The Peru Gazette

Without aid from Washington, hospitals, schools and local governments could face billions in budget cuts

The state’s Enacted Budget Financial Plan anticipates a dire fiscal outlook in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2020-21 and projects sweeping budget cuts that could affect essential services provided by the state, schools and local governments, according to an analysis released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

As much as $8.2 billion would be cut from Aid to Localities spending, while large reductions in funding for State Operations are also planned. School children and college students, people living in poverty, individuals with disabilities, and aging New Yorkers are among those who may suffer the loss of services.  Programs that help fund front-line responders, safeguard health, protect the environment, ease the burden on property taxpayers and maintain a sound transportation system could also face significant cuts.

“The Financial Plan warns of deep cuts and very troubling actions the state anticipates taking to address the revenue loss and growing costs of fighting the coronavirus,” DiNapoli said. “New York is facing an unprecedented public health and fiscal crisis that could dramatically change our landscape for years to come. As reports by my office have repeatedly shown, New York ranks first among the small group of states that send more dollars to the federal government than they receive in return. Now we need help from Washington that comes without strings to protect New Yorkers from seeing essential services decimated.”

DiNapoli’s report finds:

• The economic projections of the state Division of the Budget (DOB) that underlie the Financial Plan are in keeping with those of the Congressional Budget Office and other forecasters, and the revenue projections appear reasonable. Given the potential for major cuts in funding for essential services, DOB should make detailed data underlying its economic and revenue forecasts publicly available, and update such information throughout the year along with more detailed information on spending, cash flow, out-year gaps, and borrowing. Cuts to key services should be minimized by reevaluating less essential spending where possible.
• DOB does not anticipate the use of deficit financing this state fiscal year, nor the use of rainy day reserves to avoid a deficit. These are positive factors in addressing the reality of what is expected to be a multi-year fiscal challenge. The state’s plans to delay paying $667 million in Social Security taxes and to defer an additional $700 million of the state-share Medicaid payments, among other steps, will push certain costs to future years.
• Medicaid and other health care costs represent a significant budgetary risk this fiscal year and onward. State co­­sts will rise by levels not yet identifiable due to the direct and indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. While increased federal aid will pay for some of these new costs, the net impact to the state remains unclear.
• The state may be able to use substantially more of its $5.1 billion allotment from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund than is reflected in the Financial Plan. The U.S. Treasury should explicitly make these resources flexibly available for use as needed, while more direct federal aid is needed to help both the state and local governments fill gaps from new lost revenues and new costs.
• Projected out-year budget gaps, after delaying payments and other actions, have tripled compared to those in the Executive Budget proposed in January, now totaling $25.6 billion over the out-years of the Plan. Without additional, urgently needed federal aid, the state has limited flexibility to avoid undesirable actions including spending cuts, revenue increases or deficit financing.

Report on the SFY 2020-21 Enacted Budget Financial Plan

Find out how your government money is spent at Open Book New York. Track municipal spending, the state’s 170,000 contracts, billions in state payments and public authority data. Visit the Reading Room for contract FOIL requests, bid protest decisions and commonly requested data.

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More than 180 nations worldwide have confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The following have the highest number as of 4 a.m. ET*:

1. US 1,369,964 (+1.63%)
2. Spain 269,520 (+0.51%)
3. Russia 232,243 (+0.00%)
4. UK 227,741 (+1.52%)
5. Italy 221,216 (+0.64%)
6. France 178,349 (+0.45%)
7. Brazil 178,214 (+5.08%)
8. Germany 173,171 (+0.34%)
9. Turkey 141,475 (+1.22%)
10. Iran 110,767 (+1.36%)

Source: Johns Hopkins University

*Percentage change over 24 hours

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the ANNUAL MEETING of the inhabitants of the Peru Central School District, Peru, New York, will be held on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, and will be held remotely; there will be no physical polling sites.  Voting on said annual budget vote and school board election will take place entirely by absentee ballot.  Absentee ballots will be mailed to qualified voters of the District.   A qualified voter is one who is (1) a citizen of the United States of America, (2) eighteen years of age or older, (3) resident within the School District for a period of thirty (30) days next preceding the annual vote and election, and (4) not otherwise prohibited from voting under the provisions of Section 5-106 of the Election Law.  Residents may use the DMV Electronic Voter Registration Application, available at https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/electronic-voter-registration-application, to register to vote or to update the information they have on file with the New York State Board of Elections.  To register, you will need your New York State DMV issued driver license, permit or Non-Driver ID (it must be your most recently issued document – you will need the ID Number and document number), the ZIP Code currently on record with the DMV, and the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number (SSN).

AND NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN, that the ANNUAL BUDGET HEARING of the inhabitants of the Peru Central School District, Peru, New York, will be held remotely via Google Meet on Monday, June 1, 2020, at 7 p.m.

AND NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN, that the ANNUAL MEETING shall include the following two (2) propositions:

Budget Proposition No. 1

Shall the Board of Education of Peru Central School District be authorized to expend a sum not to exceed (an amount to be determined) for the 2020‐2021 school year, and to levy the necessary tax therefore?

Bus Proposition No. 2

Shall the Board of Education of the Peru Central School District be authorized to purchase and, at the option of the Board, finance two (2) standard 65-passenger school buses, including related and ancillary equipment, at a maximum estimated cost of $ 128,172.52 each, and one (1) wheelchair school bus,  including related and ancillary equipment, at a maximum, estimated cost of $ 143,140.41, for a total aggregate maximum cost of $ 399,485.45, and to raise the necessary funds therefor by a tax upon the taxable property of said District to be levied and collected in annual installments in the years and in the amounts as the Board of Education shall determine, with such tax to be partially offset by State aid available therefor and, in anticipation of such tax, by either the issuance of debt obligations of the said School District or by a lease/purchase financing for such school buses, in either case in an amount not to exceed such estimated aggregate cost?

AND NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN, that a copy of the statement of expenditures (“the budget”) which will be required in the ensuing year for school purposes, exclusive of public monies, will be available to district residents upon request, during the fourteen days immediately preceding the ANNUAL MEETING, and on the day of this meeting, except Saturday, Sunday or a School Holiday, by contacting the District during the designated hours of 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  A copy of the budget will also be available on the District’s website, www.perucsd.org, during these fourteen days.

AND NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN, that the Peru Central School District is seeking candidates to fill two (2) vacant, at-large seats on the Board of Education, due to the expiration of the terms of Ms. Cynthia Mills and Mr. Steven Peters.  Both seats are for full five-year terms from July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2025.  A school board candidate must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, a qualified voter in the District, and able to read and write. They must be a resident of the District continuously for one year before the election.  At the time when the board member takes office, they cannot be employed by the District.  They also cannot live in the same household with a family member who is also a current member of the Board.  Due to COVID-19, nominating petitions have been suspended, and individuals may self-nominate.  Individuals interested in running for the school board must submit their signed self-nomination form to the District Clerk no later than 5:00 PM on Monday, May 11, 2020.  Forms shall state the name, residence and phone number of the candidate.  Forms may be submitted by faxing 518-643-2043 or emailing sprovost@perucsd.org.  Please call 518-643-6002 with any questions.  

Dated:  May 9, 2020

June 2, 2020BOARD OF EDUCATION

By: Sherri Provost

District Clerk

Peru Central School District

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N O T I C E !

BOIL WATER ORDER FROM SCHOOL ST, JENKINS, BIRCHWOOD, WOODLAND, BLOOMFIELD, WINDING BROOK, MCINTOSH, HOLDEN, LOCUST, BUTTON BROOK, MCDONALD PLACE, MASON, ELMORE & MAIDEN LANE           

   SERVED BY

PERU WATER DISTRICT NY0900216

MUST BE BOILED

TO ENSURE SAFETY

THIS DIRECTIVE TO REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS SATISFACTORY EVIDENCE OF DELIVERY OF A SAFE WATER SUPPLY.

CLINTON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

565-4870

***DUE TO A WATER LINE BREAK***

A Facebook live media event will take place at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. Updates will be provided on the status of the COVID-19 virus’s impact on Clinton County. 

Speakers will include: 

 Gary Douglas, North Country Chamber of Commerce 

 Erin Streiff, Clinton County Health Department, Director of Health Care Services 

 CVPH (tentative) 

Keeping in mind the health and safety of all community members, this will be a closed event. Questions can be submitted through Facebook during the Livestream. Or, submit questions ahead of time by 10:00 AM, Wednesday, May 13th to health@clintoncountygov.com. Please note that responses to questions submitted ahead of time may be included in individual speaker remarks, or answered in the Q&A section of the conference. 

A closed-caption recording will be made available on YouTube after the event. 

Washington, D.C  – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has sent a bipartisan letter to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and United States Marshall Service (USMS) requesting that all inmates are tested for COVID-19 and confirmed negative before they are transferred to any Bureau of Prison quarantine location, which includes FCI Ray Brook. Currently, the BOP is only symptom screening and moving inmates who are asymptomatic with COVID-19, despite their ability to transmit the virus to BOP staff.

“Throughout this entire public health crisis, I have advocated for our local corrections officers and prison staff who have been, in many cases, directly exposed to COVID-19,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “I have worked at the federal level to support and protect our corrections officers, and now I am calling on the Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Marshall Service to implement inmate testing to ensure that inmates and corrections officers are both protected from coronavirus. I will continue to work with my colleagues to protect those who work within the prison system, and their surrounding communities, from COVID-19.

Local sales tax collections dropped 24.4 percent in April compared to April 2019, leaving many of New York’s local governments grappling with shortfalls, according to State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Sales tax collections totaled $1.02 billion in April.

Plummeting sales tax collections were widespread, leaving counties, cities and some other local governments short by about $327 million compared to last year. Although the first quarter of 2020 was relatively strong, March sales tax collections had already begun to show the impact of the COVID-19 shutdown–a decrease of 3.7 percent statewide with the largest declines downstate. The April figures show shrinking revenues for local governments throughout the state.

“The coronavirus has hurt household finances, and the April sales tax figures show how deep it is cutting into municipal finances,” DiNapoli said. “Sales tax revenues are vital for the counties and cities that are on the front lines of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. They are the first responders and provide a safety net of services for New Yorkers. The federal government needs to provide assistance to those hit hard by this virus or the budget cuts could be severe in some communities.”

Social distancing protocols were established with the “New York State on PAUSE” initiative, which has shuttered non-essential businesses and offices since March 22. A halt to travel, the decline in retail activity and the large and growing numbers of New Yorkers who have lost their jobs have restricted business activity.

Every county in every region of the state saw a large drop in April collections. New York City experienced a 23.1 percent decline, amounting to $141.8 million in lost revenues for a single month. Unknown at this time is how collections are impacted by consumers’ growing reliance on e-commerce shopping for products that are now subject to State and local sales taxes.

The least severe, though still substantial decline in sales tax collections, occurred in the Mid-Hudson Region (-21.5 percent). The Capital District had the most severe decline (-28.8 percent). Outside of New York City, the state’s 57 counties had a decrease in collections of $159.5 million compared to April 2019.

In addition, 17 cities (not including New York City) impose their own general sales tax. April collections were down $5.7 million in April in aggregate compared to April 2019. Nearly every city saw large losses ranging from a decline of 20.1 percent in White Plains to a decrease of over 37 percent in Gloversville. A few cities tax only specific goods or services. Most cities, towns and villages and some school districts also rely on sales tax revenues to support their operations, through sharing agreements with their counties.

Local sales tax details

More than 180 nations worldwide have confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The following have the highest number as of 4 a.m. ET*:

US 1,347,936 (+1.36%)
Spain 268,143 (+1.31%)
Russia 232,243 (+4.92%)
UK 224,332 (+1.76%)
Italy 219,814 (+0.34%)
France 177,547 (+0.26%)
Germany 172,576 (+0.41%)
Brazil 169,594 (+4.24%)
Turkey 139,771 (+0.80%)
Iran 109,286 (+1.56%)