Archive: News

After learning what impact the new state Tax Cap law could have on future Town budgets last week, the Lansing Town Board continued to debate a proposed tax rate cut that could be as much as 33%.  Lansing Supervisor Scott Pinney asked each board member whether they had come up with anything not previously considered that could impact the budget.  But after considering a number of real impacts and possible ones, three of the five board members said they are still comfortable with a 33% tax rate drop this January.

"I'm using the best numbers that we have," Pinney said.  "If we used every single 'if' we'd have to raise the tax rate.  So these are the best numbers that I've come up with over two months.  We'll still have an increase in our fund balance.  The plan would be to look at it again next year, take whatever that number is, cut it again, look at it again, and hopefully cut it again in the third year."

This week's New york State Department Of Transportation (DOT) advisory said that a culvert replacement project that has closed Auburn Road (34B) since mid-September could be completed by November 7th.  The culvert is in front of the girl's juvenile detention facility, about a tenth of a mile south of Bower road in Lansing.

Originally the culvert was scheduled to be replaced next year, but it was mover higher in DOT's priorities when it was discovered that  salt damage, normal wear and tear, and old age have contributed to severe deterioration of concrete and steel in the structure.

Town Board members were torn when Dawn Kleeschulte came to Monday's budget meeting to ask for an additional $2,000 for the Lansing Youth Services (LYS) Commission.  The commission is currently trying to hire a program director to manage its myriad of middle school programs, but due to cuts by the Tompkins County Legislature, can't afford to keep the position at full time status.  The board was torn between funding a good cause at a time when the Town is considering a major tax reduction, and setting a precedent that could drain town resources in future years.  Marty Christopher and Kathy Miller were willing to vote for the increase on a one-time basis.  But other board members said no.

"I've heard from more people, 'I can't believe you're not funding this'," Miller argued.  "Someone said to me, 'When you are looking at fund balances like this and decreasing our tax rate like that and don't give LYS the $2,000  you've got egg all over your face'."

The County’s Independent Redistricting Commission, charged with recommending a plan for reapportioning County legislative districts based on the 2010 Census, continued its work this week.  Members reviewed a number of alternatives based on a Legislature of 13 to 16 members, considered issues raised from past comments received, and looked ahead to the timetable for the Commission’s future work.

Commission members, meeting on Wednesday, agreed that, based on comments received so far, there are key issues that the Commission should consider whenever possible when drawing district boundaries.  Those issues include achieving equal population, within the permitted 10% deviation; maintaining communities of interest and neighborhoods; reducing sliver districts into the Town of Ithaca; reflecting municipal boundaries; considering the impact of Legislature size on legislative workload; and reducing potential elections expense.

Legislators acting as an Expanded Budget Committee moved ahead in the 2012 County Budget process tonight, recommending for consideration by the Legislature an amended tentative 2012 County budget that would raise the tax levy by 3.99%.  The recommended amended budget, to be presented to the Legislature next Tuesday, would increase the countywide average tax rate by 3.1%, to $6.67 per thousand dollars assessed property value.  The tax increase for an average $160,000 home would rise by $31.85.

The budget would reduce County Administrator Joe Mareane’s recommended budget by $572,000.  Its recommended levy increase of 3.99% compares with a 5.4% levy increase that had been recommended by the Administrator to meet the Legislature’s initial 2012 tax levy goal, and is a little more than 1% above the estimated 2.9% levy increase consistent with the State property tax cap.

New York State Senator Mike Nozzolio has announced that he is co-sponsoring landmark mandate relief legislation (S.5889) that would remove the burden of Medicaid costs from county governments and save property taxpayers billions of dollars every year.

“In order to turn our State around, encourage private sector job growth and provide much-needed relief for our taxpayers, it is critically important to eliminate unfunded State mandates that drive up local costs. New York has the most expensive Medicaid program in the Nation and Medicaid costs are by far the largest unfunded mandate placing a burden on County budgets,” said Nozzolio. “This legislation will provide immediate relief to property taxpayers and give local governments greater control of their own costs.”

When Connie Wilcox pulled out as a Democratic candidate for Lansing Town Board to campaign as an independent for the Supervisor position, Ruth Hopkins was chosen by the Lansing Democratic Committee to replace her.  Hopkins has served on the Lansing Zoning Ordinance Review Committee, and currently on the Lansing Pathways Committee.  She is an active member of the Lansing Lions Club, and this year brought the Flare Sale to Lansing.

Hopkins and her husband Roger have lived in Lansing for 11 years.  They have two grown children, and their first grandchild was born last weekend.  She is retired from the University of Rochester, where she worked for 30 years.  She is a consultant, currently working with SUNY Leadership Institute, where she is developing leadership development programs for faculty, staff, and administrators.  She talked to the Star Tuesday about her campaign.

The Legislature’s Capital Plan Review Committee on Thursday continued to examine potential Center of Government alternatives, as architects presented elements of their preliminary report regarding whether a business case exists for replacing or reconfiguring buildings in the County’s current Courthouse complex.

Last month, HOLT Architects presented the committee with four options that included \ improving current buildings, building a new Center of Government  building on the Old Library site, or adding a two-story addition to the  present “Building C,” which currently houses the Board of Elections, Assessment, and Information Technology Services.

Six weeks after receiving a recommended 2012 County Budget from County Administrator Joe Mareane, Legislators acting as an Expanded Budget Committee began the process of proposing recommended changes to the budget, after hearing presentations from departments and agencies.    Fourteen legislators were present for tonight’s meeting (Legislator Leslyn McBean-Clairborne was excused.)

The County Administrator’s budget, containing $77.8 million in local dollar spending begins with what could be supported under New York State’s Property Tax Cap—a 2.9% levy increase—but recommends a levy increase of 5.4%, in line with the 2012 levy goal set by the Legislature last spring.

The Legislature, by a vote of 11-4, approved sale of the County’s Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA) to the firm HCR, based in Rochester, NY, directing the County to enter into a sales agreement, pending State Health Department approval, for the CHHA’s Operating Certificate.  (Legislators Dooley Kiefer, Pam Mackesey, Leslyn McBean-Clairborne and Health and Human Services Chair Frank Proto voted no.) 

The action resolves a more than year-long process to determine the fate of the CHHA.  HCR, one of two firms to respond to the County’s Request for Proposals, has offered $850,000 to purchase the agency license.  The action also authorizes the County Administrator to enter into a management contract with HCR, under which HCR will operate the CHHA on behalf of the County until the State approves the sale.  Costs associated with the management agreement are expected to be more than offset by sale proceeds.  The sale to HCR was recommended by the Legislature’s Health and Human Services and budget committees.

Legislature Calls for Open Process for Africana Center Realignment
By a vote of 13-2, the Legislature urged Cornell University Administrators to engage in an open, inclusive process in implementing plans to restructure the University’s Africana Studies and Research Center, as they change it from the cross-disciplinary, intercollegiate unit that it has been since its founding in 1969 to an administrative unit with the College of Arts and Sciences.  (Legislators Dooley Kiefer and Carol Chock dissented.)  Legislators in June had declined to support a different resolution concerning Africana, requesting that the restructuring be delayed.  The latest resolution,/approved tonight, asks that Cornell administrators consider all implications of its realignment and encourages the University to commit itself to an open process with the support of the majority of Center faculty in selecting permanent leadership, and it strongly recommends that Center faculty be included in the process of the restructure.  It was noted that members and supporters of Africana have asked for the Legislature’s support on this issue.

Village of Lansing Trustees passed a new law Monday that will allow temporary commercial and non-commercial activities in the Village.  The law covers everything from sales in the Shops at Ithaca Mall parking lot to girl scout cookie tables in front of Tops.

"This local law now reflects a number of changes to the zoning law with respect to these kinds of uses," says Village Attorney David Dubow.  "The most effective part of this is a grid section that explains where these certain activities can take place and what restrictions apply to each of the activities."