Archive: News

Legislature Adopts 2016 Financial Goal
As the first step in the process of developing the 2016 Tompkins County budget, the Legislature has approved a 2016 financial goal that directs the County Administrator Joe Mareane to prepare a recommended operating and capital budget that can be supported with a tax levy increase of 1.3%.  The 1.3% levy increase, which equals approximately $600,000 over the 2015 property tax levy, would meet the currently estimated State-imposed property tax cap for Tompkins County, 1.3%.
 
The tax levy guideline, requested by Administrator Mareane as a basis for working with departments and preparing his 2016 recommended budget, is characterized as the basis for a "maintenance of effort" budget for County departments, while addressing other critical needs and priorities.  Budget committee chair Jim Dennis noted that this approach, as advanced by the Administrator, will enable county government to "get stronger, not bigger" within the capacity of the tax cap.  Departments and agencies will still have the opportunity to submit over target requests for funding in excess of their 2016 spending targets.  It is estimated that, based on current data, the 1.3% levy increase would increase the cost for a median-valued $165,000 county home by approximately $15.00.  Mr. Dennis said a decrease in the cost of some of the County's mandated programs, a decline in mandated State pension costs, solid sales tax collections, and results from decisions made in past years have all contributed to the budget outlook for 2016,
 

Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WFP – 125th) signed on to a new bill Tuesday introduced in the State Assembly by Assemblywoman Nolan, Chair of the Assembly Education Committee, that would make a number of changes to education law.

"This has been a difficult time for education in our state," said Lifton. "All across New York over the last month, we have heard from parents, teachers, and educators who are united in their concern about the future of education and about the impact of high-stakes testing on our children," said Lifton. "The changes proposed in this bill, from providing a public comment period on the State Education Department (SED) draft teacher evaluation proposal, extending the deadline for districts to have a teacher evaluation plan in place, to requiring the SED to review the Common Core learning standards, are critical measures that will help put education policy back where it belongs, in the hands of parents, teachers, and education professionals. I'm proud to be a co-sponsor of this bill."

The Lansing Town Board is planning to vote on a law that would ban hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) within town borders.  Town Attorney Guy Krogh has crafted a law that is currently under review by board members and the Town Drilling Committee.  At a working meeting Wednesday, Supervisor Kathy Miller said there could be a law in place before the end of June.

"This was authorised back in October or November," Krogh said.  "There was a lot of discussion that as long as it wasn't some type of heavy industry ban, and didn't affect our existing businesses, and as long as it was specific to this type of gas drilling and not other types of fracturing operations like water wells, salt mining, etcetera, that it was fine."

Lansing Town Board Members may significantly raise agricultural rent on a large portion of the 156 acre land that may become a town center some day.  In recent years local farmer Ray Sill has leased the land.  But board members are considering raising the rent five times higher than they previously charged.  Councilman Ed LaVigne estimated that the Town could add an additional $6,500 per year.  But board members had questions about what a fair rent would be.

"There are other farmers that are land hungry, depending on what they want to grow there," said LaVigne.  "Multiply $65 by 100 acres and you have to have an increase of assessed value of roughly $4.25 million back.  It's a big chunk of money every year.  It's found money."

Lansing had two elections this week.  In the Village of Lansing two trustee seats were up for grabs, and Mayor Donald Hartill was reelected.  But with a write-in campaign that saw 90 write-in votes, the unofficial count shows that Pat O'Rourke and Ronny Hardaway won the two Village Trustee seats.  The Lansing Community Library (LCL) results were clearer.  Incumbent trustees Matt Montague, Ron Ostman, and Ami Stallone were all reelected, and a tax levy increase was approved 187 to 23.

"We are continually amazed at how this library has thrived and grown," said Library Board of Trustees President Emily Franco.  "Today we are delighted to see the ongoing support from our community, because it means they find our services worthwhile,” noted Emily Franco, President of the Board of Trustees."

24% of Lansing students, including nearly half the seventh grade class, refused to take state ELA (English Language Arts) tests this school year.  Most of those opting to skip the tests were in the middle school with nearly half of Lansing's seventh graders refusing to take the test.  But Superintendent Chris Pettograsso assured school board members that even if the district's federal funding is partially withheld it will not have a significant impact on Lansing's school budget.

"It's about $100,000, specifically in Title 1 funds," she explained.  "As far as Lansing in particular, we will be the least affected.  The schools that it is going to be hitting and hurting are high poverty schools that are mostly funded by Federal monies and have UPK (Universal PreKindergarten) programs and such.  I don't believe at this point, at least, it will impact us.  But we know that can change at any time."

Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WFP – 125th) has written a letter to Thomas Rochon, President of Ithaca College, urging the Ithaca College administration and Board of Trustees to respect the right of Ithaca College part-time faculty to organize and to vote to form a union.

"The freedom to form a union is a core principle of our state, as well as a fundamental human right," said Lifton. "All workers should be free to organize, join a union, and bargain collectively for better wages and/or working conditions if they so wish. I am confident that President Rochon and the Ithaca College administration will show the utmost respect for part-time faculty members at Ithaca College as they continue their efforts to determine if a critical mass of support is there to form a union. I am hopeful that they will demonstrate to the entire community, throughout this process, that they hold dear these core human rights."

Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WFP – 125th) offered her strong support for the Board of Regents' directive to the state education department to push back the deadline for school districts to fully implement new teacher evaluations to Sept. 2016 instead of Nov. 15 of this year – ensuring that schools won't have to worry about having their state funding put in jeopardy this year. Lifton noted that making sure local schools have the funding they need to continue providing a quality education to students has been and remains a top priority, and school children shouldn't have to suffer any consequences resulting from a deadline being missed.

"This is exactly why the Assembly Majority fought so hard during budget negotiations to put the teacher evaluation system into the hands of the Board of Regents," said Lifton. "We made sure the budget language was crafted to give the Board of Regents significant flexibility in coming up with a new teacher evaluation system. The Assembly Majority also made sure that dedicated education experts who actually understand what goes on in the classroom were elected to the Board of Regents. We're seeing the results of those wise decisions today."

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced that an audit of the New York City Department of Education (DoE) found it did not report hundreds of violent and disruptive incidents to the State Education Department (SED) as required under the Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) Act. SED uses local districts' reports of disruptive behavior to create School Violence Indexes (SVI) that can determine if a school needs to develop safety and emergency response plans.

"Every child has a fundamental right to an education in a safe environment," DiNapoli said. "When school districts fail to report disruptive and violent incidents, or downgrade them, they leave parents in the dark and children in danger. I'm encouraged that the Department of Education agreed with most of our recommendations and I expect they will address the shortcomings we've found."

Congressman Tom Reed today formally established and hosted the first event of the Private Property Rights Caucus in the House of Representatives.  The idea for the caucus came out of a recent roundtable Reed held with farmers and local officials in Allegany County.  Fourteen Members of Congress from eleven states ranging from Maine to Arizona join Reed as original members of the caucus.

"We are hearing not only from New Yorkers but from Americans across the country about how important it is to defend the rights of property owners from an overreaching federal government," Reed explained. "The Private Property Rights Caucus will provide a platform to educate Members of Congress on the egregious actions that government at all levels imposes on property owners and how we can protect property owners' Constitutional rights as granted by the Fifth Amendment."

State Senator Nozzolio announced last Friday that the State Senate has enacted legislation which he sponsored to create the 'New York State Veterans Remembrance' license plate.  This distinctive plate will be available to veterans or spouses of veterans in honor of their service and sacrifice to our state and nation.

"There is no greater debt of honor owed to anyone, than that which we as Americans owe to the brave men and women who have served and currently serve in our Armed Forces," said Nozzolio.  "This distinctive license plate will allow us to recognize and honor our veterans, as they so rightly deserve."

Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) formula grants totaling $4,457,164 have been awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to support New York domestic violence victims and organizations.

“ACF is proud to be partnering with communities to identify solutions and support services addressing the traumatic impact of domestic violence,” said Bill Bentley, associate commissioner of the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB).  “Domestic violence coalitions, local domestic violence programs, tribes, and culturally specific community based organizations are all an integral part of any coordinated response to domestic violence.”