million annually to Barre, Albion Central School, Orleans County; EDA to be paid $4.5 million in 3 payments

BARRE – Heritage Wind expects to start site work in February, clearing trees as part of a large-scale wind energy project that has been in development for about a decade.

Apex Clean Energy, owner of Heritage Wind, will start the tree clearing in February and then have full civil mobilization of its construction crew in July 2025, said Carmen O’Keefe, director of development for Apex.

The project is scheduled to be operational the end of 2026, with a capacity of 126 megawatts. Apex has scaled back the project from an initial plan of 33 turbines generating 184.8 megawatts. The project will now be 27 turbines at 126 megawatts. Apex removed some of the turbines that were planned to be near the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

The construction costs have escalated in recent years, pushing the total cost from $304 million to $373 million.

“It costs more though there are fewer turbines because the cost of materials, turbines and labor has increased fairly significantly since the original resolution was passed in 2021,” O’Keefe said.

Heritage Wind has been permitted to construct Vestas V150 4.5 MW (640 foot high) and Vestas V162 6.0 MW (656 foot high) turbines. O’Keefe said Apex will likely use the 640-foot-high turbines in Barre.

The company will pay $9,000 per megawatt to local municipalities or $1,134,000 in the first year, with a 2 percent increase after that over 25 years.

Barre gets 75 percent of the money as part of a Host Community Agreement. The $6,750 per megawatt totals $850,000.

The remaining 25 percent or $2,250 per megawatt is evenly split by the school district and county. That is $140,175 each.

In addition, Heritage Wind will be paying an administrative fee to the Orleans Economic Development Agency for administering the PILOT with the school district and county.

The EDA will receive $775,000 this month, and then will receive two $1.8 million payments – one by Dec. 1, 2025 or the date of the closing of the PILOT/lease-leaseback transaction and then another $1.8 million a year after the closing.

The combined $4.575 million will be a big boost to the EDA and its economic development efforts, said EDA executive director Michael Dobell. He expects some of the funds will be used to advance development of the Medina Business Park.

Group has raised $31K so far for project

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Albion Betterment Committee would like to have a Santa House on this vacant lot next to the First Presbyterian Church of Albion. The group has been given permission from the Village Board to work on the project, with the design needing approval from village officials.

ALBION – The Albion Betterment Committee is trying to finalize a design for a 600 square foot Santa House on Main Street.

The building is tentatively eyed to be 20 by 30 feet with a peaked roof. It would host visits by Santa and be used for other community events, said Natasha Wasuck, a member of the Betterment Committee. She is also president of the Albion Merchants Association and owner of the Lockstone events venue.

The Albion Betterment Committee showed photos of these Santa Houses during a meeting on Saturday at Hoag Library, looking for ideas and feedback from the public.

The house is planned for a vacant lot next to the First Presbyterian Church, on the north side. The site could include other amenities, possibly benches or Adirondack chairs, as well as a gazebo.

A plan will be presented to the Village Board for its approval. The board gave the ABC permission to work on the project.

The Betterment Committee has $22,000 in donations, plus a $9,000 grant, putting the total at $31,000. Wasusk said the entire project could be about $50,000, depending on how many amenities are included with the site.

The ABC welcomes donations to the project. For information on how to donate, contact ABC director Joe Gehl at jgehl@rochester.rr.com or mail the Albion Betterment Committee c/o Joe Gehl at 14487 Baker Road, Kent, NY 14477. Or the ABC can be contacted through Facebook messenger. Click here to be directed to the ABC Facebook page.

The Betterment Committee held an open house on Saturday at Hoag Library to get feedback and ideas on how the building and site should look.

The inside of the building will include space to meet Santa, and also will house a Santa’s sleigh and an original Charles Howard Santa suit.

Wasuck said the group would like to have the new Santa House up in time for the Strawberry Festival in June.

The Betterment Committee has worked for several years trying to celebrate the community’s Santa legacy. Last year the ABC completed a bronze statue resembling Charles Howard in a Santa suit. Howard ran a Santa School in the community from 1937 until 1966, and also operated Christmas Park. The school continues in his name, now in Midland, Mich.

The Betterment Committee also led the effort to have part of Route 31 in Albion named in honor of Howard, who was the Santa in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and also was featured in many prominent publications for his role teaching people to portray Santa.

The ABC also has put up “Believe” signs and welcome sign on Route 98 highlighting Albion as the home of Howard and the Santa School.

The Albion Betterment Committee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Formed in 2004, its mission is to utilize Albion’s historic, environmental and human assets to improve the quality of life for residents of the area.

Photos by Tom Rivers

BARRE – Santa and Mrs. Claus stopped at a home on Oak Orchard Road this afternoon and delivered presents to children. Barre firefighter James Neal is in back.

The Barre Volunteer Fire Company escorted Santa around town today for the 11^th annual Santa Express. They made 35 stops, delivering presents to 160 kids and allowing them to spend time with Santa.

The fire company sends out a letter in November, welcoming people to drop off gift-wrapped presents at the firehall and those gifts are then delivered by firefighters and Santa. People are encouraged to make a donation to the fire company if they get a visit from Santa and the firefighters.

Santa and Mrs. Claus pose with Layla Kania, twin brothers Wyatt and Elisa Webb, and Hudson Deuil.

Hudson Deuil was a little shy meeting Santa but gave him a hug before he boarded the fire truck to visit the next group of kids on the Santa Express.

Santa makes a delivery to Cara Dix of Lyndonville, who met Santa at her aunt’s house on Route 98. Her older siblings have been meeting Santa in Barre for about nine years.

“I love this tradition,” said their mother, Krystle Dix. “The kids love seeing Santa. They get one-on-one time with him without being in a big line.”

Barre firefighters split into two different groups in transporting Santa and Mrs. Claus around town. They made their deliveries from 9:30 a.m. to about 4 p.m. They were done in time to see the Bills game start at 4:25 p.m.

The Barre Volunteer Fire Company and Santa schedule the Santa Express in Barre on a Sunday when the Buffalo Bills have an away game and the game time is preferable after 1 p.m. Santa said he is rooting for the Bills in their pursuit of a Super Bowl title.

Large bone pit among artifacts of Neutral Indians in Shelby

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 38

Diagram of the Shelby site drawn by Frank Cushing in 1879. (From: Illustrated Historical Album of Orleans County, 1879) The site, which is indicated by a historic marker, is located on Salt Works Road, half a mile south of Blair Road, on the left when traveling south.

SHELBY – “In the town of Shelby, Orleans County, New York, about three miles south of the village of Medina are the remains of one of the most interesting ancient earthworks in the state.”

Thus begins a description of the archaeological site at Shelby presented to the Smithsonian Institute in 1874. It was written by Frank H. Cushing, then aged 17, who had just joined the staff of the Smithsonian. He went on to have a distinguished career as an ethnologist of the Zuni Indians in New Mexico.

As a young boy, Cushing was captivated by the then abundant evidence of American Indian life in this area and particularly at the Shelby site. He camped out there on his own for days at a time and wrote the definitive description of the site. The features of the site have been obliterated over time.

Here are excerpts from Cushing’s description which was included in the Historical Album of Orleans County published in 1879:

“It consists of two mural embankments, which are now about two feet in height, parallel, and two feet distant from each other. They describe almost an exact circle, having a diameter of four hundred and thirty feet and an area of three and one third acres.

“Two fences upon original section lines, running one north and south, the other east and west, divide this enclosure into four nearly equal parts or quadrants.

“Traces of a moat, which once encircled this work, are still discernable at intervals. The moat is broad in proportion to its present depth…it was probably made by the removal of the earth for the construction of the walls.

“Ten rods south of this work lies a peat swamp….this was probably a shallow lake at the time when the works were constructed. The supply of fish in this lake was abundant.

West from the work, at a distance of half a mile, on the eastern slope of a sand hill, is a large bone pit, where the bones of many hundreds have been deposited.

Diagram of the fort prepared by Frank R. Berger. In September 1990, at the urging of Mr. Berger, the historic marker which had originally placed “three fields in” in 1932, was relocated to a more visible location on Salt Works Road.

“On making excavations in those portions still uncultivated, many specimens of great interest are found. They usually lie from 6 to 18 inches beneath the surface, often embedded in charcoal and ashes. They consist of hammers, sinkers, stone ornaments, pipes, pottery; also implements and ornaments of bone, such as bone splinters, awls and needles, daggers or dirks, cylindrical ear ornaments, implements for the ornamentation of pottery, perforated metatarsals and perforated teeth.”

Referred to as the Neutral or Neuter Indians because they did not take sides in the wars against the Hurons, the inhabitants of the Shelby site were part of the Iroquois confederacy. Recent scholarship suggests that they may more specifically be identified as Wenro people.

They were hunters and engaged in a fur trade with the Huron Indians. It appears that they fell victim to the enmity of the Iroquois against the Hurons, during a bellicose era in the mid-1600s referred to as the Beaver Wars. The Hurons were the main rivals of the Iroquois in the fur trade. The Iroquois destroyed both the Hurons and the Neutrals.

It is intriguing to consider the lives of the people who lived in this palisade some 300 years ago, before the area was surveyed and sold, and before the political jurisdictions that we are familiar with, were determined.

Residents urged to fill bird feeders ahead of the count

Photos courtesy of Celeste Morien: An Eastern Screech-Owl is shown on a wintry day.

By Celeste Morien, count compiler for Oak Orchard Swamp Christmas Bird Count

BASOM – It’s almost time for the Oak Orchard Swamp Christmas Bird Count!

The count began in December 1968. The National Audubon Society has been sponsoring Christmas Bird Counts since their inception. Count compiler and Medina resident Celeste Morien would like the public to be alert for counters with spotting scopes and binoculars who will be out Dec. 27 on local roads, searching for birds in fields and at bird feeders.

Downy Woodpecker

Filling bird feeders now and keeping them stocked ahead of the count helps fulfill the count objective of counting all wild birds seen and heard within the circle. The Oak Orchard Swamp count circle is centered at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge on the Orleans and Genesee County line at Route 63.

Count volunteers follow routes through a designated 15-mile diameter circle, which includes more than the refuge and state wildlife areas, counting every bird they see or hear all day. It’s not just a species tally; individual birds are counted, giving an indication of the total number of birds per species in the circle that day.

If you are at home on count day within the circle, you may report the birds that visit your feeders. To do so, please contact celeste.morien@gmail.com. (See map)

According to the Audubon website, “Prior to the turn of the 20th century, hunters engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas “Side Hunt.” They would choose sides and go afield with their guns—whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won.

Conservation was in its beginning stages in that era, and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an early officer in the then-nascent Audubon Society, proposed a new holiday tradition—a “Christmas Bird Census” that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them.

So began the Christmas Bird Count. Thanks to the inspiration of Chapman and the enthusiasm of 27 dedicated birders, 25 Christmas Bird Counts were held that day. The locations ranged from Toronto, Ontario to Pacific Grove, California.

From Dec. 14 through Jan. 5 each year tens of thousands of volunteers throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific Islands brave snow, wind, or rain, and take part in the effort. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this long-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations, and to help guide conservation action.

Black-capped Chickadees are shown at a bird feeder.

The data collected by observers over the past century allow Audubon researchers, conservation biologists, wildlife agencies and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America. When combined with other surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, it provides a picture of how the continent’s bird populations have changed over the past hundred years.

The long term perspective is vital for conservationists. It informs strategies to protect birds and their habitat, and helps identify environmental issues with implications for people as well.

Please consider donating to the Christmas Count here since the Audubon Society no longer collects fees from each participant.

For past results of any Christmas Bird Count, the National Audubon Society website is an excellent resource.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Frank Babcock holds about a dozen canes he made and gave to Assemblyman Steve Hawley to distribute to local veterans.

ALBION – Frank Babcock was in the Albion Walmart about two months when he saw a man walking with a cane. Babcock, 89, complimented the man, a fellow veteran, on the quality of the cane.

The man said the cane made a big difference for him, and he received it for free from Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

Babcock got to thinking that he could make canes to be given to local veterans. Babcock served in the Army from 1955-’56 and was based at Fort Hancock, N.J. Many know him locally for his long career with NAPA Auto Parts in Albion and Medina.

Babcock has made 24 canes since meeting the man in Walmart. On Saturday he handed off a dozen to Assemblyman Hawley, who met him at the American Legion in Albion. Hawley said he will make sure they get to veterans, perhaps at the NYS Veterans Home in Batavia, the National Cemetery in Pembroke or through the Patriot Trip that Hawley leads each September to monuments in the Washington, D.C. area.

Babcock made the canes from small trees in his son’s woods. The raw materials were cut off from part of the roots with a slight angle. The handles of the canes are the roots from the trees.

Babcock would sand down the small trees and put shellack on them, as well as stickers of American flags.

“Now I have to get some more blanks so I can make some more,” he said on Saturday.

Frank Babcock was joined by friends and family at the American Legion on Saturday. From left include son Steve Babcock, son Jim Babcock, Frank Babcock, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, grandson Jeremy Babcock, and Legion Commander Brad Rouse.

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – The Village of Lyndonville welcomed Santa to Veterans Park this evening, when he flipped the switch to turn on the lights of 82 Christmas trees decorated at Veterans Park.

The village started the tradition of decorating the trees in 2013 with 26 the first year. The number steadily grew reaching a record high of 98 in 2022. Last year there were 85, and now 82 this year.

The trees will be lighted up until just after New Year’s Day.

After he flipped the switch at the “North Pole Electric Company” at veterans Park, Santa went into the Village Hall where he greeted a long line of families.

This group includes the Freeman siblings, who are the children of Devan Freeman, Lyndonville’s DPW superintendent. The kids include from left Nora, Carson (standing), Carter and Averie.

Here are some more photos of the trees, including the one in front decorated by Lyndonville’s Class of 1982.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion FFA today delivered 45,000 pounds of produce donated by local farmers to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, and other local food pantries.

The top photo shows FFA members Loralei Gailie, Logan Scott and Jimmy Harris moving a big box of squash to a tractor trailer outside the Ag Shop at the high school.

“It’s helping the community,” said Harris, a senior who arrived at 7:10 this morning to load up the food.

About 20 Albion FFA members helped with the food drive, calling local farmers and arranging for pickups and deliveries of the food.

FFA members are pictured next to three vehicles filled with food before the delivery to Community Action at about 9 this morning.

The donors include Panek’s, Circle R, Lynn-Ette and Sons, Preston’s, Van Lieshout’s, Heberle, Nesbitt’s, Brightly’s, Kludt’s, Orchard Dale, Kreher’s, Intergrow Greenhouses (Sungrow), Save A Lot, Root Brothers, Martin Farms, My-T Acres, Poverty Hill, Partyka’s, Orleans County Farm Bureau, Lamb’s, CY Farms, Torrey Farms, Hu-Lane Farm, Kirby’s, Kirby’s Cider Mill, Barilla, Triple G, Farm Fresh First LLC, Margaret and Charlie Swan, Peter Gaylard, Christ Farms, Kast Farms and Haylett Farm Enterprises.

FFA President Kaitlynn Basinait, right, and FFA secretary Kaitlin Bennett carry a sack of cabbage.

Basinait said farmers were very generous this year, even though many suffered big losses from hail storms. Those farms still contributed to the effort. Other farms who didn’t lose crops to hail stepped up even more knowing some of their farming neighbors didn’t have as much to give this food drive, Bennett said.

“The hail storm hurt several of the farmers,” she said.

The 45,000 pounds topped last year’s drive with 37,000 pounds.

The FFA started the food drive in 2010 with 3,000 pounds in the first effort. The food drive record is 53,000 pounds in 2020.

Bennett said the FFA is proud to facilitate the food drive every year.

“It makes my heart feel happy,” she said.

FFA members Matthew Bloom and Hailey Lonnen fill boxes with Pink Lady apples.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley helped unload the vehicles this morning. He has attended the food drive delivery for many years.

Community Action and other volunteers from local food pantries helped sort and move the food on a chilly morning at the Community Action site on East State Street.

The food is shared with about 20 different food pantries, churches and other organizations in Orleans County.

Barry Flansburg is one of several Albion FFA alumni who help with the food drive each year. Pete Gaylard from the Albion Central School buildings and grounds moves a pallet for of tomatoes into a tractor trailer from Panek Farms.

Photos by Tom Rivers

CLARENDON – Clarendon held its fourth annual lighted parade on Friday and the caravan included this goat, shown rounding the corner from Route 31A onto Route 237.

These people braved the cold to watch the parade, including a fire truck from the Murray Joint Fire District.

Rebecca Scharping, right, and her mother Jeanette Novak brought a calf and heifer from Clover Hill Acres in Clarendon.

Gavin Mosher wore the Grinch costume and got a ride from Justin McCormack. Gavin is the in the Early Act service club at Holley for students in grades 4-6. McCormack’s son Landon also is in Early Act. Gavin handed out onions instead of candy in his role as the Grinch.

The Holley Interact Club had about 30 junior high and high school students in the parade.

Boy Scouts in Troop 59 carried flags in the parade. James Shaw is holding the American flag high while Logan Lane carries the troop flag.

This girl wears a Santa hat while watching a Clarendon fire truck pass by on 237 in front of Crosby’s.

Girl Scouts had a float decorated with many lights.

The Girl Scouts had fun despite the freezing temperatures.

This float was decorated in a Pokémon theme.

After the parade, people gathered at the Clarendon museum to meet Santa. Here Santa greets Rylie Ierlan, 2, who is joined by her grandmother, Melissa Ierlan, the parade coordinator.

Dustin Reisman, 7, and his sister Harper, 5, of Holley met Santa. Dustin said he would like Legos for Christmas while Harper asked for a Barbie Dream House.

MEDINA – After serving the people for nearly two centuries, the First Baptist Church of Medina is going forth with a new name.

The Rev. Randy LeBaron, former pastor of the Albion Free Methodist Church, assumed pastoral duties at First Baptist Church in September 2023.

He recently announced a name change for the church – New Hope Community Church.

The First Baptist Society was formed in Medina 195 years ago. The historic sandstone building was erected 151 years ago, having been dedicated Jan. 8, 1873, according to Mike Wright, a deacon and member of the church with his wife Joyce for more than 40 years.

Like many mainstream churches, attendance at the First Baptist Church had been declining.

“When I first started here, there was a core group who were casting a vision for the church,” LeBaron said.

“We wondered what we were going to do,” Wright said.

LeBaron grew up in Chautauqua County, attended Central Christian College in Kansas, then transferred to Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester. His first assignment was as assistant pastor in Warsaw, then lead pastor in Niagara Falls.

“When they asked me to come to Albion Free Methodist Church, I didn’t know where Albion was,” he said.

It was 2004 when he moved there with his wife Sheryl and children Ashlyn and Brendan. Two more daughters, Madison and Jillian, were born later.

(Left) The church has collected toys in the annual Red  Barrel Drive. (Right) Randy LeBaron holds a cake celebrating the name change from Frist Baptist to New Hope Community Church.

In 2019, LeBaron shifted his ministry to become a Free Methodist Conference evangelist. During that time, he founded and became president of Go Scatter Ministries, with the goal to equip Christians for everyday evangelism. He traveled and spoke to more than 100 churches in 22 denominations. He preached, presented workshops and started posting Refill with Randy videos on his blog. That led to a bi-weekly column. One received more than 18,000 shares in more than 32 countries.

“I still felt very much connected to ministry in our county,” LeBaron said.

While running Go Scatter Ministries, LeBaron became involved with other agencies, such as a volunteer with Hands 4 Hope, a counselor at Care Net and chaplain for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department. He went every other week to different churches, preaching messages on evangelism. In January 2022, he joined Hospice.

“I was just going to be there five hours a week,” LeBaron said. “But three others left for various reasons and I became spiritual care and bereavement counselor for all the grief support groups in Orleans County.”

About that time, he was asked to help as interim at North Point Chapel, at the former United Methodist Church in Albion, then other Free Methodist churches and the Albion First Baptist Church. He actually helped to bring the pastor, Marsha Rivers, to the Baptist church Jan. 1, 2023.

“Then one day Mike Wright gave me a call and asked if I could fill the pulpit of the First Baptist Church in Medina, and help them with their pastoral search after the Rev. Michael Stephenson left,” LeBaron said. “They had quite a few candidates apply, but the more I saw the heart of the people here, I felt called to put my name in.”

The Covid pandemic hit in March 2020 and churches weren’t able to do in-person services for about three months. Full attendance didn’t come back immediately when the churches reopened.

“Covid really hurt our attendance,” Wright said. “It was demoralizing – a very dark time for us, and we didn’t have the resources we needed. A lot of pastors who came to fill the pulpit had some really good messages. Buffalo pastor Rebecca Allis asked if we were not here, would people miss us. She said if the answer is ‘No,’ then you’re done. But if the answer is ‘yes,’ then you need to get involved in the community.’ And we hired Randy. He had so many contacts.”

Randy LeBaron sits at the altar of New Hope Community Church, where he preaches his sermons since becoming pastor of the church.

LeBaron started as interim Feb. 20, 2023, and was hired as lead pastor that September.

“I didn’t know if I’d fit in theologically,” LeBaron said. “A decade ago, the American Baptist denomination switched to North American Baptist Association, which now serves us more regionally and are much more mission-oriented.”

They picked three things they wanted to become involved in: Hands 4 Hope, Care Net and Campus One-80. The Campus One-80 became so popular, two young students joined and are now leading campus ministries in their college.

“When I first started here, there was a core group who were casting a vision for the church,” LeBaron said.

“But we didn’t know what to do,” Wright said.

LeBaron said when he first filled in, attendance was down and the atmosphere was dire.

“Then, suddenly there was new hope,” Wright said.

Changing the name of the church is meant to reflect that hope and give new hope to others, LeBaron said.

They had a long meeting with the congregation about changing the name. Some looked at it as “breaking my heart,” but the majority favored the change.

“We are still a Baptist Church,” LeBaron said.

 “The Lord continues to bring people he wants here and people continue to come,” Wright said. “One or two at a time, and they don’t just attend, they want to join.”

When LeBaron first came to the church, attendance averaged eight to 10 people. Now they are happy to share attendance has increased to 50 to 60, and they have performed a dozen or more baptisms.

“We are a very casual, contemporary Christ-centered church,” LeBaron said.

They meet every Sunday after church for coffee and conversation. There were a number of attendees who didn’t believe in anything, and now they want to be involved in everything, LeBaron said. Even a former atheist who now leads the new men’s group and helped carry the cross at Easter.

Their community involvement includes sponsoring a free garage sale every June, where the church basement is filled with merchandise, which people can just walk in and take. They give away hot chocolate during the Parade of Lights and coats during the winter.

A sunrise service every Christmas at 7 a.m., followed by breakfast is a tradition more than 100 years old.

Sunday worship is at 10 a.m., and this week begins a new sermon series, “Advent 2 Christmas,” to which everyone is invited.

Slowing sales tax growth, rising mandate costs strain the budget

ALBION – Orleans County legislators unanimously passed the 2025 county budget on Tuesday.

The budget represents $99,092,747 in total spending, a 7.1 percent increase that raises taxes by 1.95 percent.

Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer and also the budget officer, said nine mandated programs are seeing a $2,003,938 increase in 2025 or a 10.5 percent jump to $21,060,228. That exceeds the county’s total tax levy of $19,639,000.

The “9 for 90” mandated programs used to consume 90 percent of the tax levy, but next year will be 107 percent.

Those mandates include:

• Medicaid, $8,845,064 – up 1.7%
• Public Assistance/ Safety Net, $2,974,100 – up 27.6%
• Child Welfare/Protection $2,259,557 – 2.9%
• Special Education, $1,006,696 – up 1.6%
• Indigent Defense, $749,690 – 6.9%
• Probation – $694,581, down 10.9%
• Mental Health – Law Expense § 730.30 (competency exams), $500,000 – up 1,000%
• Early Intervention, $318,681 – up 15.3%
• Pension, $3,711,859 – up 22.0%

Total: $21,060,228, or  $2,003,938 over 2024 budget

Another big expense for the county, health insurance, will see a 19.8 percent increase to $7.7 million.

“The true challenge of this expense is that nearly 24 percent of this cost is for one drug,” Welch said in his budget message. “As an experience-rated group, orphan drug expenses play a significant role in the calculation of health insurance premium rates by all health insurance companies.”

The budget increases the tax levy by $375,000 from the $19,264,000 for 2024. That increase keeps the county under the tax cap, Welch said.

The tax rate will drop by 66 cents per $1,000 of assessed property to $7.91 due to growth in the tax base through reassessments. Not all the towns pay the same tax rate because not all have completed recent town-wide reassessments to put them at full values. Towns that are considered under value by the state will pay higher tax rates to be determined just before the tax bills go out in January.

Sales tax helps offset property taxes, and sales tax has been rising significantly in recent years. However, this year it was $900,000 below the amount in 2023 for the first six months, but then saw an $800,000 jump in the third quarter.

“Accrued sales tax collections year-to-date are still below 2023,” Welch said. “This is the first time since 2016 we have experienced this. Residents have shifted their spending from taxable sales to sales that do not have a sales tax connected to essential goods like food and rent.”

Welch said the recent increase in sales tax has been consumed by state mandates which include the increased costs for the homeless crisis and the Mental Health Law expense Section 730.30 – competency exams to determine a defendant’s competency. The county has experienced big increases in homeless placements the past 30 months for temporary and emergency housing, Welch said.

The budget includes $10,925,755 in a capital plan for projects and equipment upgrades.

That includes the following departments:

Highway – $8,132,479

Peter Bilt 10-wheeler, $260,000; Rollers, $200,000; local bridge and culvert repairs, $200,000; two pickup trucks on lease, $22,104; Upper Holley and South Holley Road replace and overlay, $460,000; patch and seal county roads, $200,000; highway reconstruction, $2,464,280; Eagle Harbor Road culvert replacement design, $170,000; Eagle Harbor Road culvert replacement, $759,625; Gillette Road bridge replacement design, $289,270; bridge preventive maintenance, $1,809,300; Route 279 bridge replacement, $1,136,900; Lakeshore Road bridge design, $161,000.

Buildings and Grounds – $1,410,000

Public Safety Roof, $1,200,000; sewer lateral lining, $150,000; Mental Health and Clerk’s buildings, $50,000; Animal Control roof, $10,000.

Information Technology Services – $70,000

Firewall replacement, $70,000.

Sheriff’s Office – $1,313,276

Dispatcher Stations upgrade, $810,000; jail repairs, $200,000; Jail vests, $13,000; Axon Tasers lease in jail, $6,000; animal control leased truck, $15,000; fleet maintenance program 2022, $66,493; fleet maintenance program 2024, $52,958; fleet maintenance program 2025, $106,000; Tasers lease from 2024 to 2028, $43,825.

The county budget includes 445 full-time, 107 part-time and 163 seasonal positions across numerous programs and services. This is a decrease of 4 full-time positions and an increase of 10 part-time positions compared to 2024.

The county has struggled to fill some positions in the government. With that reality, plus the rise in costs for employee benefits, the county has begun changing the work week for employees from 35 hours per week to 37.5 hours per week – with a goal of 40 hours per week rather than hiring additional employees, Welch said.

The annual fee for solid waste and recycling service will increase $5 to $225. This fee will continue to support the e-waste collection efforts for county residents at three sites across Orleans County.

Lantern parade added to the festivities

Photo by Tom Rivers: Corey Fults, a lineman with the Village of Holley Electric Department, puts lights on a tree in Holley’s Public Square on Thursday.

HOLLEY – The Village of Holley will have its annual tree-lighting ceremony at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday when the names of people honored with memory bulbs are read aloud.

Sal DeLuca, recently recognized by the Village Board as Holley’s Citizen of the Year, will be part of the ceremony as well.

The village is trying a new lantern parade, too. People are welcome to bring paper lanterns or other more sturdy ones for a parade. If there are enough lanterns, the parade will start at 6 p.m. and go from the pharmacy to the Public Square.

If there are only a few, people are welcome to just have them at the tree lighting. The Community Free Library has hosted lantern-making workshops to help people make the lanterns. They have been designed and decorated with a theme from The 12 Days of Christmas.

After the tree-lighting, the community is welcome to go the fire hall to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus.

There will also be horse-drawn carriage rides for free from 1 to 4:30 p.m., with pick up and drop off at the Murray-Holley Historical Society Museum.

The American Legion also will be hosting a craft show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The big Santa statue in the Public Square was blasted with snow during an intense snow squall on Thursday morning.

ALBION – The American Legion family of organizations in Albion has donated to the Toys for Tots program, filling boxes with toys.

Brad Rouse, commander of the Sheret Post 35 in Albion, said the Legion donated money last year. This year the organization ourchased toys and made monetary donations.

Rachael Spearance and Karen Dawley from the Auxiliary went shopping for the American Legion, Auxiliary and Legion Riders. Debbie Hennekey and Lindsey Monacelli of the Auxilary shopped for Sheret Post 35 and Sons of Legion.

The groups and supporters donated $990, in addition to purchasing toys.

“Thank you goes out to all our members for the continued donations of goods, volunteering and services from the community all year long,” said Brad Rouse, the Legion commander.

American Legion Sheret Post 35 – from left Phil Warne, Rick Ebbs, Wally Skrypnik, Jim Hollinger, Robert Gilsinan, Joe Gehl, Brad Rouse, Ray Madigan and Tom Sietmann.

Sons of Legion – from left Brad Rouse, Mike Riegle, Roger Ettinger, Pete Hennekey ,Ray Madigan and Tom Sietmann.

Auxiliary – from left Lori Recco, Lindsey Monacelli, Debbie Hennekey, Caroline Gibson, Carol Rouse, Wendy Hinkley, Racheal Spearance, Ray Madigan and Tom Sietmann.

Legion Riders – from left Lori Recco, Mike Riegle, Ray Madigan and Tom Sietmann.

Auxilary members presenting checks from C.W. Cold Storage, and Presidents Village. From left Lindsey Monacelli, Debbie Hennekey, Ray Madigan and Tom Sietmann.