Legislator Terry Niebel and County Attorney Pat Slagle present to the Administrative Services Committee (April 17, 2023)

The Chautauqua County Legislature is considering a property tax exemption for volunteer fire fighters and ambulance workers.

Legislator Terry Niebel and County Attorney Pat Slagle presented the proposal to the Administrative Services Committee to adopt a local law to give enrolled members of an incorporated volunteer fire company, fire department or incorporated voluntary ambulance service a 10% exemption on their assessed value of their property taxes.

Niebel said he is recommending legislators adopt the 10% exemption, “Now, the actual law, which was enacted on December 9, 2022, provided for an exemption of five to ten percent. Okay? But, I’ve talked to fire chiefs, I’ve talked to fire advisory board, emergency services council, our own emergency services department, past chiefs association.. everybody that I talked to seem to think that 10% would be better than the 5%.”

Niebel pointed out that the village of Mayville recently adopted a similar property tax exemption in the amount of 10%.

The local law requires that members have at least two years of service before they can claim the exemption. It also provides a lifetime exemption for any active volunteer who has 20 years of active service.

Neibel said there are an estimated 1,600 volunteers in Chautauqua County, which based on a sample comes out to be $85 per volunteer, “Not all 1,600 people will be entitled to this because this is on your residence and some people rent, some people have their residences in their spouse’s name. So, again, in talking to some of the folks in the fire service, we figure probably the effective number is 1,200. So, 1,200 times $85 is roughly $102,000.”

Niebel added he hopes the exemption will help attract and retain volunteer firefighters.

The entire Administrative Services Committee requested to be added as sponsors to the local law. There will be a public hearing on the local law at the Legislature’s voting session on Wednesday, April 26.

Legislature’s Administrative Services Committee meets (September 19, 2022)

A cybersecurity protection service program provided by New York State could save Chautauqua County over $88,000.

Chief Information Officer Jon DeAngelo, in a presentation to the Legislature’s Administrative Services Committee, said the state is offering endpoint protection for computers, “It’s virus protection, is basically what it is. They haven’t done this before. There’s additional services that they’re offering as well. It’s through a third party provider called CrowdStrike. So the state is offering it to all the counties at no cost for three years. We currently use a different product, so this would be a change for us. But this product would cover about, approximately 1,500 devices utilized by all county employees.”

DeAngelo said the IT Department is still evaluating whether it will go with the state’s program, but wanted to have the approval to move forward. He said the annual savings would be $29,460 if the County made the changeover. The Administrative Services approved the resolution unanimously.

The committee also voted to accept a grant from the State Board of Elections in the amount of $31,654 to offset expenses for return pre-paid postage.

County Board of Elections representative Donna Sanderson said the pre-paid postage is part of a new election law approved in April, “The grant will be in effect from July 1st, which then would cover our additional election that we had this year, which was the special and the primary in August. Going forward, the Board of Elections would have to provide a postage paid envelope to all voters who are requesting an application and an absentee ballot.”

Sanderson said the grant amount will cover all election costs for 2022 and expires at the end of this year. She said it also can be used to bring in two temporary employees to assist with mailing for the general election.

Administrative Services also approved a resolution selling a parcel of land in the town of Ellicott that had gone into foreclosure to Target Corporation. County Attorney Stephen Abdella said the small parcel of land is located at the entrance of the parking lot to the future store. He said the sale will put the property back on the tax rolls while eliminating any confusion over who is responsible for its maintenance. The committee approved the measure on the contingency that the financial information on the sale will be available for review at the Audit and Control Committee meeting on Thursday.

All approved resolutions will appear before the full County Legislature for consideration next week Wednesday, September 28.

First Assistant County Attorney Pat Slagle addresses County Legislature’s Administrative Services Committee (August 15, 2022)

The County Legislature’s Administrative Services Committee has approved a one-year contract with CSEA.

First Assistant County Attorney Pat Slagle informed the committee that the contract, which is set to expire at the end of 2022, is being extended following the recent resignation of the former Human Resources Director and hiring of the new one in order to allow both sides to get everything together.

Slagle said the terms of the one-year contract include a one time bonus of $750, a 3% salary increase, and the addition of a holiday. Negotiations on the next contract will begin in February 2023.
The financial impact of the one-time bonus is estimated to be $618,930 and is based on 796 full-time employees and 28 part-time employees. It was stated at the meeting that that figure is included in the 2023 budget being currently worked on by the Finance Department.

The Administrative Services Committee also approved the extension of the county’s mortgage tax.

Both items will come before the full County Legislature for a vote on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.

On the agenda are a local law setting new legislative districts at 17, which is a decrease from the current 19 district map. The other local law redraws district lines at the current 19 districts.

Two resolutions proposed by Fredonia Legislator Susan Parker will still be on the agenda that call for a public referendum on the reapportionment maps. If approved, that would send the map to voters to vote yes or no on in November. The two resolutions failed in the Administrative Services committee.

The Legislature also will vote on appointing Jamie Gustafson to lead Legislative District 10. She would replace Ken Lawton, who is moving out of the district. District 10 represents the southwest side of Jamestown, the Village of Lakewood and part of the Town of Busti. Chairman Pierre Chagnon will honor Legislator Lawton with a commendation at the beginning of the meeting.

The Legislature will also vote on a local law to create a Chautauqua County Landfill Commission.
The commission would advise the County Executive and Legislature on matters relating to the construction, renovation, operation, or discontinuation of any solid waste disposal and solid waste related facility.

The proposed commission would have seven members appointed by the County Executive including two County Legislators as well as representatives of the government of the Town of Ellery, a large municipal customer, a large private customer, a waste hauler, and a representative of a community hosting a County transfer station.

The Chautauqua County Legislature meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Public hearings on the reapportionment maps, creation of the Landfill Commission, the amendment of the County’s Self-Insurance Plan, and on the creation of a Public Information Officer’s position will take place at 6:35 p.m.

The meeting takes place in the Legislative Chambers of the Gerace Office Building and is open to the public. It also will be livestreamed on Chautauqua County Government’s Facebook page.

The two laws up for discussion set the number of county legislative districts at either 17 districts or 19 districts. There are also two resolutions setting referendums for both local laws, depending on which one is ultimately passed by the full County Legislature.

The committee also will review a local law to create a Chautauqua County Landfill Commission.

The commission would advise the County Executive and Legislature on matters relating to the construction, renovation, operation, or discontinuation of any solid waste disposal and solid waste related facility.

The proposed commission would have seven members appointed by the County Executive including two County Legislators as well as representatives of the government of the Town of Ellery, a large municipal customer, a large private customer, a waste hauler, and a representative of a community hosting a County transfer station.

The Administrative Services Committee meets at 5pm Monday, July 18 and will be livestreamed on the Chautauqua County Government’s Facebook page.

County Attorney Stephen Abdella addresses Administrative Services Committee (June 13, 2022)

The County Legislature’s Administrative Services Committee has approved a resolution to set public hearings on two proposed reapportionment plans.

The County Reapportionment Commission recommended two plans that include a 17 Legislative district plan and a 19 Legislative district plan.

County Attorney Stephen Abdella said Legislative Committees can begin discussions now on the two plans, “I have done some additional reviews of the descriptions in the plan and made some corrections here and there. The Board of Elections has also reviewed the two plans and had some suggestions which I’ve shared with the sponsors of plans – Mr. [Bob] Bankowski and Mr. [Tom] Harmon.”

Abdella said a permissive referendum can only be held if the local law is passed, giving the example that if the 17-district plan is voted down, a referendum cannot be held for that plan.

The two public hearings will be part of the Chautauqua County Legislature meeting on Wednesday, July 27 with the 17-district plan hearing be held at 6:35 p.m. and the 19-district plan hearing held at 6:40 p.m.

County Finance Director Kitty Crow address Administrative Services Committee over Zoom (May 16, 2022)

The Chautauqua County Legislature will vote on amending the County’s Worker’s Compensation Plan, which, if passed, would result in higher payments for Jamestown and Dunkirk.

County Finance Director Kitty Crow explained at the Administrative Services Committee meeting on May 16 that the county administers a municipal plan with the current plan costs allocated based on 60% experience and 40% on property valuation, “We would like to move to a model that allocates the 40%, that is allocated based on valuation to an allocation that’s based on wages, which is really more relevant when assessing charges for such a plan as Worker’s Comp Insurance essentially. So, we’re not proposing any change to the experience factor, so that would remain at 60%

Crow said the change between wages and valuation was dramatic for four municipalities in the county, with the town of Chautauqua seeing a large decrease.

She said while their property valuations are high around the lake, their workforce is much smaller, “In the Village of Westfield, they actually have a couple of things that drive up their wages, such as paid police as well as paid utility workers. And so their wages are a little bit higher as a percentage total compared to valuation. And then the two cities would also see an increase under the new formula because, you know, their wages as a percentage of total was more significant.”

Crow said under the wage based formula, the City of Jamestown would have been charged approximately $275,000 more in 2022. This is because the city’s share of total property valuation is 4.5% of the total whereas the city’s share of wages is 19.2% of aggregate wages. Crow added that 25% of all claims over the past five years are attributed to the City of Jamestown.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said his administration has been in contact with the County in regards to this possible law change, “This is obviously an increase to the City’s budget. We’ve asked the county to be able to spread those costs over, to amortize them, which has happened in the past. But more importantly it’s a time for the City to look at other options.”

Sundquist said he’s already met with different Worker’s Compensation firms to start investigating options.

The County Legislature’s meeting takes place at 6:30 p.m. in the Legislative Chambers of the Gerace Office Building in Mayville. It is open to the public and will be livestreamed on facebook.com/ChautauquaCountyGovernment.

A resolution filed by the four Democrats on the Legislature would set a fixed rate per gallon of 12-cents versus the current percentage of 4%. Concern was raised in both the Administrative Services and Audit & Control Committees about how the change in the tax would affect not just the county’s budget but local municipalities’ budget where sales tax revenue was concerned.

Finance Director Kitty Crow stated at both legislative committee meetings that she estimates the 12-cents per gallon fixed rate would result in the county meeting budgeted sales tax revenue figures for 2022.

County Executive PJ Wendel said the County Legislature instituted a “motor tax fuel holiday” in 2004, but that prices at the pump never actually went down. He said the same could happen this time too, “You should see a 36-cent drop per gallon as of June 1. What happens if you don’t? We have no control over that. The distributors, the retailers, they could say, ‘You’re going to give up the revenue? We’re not!’ An argument could say, ‘You raised your prices!’ ‘No, my prices were the same in June as they were in March. The only difference is my price hasn’t changed. I just didn’t lowered it in compensation for the tax rate reduction that state or county has.'”

The County Legislature’s meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Legislative Chambers of the Gerace Office Building in Mayville. It is open to the public and is available through a livestream as well.

County Attorney Stephen Abdella and County Finance Director Kitty Crow address Administrative Services Committee on April 18, 2022

County legislators heard initial proposals for how they could give consumers a break on gasoline sales tax.

County Attorney Stephen Abdella and County Finance Director Kitty Crow presented to the Administrative Services Committee on the proposals.

Abdella said while the state doesn’t allow counties to entirely suspend sales tax on motor fuel, Chautauqua County could suspend the 4-percent sales tax rate or a fixed amount per gallon rate such as 8-cents, 12-cents, or 16 cents a gallon.

He said if the county chooses a fixed-rate per gallon, there is a proviso by the state to adjust the fixed rate if the price of gasoline drops below what the sales tax percentage rate would be versus the fixed rate per gallon, “If we were to set a fixed rate of 16-cents which is roughly based on $4 a gallon, and when I say roughly it’s because if the price at the pump is $4 our tax is not on the full $4 because part of that $4 is a state and federal tax and our tax is not applied as a tax on a tax.”

He said at $4 a gallon for gas, the county receives 14.8 cents on a gallon and not 16-cents.

Crow recommended going with the fixed rate of $12-cents per gallon option as they estimate the county would still meet budget projections for sales tax, thus not hurting municipalities in their budgeted sales tax revenue figures, but still giving consumers a break on the cost of gas.

The Administrative Services committee opted not to create a resolution on the matter given that the Audit & Control Committee also will hear this presentation at its meeting at 8:35 a.m. on Thursday, April 21st.

Abdella said a resolution would need to be pre-filed by 10:00 a.m. this Friday in order to appear on the Legislature‘s voting agenda for April 27. He said an emergency resolution could be introduced on the floor next week as well.

The State is requiring resolutions on the gas tax issue 30 days in advance of them being implemented, versus the usual 90 days. The changes would not go into effect until the start of the next sales tax quarter, which is June 1st. The County Legislature must submit a resolution to the state by May 2nd in order to meet the June 1st implementation date.

Crow said the mortgage tax has been trending up for the last two years, “Our mortgage tax receipts for 2020 exceeded our budget and were at least as high as 2019, might have been a little higher.”

She added the increase is attributed to it being a “seller’s market” right now with housing selling for asking price or higher.