Overnight Thursday, burglars broke into the Batavia Bottle and Can Retrieval Center 583 E. Main St., Batavia, and stole property from inside the building.
A white van that may be associated with the crime was caught on camera.
Anyone with information that can assist in the investigation may contact Detective Sergeant Matt Lutey at (585) 345-6311 or call the confidential tip line at (585) 345-6370.
Press release:
New Cases – As of 2 p.m.
New York State’s allocation of 400,000 COVID-19 testing kits provides a much-awaited boost to municipalities, but still doesn’t answer the question of who will be responsible for administering these tests to students and others in need of rapid coronavirus laboratory analysis.
A pair of executive directors of state organizations issued a joint statement to that effect earlier this week, and their thoughts were supported today by Paul Pettit, director of the Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments.
Sarah Ravenhall, executive director of the New York State Association of County Health Officials, and Stephen J. Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties, applauded the distribution of the testing kits, calling it “a welcome step toward the goal of implementing a robust and successful school testing program in counties implementing the state’s Cluster Action Initiative.”
But the availability of these materials isn’t enough, they said, posing the unresolved question: “Who will provide the staff and resources necessary to administer the tests?”
Their statement asserted that many county health departments have numerous school districts in their jurisdictions and not enough licensed and trained staff to handle the workload.
“Test kits are just one part of a much larger array of essential resources that must be deployed to make this work,” they said. “Additionally, we have significant concerns about the capacity of our communities to implement this plan. Local health departments have been working in concert with community-based organizations since the pandemic began, and many of these organizations are at, or even beyond, full capacity.”
Pettit said he agrees with “the essence of the press release … as we are encouraged by the long overdue movement to provide rapid testing in our counties. As we have been sharing since the beginning of COVID in our communities, we have lacked adequate and affordable/free testing for our residents.”
The provision of these machines and kits solves part of the problem, Pettit said, “but leaves many unanswered questions around the capacity and ancillary support to provide them.”
“We again find ourselves with new testing requirements pushed upon us (20 percent of the school population testing if in a 'yellow zone’) without a full understanding of the details of the new requirements and a lack of support and capacity to meet them,” he said. “We have reached out to our community partners and health care providers to discuss the best approach to receiving and implementing a county testing program that will provide the free access points that we’ve been seeking.”
Pettit added that his agency is talking with school officials about coronavirus testing requirements.
“Ultimately, our goal is to have this free rapid testing available from many locations for county residents who need testing for any variety of reasons, including school-based symptom screening, state required testing to visit long-term care facilities, and symptomatic individuals.”
Ravenhall and Acquario are calling upon the state to provide financial support to carry out its directive.
“We cannot rely on local partnerships alone to meet our needs,” they stated. “Any plan to implement robust testing in our schools must include adequate state resources -- and withholding funds from localities will only make this monumental task even more difficult.”
Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that schools in the state’s precautionary “yellow zones” will receive the rapid testing kits, with the 400,000 kits being the first batch.
Starting today, “yellow zone” schools must test a fifth of the student population, staff members and teachers on weekly basis. Schools in “orange” and “red” zones are required to teach students through remote learning only. Currently, none of the schools in Genesee and Orleans counties are in any of the aforementioned zones, Pettit said.
Photo: Betsy Dexheimer dressed up loud and proud to march in the first-ever Batavia PRIDE parade in June 2019.
Elizabeth Hacker Dexheimer, known affectionately to her friends as Betsy, has spent her lifetime working to better the lives of those less fortunate.
Having turned 85 in June, Betsy has decided it’s time to slow down and she is planning to move to Ohio on Oct. 23 to live with her son Paul.
“She’s been caring for everybody else for 85 years, and now it’s time for somebody to look after her,” Paul said Thursday, after he arrived from Ohio.
Tomorrow, her friends and family are going to meet at 2 p.m. in the parking lot of Arc Community Center on Woodrow Road to assemble for a drive-by farewell parade in Betsy's honor.
Betsy grew up in New York City. When she was in junior high school, her father went to England to teach at Oxford University. She boasts having attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, after her father went to Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was then president of Columbia College, and asked him to get his daughter a ticket.
Betsy and her husband, Roy, came to Western New York, where they started teaching Special Education in Irondequoit in 1968. In 1969 he accepted a job as superintendent of Batavia schools, where he served from 1969 to 1982 or 1983, Paul said.
From her early years, Betsy worked to help migrants, low-income families and minorities.
Her friends, many in their 50s, say they “want to be Betsy when we grow up.”
“When she left New York City to become our Betsy, what a great day it was for Genesee County,” her friends wrote when she was introduced at the GLOW Women’s March in January 2019.
Several of her close friends shared their memories of Betsy.
Vinnie Tjhung worked with Betsy at what is now named Genesee Valley BOCES. She called Betsy an “independent, caring spirit who is not afraid to try anything.”
“I tried riding bike with her, and I couldn’t keep up,” Tjhung said. “She was a dynamo. There might be a knock on your door, and there was Betsy saying, ‘Come on out with me.’ ”
Another friend, Dorothy Avery, of Batavia, said up to three years ago, Betsy was still riding 30 miles a day.
She also had a sailboat she sailed on Conesus Lake.
Avery said both Betsy and Esther Leadley are members of GLOW Women Rise, and called them “community gems.”
“They are both fearless about doing things,” Avery said.
“The thing is, Betsy doesn’t think she’s done anything extraordinary,” Tjhung said.
Among Betsy’s activities are working on the Advisory Council for the Office for the Aging’s Livable Community Vision Team; writing an article for their newsletter on lifelong learning; checking out someone’s home, as she is a certified fall prevention assessor; and delivering Meals on Wheels, which she has done for the last 10 years.
She is a member of the first graduating class of the Aging Mastery program; she worked at Richmond Memorial Library with Friends of the Library; and she delivered books to the homebound through the library’s visitors program.
One might open their door and find Betsy there helping the occupant register to vote, or reminding them of an upcoming election. Or she might be out registering voters at Genesee Community College or Planned Parenthood.
Sunday mornings finds Betsy at St. James Episcopal Church, making sure no one is sitting by themselves. Or she could be met in the dining room at their fish fry serving up the bread.
Betsy also served as an escort at Planned Parenthood in Rochester. Evenings might find her volunteering as an usher at a performance at the University of Buffalo or Harvester Theater.
Or, she could be out in the cold standing in front of the Federal Detention Center with a sign protesting the unfair treatment of an immigrant.
Betsy has been a volunteer at Crossroads House hospice longer than anyone can remember. She says she gets more out of it than they do.
For 10 years she took on an extremely difficult job of working with the Rape Crisis Division of Planned Parenthood. No matter the time of day or location, Betsy would be there to offer comfort to women during the worst time of their lives.
Tjhung said they are definitely going to miss Betsy.
“The room lights up when she walks in,” she said.
Betsy’s son said his mother was a feminist before there were feminists. In the 1950s, she was the only waitress where she worked who would serve people of color.
She helped to get low-income housing in Batavia and started a migrant child care center with Paula Radka.
Betsy became friends with Sister Marian Adrian, who was instrumental in founding Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, and they often attended the theater together.
Betsy believes everybody is worthwhile and deserves a chance.
“I’ve met a lot of very worthy people,” Betsy said. “The more you talk to people, the more you find out how interesting they are.”
Paul said his mother has always been supportive of progressive ideas and taught her children to “be who they are.”
Although, Betsy has marched in parades, tomorrow's will be the first time anyone has thrown one in her honor. And, regardless of the weather, nothing will be able to rain on that parade.
The route is:
Photos courtesy of Dorothy Avery.
Below: Betsy Dexheimer, right, of Batavia, with Esther Leadley, of Pavilion, when she was Grand Marshall of the GLOW Women Rise march in January 2019. Dexheimer, who turned 85 in June, has been a lifelong advocate for the less fortunate.
Jordan Elena Rubin, 36, of Chili Avenue, Chili, is charged with fourth-degree grand larceny -- automobile with a value over $100. On Oct. 15, Rubin was arrested and is accused of stealing a motor vehicle from a residence on Hartwell Road in the Town of Pavilion at 6:38 p.m. Oct. 3. Rubin was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Pavilion Town Court on Dec. 1. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush, assisted by Deputy Mathew Clor.
Jacqueline Raj Garrett, 41, of Church Street, Le Roy, is charged with illegal use of toxic vapaors, a violation of NYS Public Health Law. At 10:06 a.m. on today, Oct. 16, the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center received a report of a female outside of a department story on Veterans Memorial Drive who was inhaling an aerosol. A deputy was dispatched and located the female allegedly in the act of consuming a hazardous inhalant while outside a store in view of the public. She wa arrested and issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Batavia Court on Nov. 19. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan DeLong.
Press release:
On Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Batavia Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will provide the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.
Bring your pills for disposal to the Alva Place parking lot across the street from Batavia Showtime movie theater (located in the Genesee County Mall). Sharps will be accepted as well as prescription drugs. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office will be running their own drug take back that day at the Pembroke Town Hall located at routes 5 and 77. They will not be collecting sharps at that location.
This month's event is DEA’s 19th nationwide event since its inception 10 years ago.
Last fall, Americans turned in nearly 883,000 pounds of prescription drugs at nearly 6,300 sites operated by the DEA and almost 5,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has now collected nearly 6,350 tons of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications since the inception of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative in 2010.
To keep everyone safe, collection sites will follow local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations, which includes masks for citizens dropping off medication.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, including the 11,000 authorized collectors that are available all year long. The Batavia Police Department Headquarters has one for everyday collection of drugs and sharps located in the rear vestibule at 10 W. Main St., Batavia.
For more information, visit DEA’s year-round collection site locator.
The FDA also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs. More information is available here.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the Oct. 24 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com.
The Pavilion Central School District’s Board of Education has selected Mary Kate Hoffman as the district’s next Superintendent. Hoffman will be appointed pending successful contract negotiations.
“The board is confident that Mary Kate Hoffman will lead our district as we work together to deliver the best education possible for our students," said Marirose Ethington, Pavilion Central School District’s Board president. "Our search process narrowed the field to three excellent candidates.
"We value all of the input from our stakeholders. With her dedication, enthusiasm, and knowledge, our board feels that Mary Kate has the educational capacity and attributes to move us forward.”
Hoffman is the principal of York Elementary School located in Retsof, a hamlet in the Town of York in Livingston County. She has 11 years of educational leadership experience including serving as the Assistant Secondary Principal, Interim Principal and Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Pavilion Central Schools.
Hoffman began her career in education in 1995 as a second-grade teacher at Pavilion Elementary School. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from SUNY College at Fredonia, and a Master of Science in Education from SUNY College at Geneseo. She earned a certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration from SUNY College at Brockport.
“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve the Pavilion Central School District as Superintendent," Hoffman said. "I look forward to working with the students, staff, Board of Education, and community to carry on the traditions of academic excellence and community pride. I am excited to make new connections, renew old friendships, and return to the place where my career began.”
Kevin MacDonald, district superintendent of the Genesee Valley BOCES, acted as the search consultant and noted that the search process was a true collaboration between the Board of Education and stakeholders who served on the interview committee.
About Genesee Valley BOCES
It operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York State.
Press release from Duane Whitmer, Libertarian candidate for the NY-27 Congressional District:
Former Congressman Chris Collins has officially begun his prison sentence for his insider trading crimes. His guilt is not surprising. What is surprising is that he managed to get caught.
Duopoly politicians have abused their power and access for the pursuit of illicit profit throughout the history of this country, and it is only every once in a blue moon that we get to see one get caught like Rep. Collins.
Normally, these people are left untouched, free to continue their advocacy for endless warfare and welfare while acting against the public interest.
“The people of Western New York and, indeed, citizens all across the state, have seen this detestable movie over and over again for at least the past decade,” said Libertarian NY-27 Congressional Candidate Duane Whitmer. “Eliot Spitzer in 2008, Joe Bruno in 2009, Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos in 2018...this list of New York State Republican and Democrat criminals continues ad infinitum.
"Chris Collins is simply the latest menace produced by the government criminal enterprise I just described, and NY-27 voters — apparently suffering from some form of Stockholm syndrome at the hands of the political duopoly — have accepted this criminal behavior as the norm.
"My message to the voters of NY-27 is that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing — meaning voting for Democrats and Republicans — over and over while expecting a different result. So, if voters truly want to throw off the oppressive shackles of both Washington and Albany and reassert their individual liberty, then it's time to make a different choice. I am that choice. The Libertarian Party is that choice.”
Rep. Chris Jacobs and Nate McMurray legacy Republican and Democrat NY-27 contenders have one thing in common -- they are all either current politicians or attorneys. Such professions dominate what are supposed to amount to part-time endeavors as "legislators" in Albany, and are wholly responsible for creating, condoning, and expanding the culture of rampant corruption that made Collins believe his insider trading scheme was acceptable.
By contrast, Whitmer has built a career as an accountant, fighting against the onerous state and county tax systems perpetuated by all of the aforementioned politicians so that everyday New Yorkers can experience the freedom of doing what they wish with the wealth their labor has produced.
In the wake of the Collins’ imprisonment, voters have the power to determine whether we go through another cycle of electing a career politician. But if voters truly desire less government involvement in their lives and more individual liberty, they need to reject the two-party duopoly and make Duane Whitmer the congressional representative for NY-27.
Noting that the current Genesee County flag “has always been a pet peeve of mine,” Genesee County Planning Director Felipe Oltramari has invited citizens to participate in a county flag design competition – a component of the county’s public engagement strategy in support of the Genesee County Comprehensive Plan Update and Recreation Plan.
The Public Engagement Plan, dated Oct. 2, 2020, was prepared by Prospect Hill Consulting LLC and Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, PC.
According to Oltramari, the comprehensive and recreation plans provide a template for county officials and civic leaders to achieve a vision of improved and increased resources for a vibrant, healthy and safe community.
“We’re calling it Genesee 2050 – a vision strategy for the next 30 years for our county,” he said, mentioning that the original comprehensive plan was written in 1997.
Looking for Community Input
Getting the public involved in the process is a key part of the strategy. As indicated in the Public Engagement Plan, its purpose is to “ensure that the local community is given a voice in the redevelopment planning for Genesee County, both in terms of its Comprehensive Planning update process and a plan for its recreational facilities.”
That’s where the county flag competition fits in.
“We have been talking about redesigning the Genesee County flag, which is a little dated and doesn’t quite fit the design criteria for people that know how to design flags,” Oltramari advised. “The main problem being that it has words on it and you’re supposed to avoid having words on flags because they’re hard to read when they’re flying.”
The current Genesee County flag features a blue background with Genesee County across the top and Founded 1802 across the bottom in block letters with the county seal in between.
Oltramari said plans are being made for a contest where residents – students, adults and professionals -- can submit their designs for a new flag. A committee will select the finalists and residents will then have the chance to vote online for their favorite design.
Stay Tuned for Contest Details
Contest rules, guidelines, starting date and submission process will be made available in the near future, with Oltramari indicating he expects the contest to go through the fall and winter months.
He also reported that a new website is being developed to engage citizens on this project as well as to learn more about (and fill out surveys on) the comprehensive and recreation plan updates.
Oltramari made a presentation on the two plans at Thursday night’s Genesee Association of Municipalities meeting, where he requested supervisors to “take a deeper dive with us” -- hoping to enlist the Town of Batavia and a couple of other towns to sign on as pilot communities.
“The recreation plan is about marketing our trails, parks and other venues, opportunities and programs throughout the county,” he said. “We’ve talking about this for a few years, and have received grant funding to look at both of these plans, lumping them together.”
As outlined in the Public Engagement Plan, the flag contest can act as a catalyst for the plan’s 10 focus groups to identify “the aspects of life in Genesee County that tell the story of what makes Genesee County a wonderful place to live, work and play.
The original comprehensive plan’s 10 focus groups are as follows:
Key objectives of the Public Engagement Plan include:
For more information about these developments, contact Oltramari at planning@co.genesee.ny.us or by calling (585) 815-7901.
If you see an Auburn Fire Department ladder truck rolling down the City of Batavia's roads, it's not lost.
City fire's Ladder 15 is taking a break from service for routine maintenance and the City of Auburn, which just put a new ladder truck into service, has loaned its 1991 ladder truck to Batavia.
A couple of years ago, the City of Rochester loaned Batavia a fire truck. Chief Stefano Napolitano said the truck loans are an example of how fire departments in the region support each other.
"We try to help each other out when we can," Napolitano said.
St. Joe's teacher Anne Marie Starowitz got to take her class on a field trip for the first time since the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic today, walking her students over to the Batavia Cemetery to visit the gravesites of many of the historically important people buried or memorialized there.
Students are undertaking projects that include researching and writing about these people as well as created related artwork.
Above, students learn about Philemon Tracy, who was a colonel in the Confederate Army. His uncle, who lived in Batavia, had his body disguised in a Union officer uniform and transported to Batavia to be buried here. He's the only Confederate officer who died in action who is buried north of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Below, students visit the William Morgan monument, a one-time Batavia resident who disappeared under mysterious circumstances after publishing a book that purportedly revealed Masonic secrets. His death helped ignite the Anti-Masonic Party.
Thomas Edward Ditzel, 65, Belvedere Lane, Batavia, is charged with attempted grand larceny in the third degree, a felony. He was arrested as a result of an investigation into the misappropriation of funds as a Power of Attorney at 3 p.m. Dec. 24, 2018. Ditzel allegedly attempted to take almost $17,000 by closing an investment account of a family member and have the check sent to an address where he allegedly planned to retrieve it. However, another family member intercepted the check. "The duties of a POA, amongst others, is that the POA must act in the principal's best interest, rather than their own," says the police report. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Investigator Christopher A. Parker.
Ifrah Hajimusse Armstrong, 41, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with third-degree grand larceny and four counts of offering a false instrument for filing, all Class E felonies. Armstrong was arrested after allegedly not reporting income that she was earning and also filing an application that is used to determine eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits without including the income. The application process was started on Aug. 1, 2017. As a result, it is alleged Armstrong received $5,208 in SNAP benefits that she was not entitled to. The investigation was conducted by the GC Department of Social Services Investigator Dakota Nicholson and she was arrested Oct. 13 by GC Sheriff's Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello.
Ana Marie Uribe, 27, of Willow Street, Batavia, is charged with third-degree grand larceny and offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, both Class E felonies. It is alleged that at the time of her application for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on May 1, 2019, she did not report income she was earning, which is used to determine eligibility. As a result, she allegedly received $3,218 in SNAP benefits that she was not entitled to. The investigation was conducted by the GC Department of Social Services Investigator Dakota Nicholson and she was arrested Oct. 14 by GC Sheriff's Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello.
Press release:
New Cases – As of 2 p.m.
Press release:
The U.S. Marshals are alerting the public of several imposter scams involving individuals claiming to be U.S. Marshals. In the past few weeks, there have been several reported scam calls to Rochester-area citizens. Law Enforcement is urging people to report the calls the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and file a consumer complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, which has the ability to detect patterns of fraud from the information collected and share that data with law enforcement.
During these calls, scammers have attempted to gain banking information and credit card numbers. Telling the victims that their Social Security number has been used in a criminal act and this information is needed within an hour or they will be arrested.
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, a report was made to the U.S. Marshals office in Rochester. The victim reported that a caller told him there was a warrant for his arrest. The victim was told to transfer funds and if he did not comply, he was threatened with arrest and seizing of his property.
Additional incidents reported this month to Law Enforcement where Scam Calls attempted to collect a fine in lieu of arrest due to a claim of identity theft, failing to report for jury duty or other offenses, or even threating to seize property. Imposters tell victims they can avoid arrest by withdrawing cash and transferring it, purchasing a prepaid debit card such as a Green Dot card or gift card and reading the card number over the phone to satisfy the fine, or by depositing cash into bitcoin ATMs.
Scammers use many tactics to sound and appear credible. They sometimes provide information like badge numbers, names of actual law enforcement officials and federal judges, and courthouse addresses. They may also spoof their phone numbers to appear on caller IDs as if they are calling from a government agency or the court.
In March 2020, The Department of Justice launched the National Elder Fraud Hotline, which provides services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud. Case managers assist callers with reporting the suspected fraud to relevant agencies and by providing resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed.
The hotline’s toll free number is 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).
If you believe you were a victim of such a scam, you are encouraged to report the incident to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and to the FTC.
Things to remember:
U.S. MARSHALS WILL NEVER ask for credit/debit card/gift card numbers, wire transfers, or bank routing numbers, or to make bitcoin deposits for any purpose.
NEVER divulge personal or financial information to unknown callers.
Report scam phone calls to your local FBI office and to the FTC.
You can remain anonymous when you report.
Authenticate the call by calling the clerk of the court’s office of the U.S. District Court in your area and verify the court order given by the caller.
-- Related article on SSN scams can be found at Inspector General Warns Public About SSA Impersonation Schemes or www.ssa.gov/scam
-- More information on the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center can be found at www.ic3.gov
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov
Genesee County leaders are advocating a spirit of togetherness as they take a divide-and-conquer approach to fulfilling the requirements of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order No. 203 on community police reform and reinvention.
On Wednesday night at the Old County Courthouse legislative chambers, the Genesee County Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative met for the first time, with 15 of the group’s 19 current members attending either in person or via Zoom videoconferencing.
County Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein put out a call for unity and respect as she welcomed those who are tasked to address the policies and procedures of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office per the Executive Order issued on June 12.
“Together … we have an opportunity to learn from each other … to improve and manage public safety … through thoughtful, respectful and robust discussions,” Stein said. “Step by step by step, we will do this together.”
Stein emphasized that each member of the committee – from public officials to representatives of social or minority groups -- was important to meeting the governor’s directive.
“Each community must envision for itself the appropriate role of the police,” she said, “and policies must be developed to allow the police to do their jobs to protect the public and the policies must be with the local community’s acceptance.”
Following her opening statement, Stein introduced Robert Bausch, former County Legislature chair, who will serve as moderator for the group. After that, the committee members who were social-distanced throughout the room said a few words about themselves.
County Manager Matt Landers then read highlights of the Executive Order, focusing on the section that outlines the 15 different policing strategies that must be analyzed by Sheriff William Sheron and the community stakeholders.
Landers distributed a 10-meeting timeline (on Monday nights at 6:30), with five of those meetings dedicated to reviewing those 15 strategies as follows:
Sheron is scheduled to give a report on his department to legislators and the committee during a regular meeting of the legislature on Oct. 28, and will answer questions afterward.
Last night, the sheriff pointed out that the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office recently was reaccredited by New York State, which means that the agency has met or exceeded 133 standards as set forth by the state. The department was initially accredited in 2000.
Accreditation aside, Sheron said he would appreciate members' input, adding that "constructive criticism" is a vehicle "to making it better for our citizens."
The remainder of the collaborative’s meeting timeline indicates: a review of the draft report on Jan. 18; presentation of the draft to the public for feedback on Feb. 1; review and vote on the final report on Feb. 15; submission to the county Ways & Means Committee on March 3; adoption by the full county legislature on March 10; and delivery to the state Division of the Budget prior to April 1.
The Executive Order stipulates that the reform plan must be submitted to the state by April 1 or else it could jeopardize the locality’s state aid.
Landers said that the timeline isn’t etched in stone and that he is open to adding to the group’s number, especially if the interested person represents “another perspective or opinion.”
He added that the county’s Information Technology staff will be recording the meetings and the public is invited to attend in person (adhering to COVID-19 guidelines) or via Zoom.
Members present at last night’s meeting -- along with Landers, Stein and Sheron -- were:
Other members (who did not attend) are community member Leandro Mateos; John Bennett, Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse; Millie Tomidy-Pepper, YWCA of Genesee County; and Genesee County Undersheriff Bradley Mazur.
The collaborative includes several persons of color and a cross section of people who have deeper views of societal issues through their interaction with minorities in their fields of employment, such as farm ownership, social and mental health services, substance use counseling, pastoral guidance, cultural competence and athletics.
Photo: The first meeting of the Genesee County Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative took place Wednesday night at the Old County Courthouse. Photo by Mike Pettinella.
A decrease in the Genesee County property tax rate and a much smaller than anticipated increase in the Town of Batavia property tax rate.
That’s the latest word from the managers of both municipalities who shared developments from today’s meetings with the legislature and town board, respectively, concerning their 2021 budgets.
“We’ve had several budget meetings with our county legislature and at this point and time I’m ready to propose a county budget that has a decrease in the (property) tax rate of approximately 31 cents down to $9.80 (per thousand of assessed value) from $10.11,” said first-year County Manager Matt Landers.
Batavia Town Supervisor Gregory Post had encouraging news as well, reporting that his current budget calls for about a 39-cent increase – from $2.45 per thousand to $2.84 – which is considerably less than the potential 88- or 89-percent increase that was bandied about a couple weeks ago.
“Everyone should thank the county legislators for their hard work to make it possible for the revenue distributions they have just made,” Post said, referring to a final 2020 payment of $6 million and a pledge to distribute $10 million in 2021 to the county’s 13 towns and six villages. “Now, we feel much better about taking $550,000 from our fund balance to make this happen.”
Both budgets are tentative and subject to change, but in all likelihood any modifications should be slight at this point.
Holding the Line Paved the Way
Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein said she was hoping that her colleagues and management would be wrong in August (when they predicted a dire outcome).
“I’m glad we were, so we could increase this amount up to 10 million dollars,” she said of the 2021 revenue distribution, which is $2 million more than previously announced. She then applauded the efforts of everyone involved, noting that she appreciated their “work and consistency and your sticking with us.”
Landers echoed her sentiments, pointing out that the moves the legislature has made over the past six months, under the direction of Stein and former County Manager Jay Gsell, “have helped put us in a (good) position and helped me to put together this budget.”
“We’ve been able to fund our roads and bridges to the level that I’d like to fund them in 2021 … and they made a lot of good decisions … on furloughs, hiring freezes, deferring capital projects, deferring acquisitions.”
In order to lower the tax rate, Landers is proposing using about $2.3 million of the county’s $15 million fund balance. He said that is necessary due to a projected 20-percent (or more) cut in aid from New York State.
“We still don’t know if there’s going to be a stimulus for governments,” he said. “The stimulus isn’t anything I am looking toward for revenue replacement; the stimulus would benefit Genesee County primarily in that it would provide revenue to the state, and the state would not have to cut us.”
A 20-percent cut in state aid translates to a $2 million hit to the county’s budget, which will come in at around $144 million.
Sales Tax Numbers Better Than Anticipated
“As you saw in the resolution tonight (at the legislature meeting where the revenue allocations were approved), we’re going to budget $10 million of revenue distribution to our towns and villages in 2021,” Landers said. “We are projecting a small reduction in sales tax, but not anything that we would have thought six months ago. There were estimates that sales tax would be down 30 to 40 percent, but now we’re projecting a 5- to 10-percent reduction in sales tax.”
With sales tax numbers better than expected, the county is able to provide $10 million next year to support the towns and villages.
Landers said he and department heads went through the budget line-by-line during a couple Saturday morning workshop sessions and he “feels comfortable at this point submitting a budget that has roughly a 31-cent decrease in the tax rate, with a levy increase of approximately $400,000 (due to an increase in the county’s assessed value).
“I wish we could do more; I wish we could reduce taxes more,” he said. “It’s one of those (situations) where I’m glad we could come to a consensus with the legislature. I’m glad that we’ve got a balanced budget that I’m going to be proposing and once it goes from my hands to the legislature, it's their ability to modify it and amend it as they see fit.”
He said he expects the legislature to “tweak a thing or two,” but is relieved to have made it this far in the budget process.
“I’m glad to get through my first budget session. I never envisioned putting one together in a pandemic and a financial crisis, but I am glad that we are able to have a stabilized tax rate for Genesee County citizens,” he said. “I understand that it is going to utilize a little more fund balance than we like to, but that’s what the ‘rainy day’ fund is for. If we potentially didn’t have a 20-percent reduction in our state aid, we might have been able to have the possibility of further reductions (in the tax rate), which would have been great.”
Landers said the county’s fund balance is at 12 to 13 percent of its general fund expenditures – the proper level according to guidelines from the state Comptroller’s office.
The spending plan will be presented at a public hearing scheduled for Nov. 4 at the Old County Courthouse. It is slated to be adopted by the legislature on Nov. 23.
Town Supervisor Breathes a Bit Easier
Post said he expects to get a good night’s sleep tonight for the first time in months after coming out of a budget workshop this afternoon at the Batavia Town Hall on West Main Street Road.
The town received word that it would be getting another revenue check from the county in the amount of $1 million this year and just shy of $1.7 million from the county in 2021.
While the $1.7 million is less than what board members originally had hoped for, it is enough for them to be able to allot $550,000 from the fund balance to lower the tax rate.
“That, plus the fact that our investments are beating the market rate by a factor of six times, puts us in position to do that,” Post said, letting out a sigh of relief.
He attributed the town’s ability to weather the economic storm to its collaboration with the county, City of Batavia and Genesee County Economic Development Center that has resulted in developing “multiple streams of income.”
“This all started 12 years ago … by incentivizing businesses that provide sales tax revenue,” Post explained. “All of these entities have collectively applied those principals to our community and we’re reaping the benefits.”
The town board has indicated it will conduct a special work session at 5 p.m. on Oct. 20, prior to adopting a preliminary budget on Oct. 21. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Nov. 4.
Press release:
New Cases – As of 2 p.m.
Press release:
Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) has cosponsored the State Municipal Assistance for Response and Transition (SMART) Act.
“Many local governments in Western New York did not meet the 500,000 resident threshold to receive coronavirus funding from the CARES Act," Jacobs said. "Without additional aid to state and local governments our hospitals, first responders, and schools are facing the risk of layoffs and cuts to critical services they provide our communities."
The SMART Act would provide $500 billion for a Coronavirus Local Community Stabilization Fund to provide aid to state, local, and tribal governments. The latter would get $16 billion of the funds. The other $484 billion would be distributed to localities in three tranches based on the population, relative revenue loss, and COVID-19 caseload in the state as of June 1st.
States would be required to release at least one third of these funds – totaling $161.3 billion – to municipal and county governments.
“Our local governments and services they provide are critical to rural communities,” Jacobs said. "Ensuring they have the resources they need is a top priority during this pandemic. I am proud to cosponsor this legislation to support these communities, and I will continue to advocate for targeted funding for local governments in additional COVID-19 relief legislation."
Steve Robinson, white shirt, was honored with a proclamation Tuesday night by the Batavia City Council for his 30 years of service to the residents of Batavia.
Robinson started his career as a dispatcher for Batavia Police Department, continued as a dispatcher when the county and city 9-1-1 centers were consolidated, and stayed on part time with Batavia PD in a desk role after the consolidation.
To trick-or-treat or not to trick-or-treat? That seems to be the question on the minds of a lot of families in Batavia as our first pandemic-era Halloween approaches.
Councilman Bob Bialkowski said he's received calls from residents wondering if the city will permit traditional Halloween activities and he said there are even residents concerned that if they don't leave a light on for young ghosts and ghouls their houses might be targeted for vandalism.
Interim City Manager Rachel Tabelski said after reviewing information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), including a chart she said shows Genesee County as one of the few counties in the area the CDC has marked safe for trick-or-treating, she sees no reason right now to cancel Halloween in the city.
She said residents should be informed of the CDC's guidelines, which include:
Tabelski suggested residents who want to hand out treats, not have trick-or-treaters come to their door but instead meet them one at a time on their sidewalk.
"We are not banning trick-or-treat unless the county or state come down and ask us to ban it," Tabelski said. "We think it's a great idea for parents and residents to be informed to help them feel safe."
She said she didn't anticipate any trouble for residents who choose to turn off their porch light and not participate.
"I think people understand some people may not feel comfortable opening their doors," Tabelski said.
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