Archive: News

Fire Commissioners rejected all bids on a half million dollar pumper/tanker fire truck when a sales representative from Gorman Emergency Vehicles complained that a competing bid by Pierce Manufacturing did not comply with Lansing Fire District rules because it had been handed in 17 minutes after the 5pm deadline. Sales Representative Eric Saulsbury said that the bid from his company was legally accepted two minutes before the deadline. Saulsbury also accused the district of slanting the bid specifications which are laid out in a document of more than 100 pages, toward fire trucks that Piece manufactures. he speculated that was the reason only two bids were submitted.

"The specification is clearly tailored to Pierce Manufacturing fire apparatus that you currently have in service," he said. "We see a specification that specifically calls on a Detroit diesel engine available to only one manufacturer in the United States. Suspensions, command zone electrical systems... all those things are truly against New York State bidding laws."

The Lansing Town Board passed a $4.3 million budget Wednesday, but Village of Lansing Mayor Donald Hartill was not happy.  For the past several years Hartill has been arguing for a reduction in villagers' town taxes because he says they do not receive services for them.  In 2010 Hartill said that village taxpayers pay the Town $700,000 per year, but only receive $100,000 in services from the Town.  Earlier this year Hartill met with the new Town Board, but no consideration to the issue was evident in budget that was passed this week.

"Villagers are paying a significant amount of money for snow plowing in the township," Hartill complained.  "In many ways the Village residents are subsidizing the Town in a significant way.  That is a problem."

Because of the disruptions statewide from the hurricane, the New York State Board of Elections has changed some absentee deadlines for the November 6 General Election as follows:

Extension of Absentee Ballot Application Deadline: The State Board of Elections has approved an extension of the Absentee Ballot deadline for all voters in the state from October 30th to November 2nd. Therefore, for all absentee ballot applications sent by MAIL or FAX, they now must be received no later than Friday, November 2nd. The IN PERSON deadline remains Monday, November 5th.

In a brief special session, the Tompkins County Legislature formally adopted amendments to the County Administrator’s 2013 Tentative Budget and 2013-2017 Capital and 2013-2017 Capital Program, as recommended by its Expanded Budget Committee.  With eight Legislators present, the vote was unanimous.  (Legislators Nate Shinagawa, Kathy Luz Herrera, Carol Chock, Pam Mackesey, Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, Frank Proto, and Pat Pryor were excused.)

The amended budget would increase the County tax levy by 3.77% and the countywide average tax rate by 1.95%.  The recommended tax rate of $6.80 per thousand is 2 cents higher than in the Administrator’s budget, and an increase of 13 cents compared to 2012, representing an increase of $20.83 for the average $160,000 home.  The amended budget is $124,480 higher than the Administrator’s budget.

Lansing voters will elect a president, senator, congressman, state supreme court justice, and town councilperson Tuesday.  They will also vote on a gambling law that updates a 1958 gaming law.  If passed the law will bring Lansing into compliance with New York State law as well as to raise the gaming limits.  It will impact all local charitable games of chance including raffles, fifty-fifties, bell jar games, and Bingo.

"My understanding is that 9/11 was the big impetus, because a lot of the money was being raised and going who knows where," says Lansing Supervisor Kathy Miller.  "Some groups were raising quite a bit of money.  The bingo law was always good, except we needed to increase the amounts allowed.  And the people who host Bingo in Lansing have been very good, following the letter of that law.  But now if you want to have a 50/50 raffle you need to have a permit."

The Lansing Town Board considered a new plan for financing a sewerproject that would significantly reduce costs for sewer district residents in a special working session Wednesday.  Until last week town officials' approach has been that only residents within the sewer district would pay all sewer costs.  But as the final map plan report is crafted officials are considering an all-town plan that would reduce costs to district residents by two thirds by spreading capital costs town-wide.  Town Attorney Guy Krogh said that a town-wide sewer may be of benefit to all Lansing residents.

"You're going to pay one way or the other," he said.  "The question is do you want to get something for it and take a shot that it's going to reduce your taxes in the long run, or do you just want to sit and wait for the boulder to fall?"

County and City emergency managers continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Sandy, as it approaches up the east coast, and continue to advise residents to take precautions to protect themselves and to prepare for the storm.

The latest briefing from the National Weather Service reports Hurricane Sandy is expected to make landfall sometime between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. near Cape May, NJ. Strong, sustained winds are continued to be anticipated as the primary hazard for our area. Sustained winds of 30-40 miles per hour are expected, with frequent gusts of up to 70 miles per hour for a four-to-six hour window, increasing throughout the day today, becoming stronger this evening, and peaking overnight. Winds will subside during the day Tuesday.

Lansing School Business Administrator Mary June King gave the Lansing Board of Education a first look at the 2013-2014 $26.95 million budget Monday.  As in the last several years there is a daunting budget gap, this time $3,240,000.  In past years school officials have reduced the gap by applying monies not spent in the previous year, making cuts in personnel and materials, using reserves, and raising taxes.

In past years the district has struggled with declining state and federal aid, referred to as the 'budget cliff' as well as a dramatic decrease in the negotiated value of the local power plant, the district's largest taxpayer, from $160 million in 2009-2010 to $74 million in the coming year to $60 million two years from now.  Despite the power plant decline King was optimistic.

A wide-ranging audit released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli uncovered numerous cases of abuse of taxpayer dollars at the SUNY Research Foundation over a number of years. Auditors found improper credit card use, conflicts of interest related to contracts and overpayment of a senior counsel, among other problems.

In light of the findings, DiNapoli announced a new audit of how the Research Foundation charges SUNY campuses for overhead costs, the financial impacts of those charges on the campuses and the administration of overhead dollars administered by the foundation.

Seven weeks after receiving a recommended 2013 County Budget from County Administrator Joe Mareane, Legislators acting as an Expanded Budget Committee began to propose recommended changes to the budget, after hearing presentations from departments and agencies.    Twelve legislators were present a tonight’s meeting.

Reviewing nearly two dozen proposed amendments, legislators recommended the following changes to the budget.  Tonight’s decisions may be reconsidered at later expanded committee meetings and will require approval by the full Legislature to become final.

Nate Shinagawa (D) has lived in the Finger Lakes region for over a decade, and has spent six of those years on the Tompkins County Legislature, where he currently serves as Vice-Chair.  He is a hospital administrator at Guthrie Health.  he says his run for Congress is a 'progressive, assertive grassroots campaign to shatter the gridlock in Washington and make government work again for everyday Americans'.

The Lansing Star caught up with him at his Ithaca campaign headquarters last week to ask him why he is running, and what he will do in Washington if elected.

Lansing Star: After redistricting, the new 23rd district is not as conservative as it was.  After being a legislator in Tompkins County it's a whole different picture now.  How is this going to change the way you represent the whole district?

Tom Reed (R) was elected to fill the remaining term of Congressman Eric Massa (D)  a special election, then was elected to his first full term in the U.S. Congress in 2010.  He currently serves on the House Ways and Means Committee.  He is a former Mayor of Corning, which is also his home town.  An Attorney, Reed opened a private practice in Corning in 1999 and was a partner in real estate and mortgage brokerage businesses.

Last Friday Reed spoke to the Lansing Star on the telephone to answer questions about his candidacy and talk about how he will represent the newly formed 23rd district if elected.

Lansing Star: Your old 29th District was more conservative than the new 23rd District is, and certainly Tompkins County.  Will this change the way you represent your district in any way?