Archive: News

Finance Director Rick Snyder presented a positive year-end Sales Tax Report. While, receipts for the month of December were down by 7.8% (since they compared to an abnormally high increase for a year earlier), the County's portion of sales tax distributions for the fourth quarter of 2018 was up 1.33% from the prior year—the highest fourth quarter on record.

As of year's end, distributions for the County's portion of sales tax revenue totaled nearly $37.2 million, an increase of more than $1.9 million year-over-year, or 5.47%, For the year, Snyder reported that the County came in at more than $2.9 million over budget projections (or 108.% of budget) - the highest year for the County.

More than two years after a two-level parking garage in Johnson City collapsed, trapping nearly two dozen vehicles,  both the State Assembly and Senate passed a law requiring the inspections state-wide.  But Governor Andrew Cuomo vetoed the bill.  So the state has passed the responsibility down to local municipalities, requiring them to pass local laws requiring parking garage regulation.  The Village of Lansing is doing that... even though there are no parking garages within its borders.

"The State said we must have this," said Village Attorney William Troy Monday at a Board of Trustees meeting. "To my knowledge, in the history of this Village we have never had a parking garage.  We don't have one now.  There's absolutely no reason to think we'll have one at any time in the future.  But we have to do this."

Washington - Congressman Tom Reed, Republican Leader of the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee, and Republican Members of the Ways and Means Committee highlighted how any reform to Social Security must be bipartisan at today's Improving Retirement Security for American Workers hearing.

Reed emphasized his own personal experience as the youngest of 12 children, raised by a single mother on a Social Security check, and how important this program is for people.

Romulus, NY - Senators Rachel May (D) and Pamela Helming (R) and Assemblymember Michael Cusick (D), with strong support from Assemblymembers Phil Palmesano (R) and Brian Kolb (R), introduced bills in the state Senate and Assembly that would stop developers from building garbage incinerators in the Finger Lakes. The legislation, S2270 and A5029, would prohibit construction of trash incinerators in the Finger Lakes Watershed, squashing Circular enerG's proposal to build one of the state's largest waste incinerators at the former Seneca Army Depot.

Thirty-five groups and elected officials, representing Finger Lakes businesses and wineries -including David Kaiser, Supervisor of the Town of Romulus and Seneca Lake Guardian- which has spearheaded the effort to stop the incinerator, applauded the bill introduction as an important way to protect the Finger Lakes economy. Barring swift passage of this bill, the Finger Lakes region faces a lengthy, costly Article 10 process that removes local control of decision-making over the project.

After President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday, elected leaders were quick to respond.  Here is a collection of statements made by Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senators Chuck Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand, and Congressman Tom Reed after the President delivered his address.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Last night, in his State of the Union address, President Trump attacked New York's Reproductive Health Act, spreading falsehoods about the abortion law to inflame his base, and announcing his intention to roll back the reproductive protections that have been in place for 46 years since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced last Friday New York's efforts to deter underage drinking resulted in a record number of fake identification seizures in 2018. The year-round Operation Prevent initiative focuses on concert venues, bars, restaurants and alcohol retailers throughout the State. The State seized 892 fake documents as part of the initiative, up from 814 in 2017.

"It goes without saying that New York State has absolutely zero tolerance for underage drinking, and last year's record number of fake ID seizures demonstrates once again that we are deadly serious about tackling this issue," Cuomo said. "Underage drinking often leads to avoidable tragedies, and we will continue these successful enforcement measures to crack down on illegal behavior and ensure the safety of all New Yorkers."

Because of work in progress toward legislation at the State level, County Administrator Jason Molino has advised that Tompkins County put a pause on drafting a potential local law to ban single-use plastic bags at the county level. Governor Cuomo's Executive Budget, released January 15, includes State legislation that would ban single-use plastic bags provided to customers, as of March 1, 2020.

Mr. Molino shared with the Legislature's Planning, Development, and Environmental Quality Committee limited details about the legislation released by the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC). Included is a provision that would preempt local governments from passing laws related to the recycling of plastic bags and film plastic, as well as imposing fees or other measures associated with single-use plastic bags. (The legislation, however, would not preclude local governments from placing a fee on paper carryout bags.)

Washington, DC - Representatives Tom Reed (R-NY), Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and Jackie Speier (D-CA), House leaders on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), were joined by actors and activists Patricia Arquette and Alyssa Milano, and other stakeholders, to launch a new fight in the 116th Congress to ratify the ERA to the U.S. Constitution and guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex.

"Discrimination in any form is never acceptable. We will continue our bipartisan campaign and as we work to ensure this historic amendment has a fair shot at being enshrined into our constitution – not only for the thousands of women who have been discriminated against, but for the next generation of women," said Reed. "We care about being a constant advocate to ensure change and consistent enforcement of anti-discrimination law, and we would like to thank Rep. Maloney and Rep. Speier for their unwavering commitment to this issue."

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced Wednesday that as part of his fiscal year 2020 Executive Budget a new proposal to protect and strengthen net neutrality in New York. The proposal codifies in State law Executive Order 175, which Cuomo issued last year, requiring internet service providers to offer equal access to internet content.

"In New York State, we believe equal access to internet content is crucial to a strong democracy and robust economy," Cuomo said. "The FCC's dangerous rollback of net neutrality puts corporations over people and goes against our fundamental belief in the free exchange of ideas. By codifying this executive order into state law, we are ensuring that the internet remains free and open to all in the Empire State."

The Lansing courtroom was standing room only Tuesday, as the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) began hearing arguments for and against an appeal that, if successful would rescind a building permit issued to the Lansing Rod & Gun Club to 'swap' locations of shooting ranges on club property.  Tim Farrell and Lisa Ruzicka, whose home is near a new proposed relocated trap shooting range, filed the appeal along with an unofficial Ludlowville group that calls itself Citizens for a Healthy Salmon Creek Watershed.  Ruzicka said the whole process has been biased (toward the gun club).

"The Code Enforcement Officer did not follow town law, specifically Article 10," Ruzicka passionately charged. She went on to say, "I believe if the Lansing Rod & Gun Club expands their trap shooting ranges 500 feet from Tim and my home, the lead dust in the air, the lead dust collected on the ground that we track in our home, and the lead seeping into the groundwater... and there was never environmental assessment done... could be detrimental to the health and the quality of our lives."

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced Wednesday that $7.5 million in funding is available for municipalities across the State for the installation of new SMART LED street lights as part of the Governor's Smart Street Lighting NY program. SMART LED street lights are equipped with improved internet connectivity and other digital enhancements that will allow municipalities to improve public services such as internet connectivity, transportation, public health and safety. The Smart Street Lighting NY program supports the Green New Deal, the nation's leading clean energy and jobs agenda to aggressively put New York on a path to economy-wide carbon neutrality, and is part of the Governor's comprehensive Reforming the Energy Vision strategy to meet New York's nation-leading goals to build a cleaner, more resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers.

"New York is leading the way in developing innovative new technologies that enhance energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Cuomo said. "This funding to modernize street lights across the state will not only increase public safety through increased visibility, it will also advance our aggressive initiatives to combat climate change and create a cleaner, greener New York for all."