Archive: News

With shocking new video evidence revealing continued violence and mismanagement in New York’s juvenile centers, State Senator Mike Nozzolio is renewing his call for the immediate resignation of Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) Commissioner Gladys Carrion.

Security video footage, unveiled by a former New York State Commission of Corrections employee, showed residents violently assaulting each other and staff in the State’s four juvenile secure centers, including a gang attack on a 65-year old female teacher.

NYS Senator Mike NozzolioState Senator Mike Nozzolio has successfully called for the withdrawal of an outrageous new tax proposal that would require every bicycle in the State to be licensed.

The proposed legislation, introduced in the New York City-controlled State Assembly, would have created even more unnecessary regulations and fees for taxpayers by mandating that all bicycles be registered and forced to pass inspection.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna (R,C,I-Barneveld) highlighted a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Monday, which points to federal programs that could be consolidated or eliminated to save taxpayer money.

Hanna joined with Congressman Bill Owens from New York’s 23rd Congressional District and sent a letter to President Barack Obama requesting his Administration compile a list of federal programs that could be eliminated based on duplication, overlap or fragmentation of services.

The Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee today heard a sobering assessment regarding how the Governor’s executive budget for the coming fiscal year could affect county government and local health and human services programs.  The committee called the special session to hear reports of anticipated budget impacts from the County Departments of Social Services, Health, and Youth Services, and Office for the Aging, as well as other county agencies affected by State funding decisions.

County Administrator Joe Mareane cautioned that the Governor’s budget carries close to $1.3 million in direct cuts to County programs—many retroactive—that, once adopted, will be felt in the County’s 2011 budget year.  “These cuts are our reality as of April,” the administrator warned, and he urged legislators to think about how the County can respond to and absorb the cuts in the current budget.

School Business Administrator continued her series of budget updates Monday for the Lansing Board Of Education.  King has been reporting on sections of the budget at each meeting so that board members can have the whole picture of the budget before they begin debating the 2011-2012 budget in earnest.  This week she attacked the co-curricular and extra-curricular portions, and updated the board on a projected gap between revenues and expenditures.

"The presentation I gave in October showed a budget gap of $2.7 million," King said.  "We're not far off of that now.  So we've been on the same page all along in terms of what we're projecting our budget to be."

The Legislature, by a vote of 11-3, once again asked the State Legislature to approve legislation which would authorize the County to increase the county mortgage recording tax by 0.25% if it so desires.  (Legislators Mike Lane, Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, and Frank Proto voted no; Legislator Nathan Shinagawa was excused.)

The County first requested the home rule authorization in 2009, but the request was embargoed by Senate leadership late last session, along with all other local home rule requests, after having been approved by the Assembly.  In discussions and correspondence with members of the State Legislature, the County has repeatedly urged that the home rule authority be granted.  The action only requests the authorization to consider the increase; if granted, the Legislature would still need to vote on whether or not to increase the mortgage tax.

Lansing Fire Commissioners made a tough decision that may mean no Easter Egg hunt in April and no carnival in May.  The field behind Lansing Central Fire Station, traditionally used for both events, will house construction equipment and supplies while an addition to the station is built stating this Spring.  Fire commissioners fear that inviting the public to the site during construction is asking for trouble.

"The insurance company had a problem with public events behind Central Station while construction is going on," said Fire Commissioner Chairman Robert Wagner at a commission meeting Tuesday.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoliState agencies are wasting millions of dollars annually on equipment and computer maintenance, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said today as his office issued new guidance on equipment and software maintenance contracts.

"Over the last two years alone, as the state faced fiscal uncertainty, state agencies wasted millions on equipment and software maintenance,” DiNapoli said. “Now more than ever, taxpayers can’t afford to foot the bill for government waste. The guidance we issued today will help agencies make better purchasing decisions and save taxpayer dollars for years to come."

U.S. Rep. Richard HannaWashington, D.C. – The federal government will meet its obligations to road and highway projects this construction season, U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna (R,C,I-Barneveld) announced today.

The House is expected to pass H.R. 662, the “Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011,” which extends the federal highway and transit programs through the end of September.

The Legislature, by a vote of 11-3, approved creation of a confidential investigator position in the District Attorney’s Office.  (Legislators Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, Brian Robison, and Mike Lane voted no; Legislator Nathan Shinagawa was excused.) 

The investigator will serve as a liaison between the D.A.’s Office and law enforcement agencies and will investigate matters initiated by the D.A.’s Office.  District Attorney Gwen Wilkinson said the position is needed to address both the increase in local crimes and changes in the type of local crime.

With blowing snow and sub-zero temperatures you wouldn't think now is the time to be thinking about a marina.  But that is exactly what Lansing town officials are doing now to prepare for the boating season this spring.  Construction on a new retaining wall, docks, and slips for the Lansing Town Marina at Myers Park is in full swing, with town Highway Department employees doing most of the work, saving the Town about half the cost of the project.

"The construction project should be in good shape by spring," says Park Superintendent Steve Colt.  "The next phase is to bring in some blacktop to cover up all those places that have been chewed up and dug up.  That will start to bring this place back to normal.  It will look good and it will be functional.  We're looking forward to getting all this done and getting into the boating season."

The Legislature’s Government Operations Committee  began to examine a draft proposal last Friday for how County the task of County redistricting could be approached, once 2010 Census results are received. It is expected results of last year’s once-a-decade Census count will be in hand soon .

The committee began to consider a proposal prepared by committee chair Mike Lane for establishing an independent Tompkins County Redistricting Commission, appointed by the Legislature, to prepare  “a fair and non-partisan plan of reapportionment plan for County legislative districts” to present to the Legislature for approval.