County lawmakers agree to refer sales tax request back to committee to discuss providing more funding for local towns, cities and villages...
The Chautauqua County Legislature has referred a resolution to continue it's additional 1% sales tax back to committee to discuss possibly sharing more of those revenues with local municipalities. Lawmakers need to renew the request every two years... and was first instituted several years ago to help make up for losses in Medicaid, and County Home costs. Jamestown Democrat Fred Larson says the county now has about $40-million dollars in surplus... and, gets 85% of the added 1% sales tax. With some cities, towns and villages under financial stress... Larson says they should consider upping their share from the current 15%. He says he's willing to go with something from 50/50... to 75/25. Larson also suggested getting input from local communities. Fellow Democrat, Marcus Buchanon of Dunkirk, agreed the legislature's Audit and Control Committee should take another look at the idea. The decision to refer the measure back to committee was approved, 11--7 with one legislator absent. New York state has to approve each county's sales tax if it exceeds the base of 7%. The state gets 4% of that... while the other 3% is split between the county and it's municipalities. Anything above 7% can go strictly to the county... or they could decide to share some of it with it's local municipalities.
Jamestown man arrested for damaging glass door at ROME warming shelter...
A city man has been arrested for allegedly smashing out the glass on a security door at the Code Blue warming shelter on Washington Street. Jamestown police were called to the scene at the Recovery Options Made Easy shelter shortly before 4 a.m. Wednesday on a criminal mischief complaint. Officers say their investigation determined that 44 year-old Wade Pfleuger had smashed out the glass door with a fire extinguisher... causing more than one-thousand dollars damage. Pfleuger was arrested on one count of third-degree criminal mischief... and, taken to the city jail pending arraignment.
Hochul says mediation efforts continue as DOCCS Strike enters 11th day...
It's Day-11 of the wildcat strike involving corrections officers at state prisons... and, Gov. Kathy Hochul says mediation efforts are continuing. Hochul updated the matter late Tuesday... and, says the actions by corrections officers since last Monday are putting the entire state at risk. She says the state has done everything it can to encourage the striking officers to get back to work... including the fact they are violating the state's Taylor Law... and, a restraining order for them to get back to work. There were others, including a temporary pause on parts of the HALT Act. Hochul adds that 6,500 New York National Guard members have been deployed to staff the prisons while the strikes continue, saying the condition inside the prison has been stabilized. She says the state has begun legal proceedings against the striking officers. Hochul also mentioned that inmates are being transported to other facilities where she "can protect them more readily." The governor says she looks forward to a resolution as soon as possible.
Leathers says it's time to call it a career at BPU... but, not quite yet...
The head of the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities will be retiring in just under a year... but, he says there's still plenty of work to do at the public utility. BPU General Manager Dave Leathers says the board always has a plan of succession to replace managers... and, says this time he looked in the mirror at his situation... adding he had been considering it for a while now, and he says it "made sense" to begin the process. Leathers began working in the BPU's Electric Division in December of 2005... and, he later became the Deputy GM of it. He was later Interim General Manager... and, was formally appointed to the post in March of 2008 to replace Wally Haase. While not pointing to any particular achievement during his near 17 years at the helm... Leathers credited his staff and employees for working hard to improve their services... and never being satisfied. The BPU announced Tuesday that a search for a successor will begin soon. Leathers says there's still much to work on in the coming months... including getting the new community microgrid project underway, along with their broadband initiative. He adds there's also the need to avoid a major increase in hydropower from the New York Power Authority.
Jamestown man arrested for unlawful imprisonment following domestic incident...
A city man is accused of physically holding another man against his will... and, not allowing them to leave a home on Jamestown's southside during a domestic incident. City police were called to the scene just after 3:30 p.m. last Sunday... and found 47 year-old Lawrence Gibbons, Jr. holding the victim in a "bear hug" for an extended period of time. Prior to officers responding... officers say Gibbons barricaded himself in a bedroom closet. Police commanded Gibbons to come-out... but, he refused. Officers finally physically extracted him from the closet... but, he continued to resist arrest. Gibbons was taken into custody on charged including second-degree unlawful imprisonment... and, resisting arrest. He was jailed pending arraignment.
