The Peru Gazette

Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay) announced that the Assembly’s 2017-18 state budget proposal helps grow the economy, gives North Country communities the resources they need and invests in vital agriculture programs.

“During my recent district tour, North Country residents voiced their concerns with many of the governor’s proposals and local officials made it clear that a shared services mandate was unacceptable,” Jones said. “The Assembly stood up for our towns by rejecting the shared services proposal to protect vital services our families rely on.”

Investing in economic development

The Assembly budget proposal provides $90 million for the Restore New York Communities Initiative. The funding includes $10 million for the Community Restoration Fund to address vacant and abandoned properties that bring down property values and threaten public safety in neighborhoods across the state.

The proposal also provides $10 million for Strategic Investment in Workforce Development initiatives to help ensure employers have access to the skilled workers they need.

Supporting Direct Care Workers

The Assembly’s proposal ensures direct care workers are paid fair livable wages. The Assembly’s budget includes an initial $45 million toward a six-year plan to create a living wage for direct care workers. These professionals care for the state’s most vulnerable populations, yet recent increases in minimum wage, and an overall improving economy, have made service providers unable to compete with other private sector jobs. This critical support will enable these providers to offer compensation that is above minimum wage to ensure that facilities are adequately and safely staffed and can continue to deliver these essential services.

“Direct Care Services are in crisis mode in the North Country,” Jones said. “We need to make sure that we are providing adequate pay and able to stabilize the retention of direct support professionals.”

Small Business boosts, jobs, and tax cuts
The Assembly’s budget proposal reduces the income tax rate for small businesses earning $290,000 or less from 6.5 percent to 4 percent for corporate filers. It also allows personal income tax filers, such as sole proprietors, farmers and partnerships, to deduct 15 percent of their adjusted gross income (AGI) before the personal income tax rate is applied, up from the current 5 percent deduction.

The proposal would also double all research and development tax credits. Businesses that are personal income tax filers would receive a 14 percent tax credit for qualifying research and development property. Corporate filers would receive a 10 percent tax credit for the first $350 million of investment and 8 percent for anything above that figure.

The plan also expands eligibility for the Excelsior Jobs Program and increases tax credits for certain participants. The program incentivizes businesses to relocate to and expand in New York, as well as make capital investments in local facilities and create jobs. The Assembly proposal would make it easier to participate in the program by reducing the threshold for job creation and capital investment by 50 percent.

“People looking to start a new business or grow theirs will have more help from the state under the Assembly’s proposal, which is exactly what the North Country needs,” Jones said. “This plan encourages entrepreneurship and cuts the cost of doing business in New York.”

Improving roads and bridges

Most of the roads and bridges in the 115th Assembly District are maintained by dedicated local highway departments. However, despite their best efforts, many have fallen into disrepair. The Assembly is committed to helping the North Country repair its infrastructure. The Assembly’s budget proposal increases funding for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) to $488 million, a $50 million increase from the proposed executive budget.

“As a rural district, we depend heavily on our roads and bridges,” Jones said. “It’s important that we invest in necessary repairs and continue critical maintenance so children can get to school safely, families can get to work, farmers can do business and visitors can see what we have to offer.”

Further, the Assembly proposal strongly invests in the state Department of Transportation’s five-year plan for non-MTA transit projects with $114.5 million, $30 million more than the executive’s budget proposal. The Assembly proposal also increases upstate transit funding by $3 million.

Keeping local government local

The Assembly’s budget proposal includes $715 million in Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) – $50 million more than the executive’s proposal. AIM funding provides direct state aid to local governments. Further, the Assembly rejects the governor’s Shared Services Initiative proposal that would have tied AIM funding to a consolidation agreement between local municipalities.

“As a former mayor and chairman of the county legislature, I know the governor’s shared services initiative is not the solution,” Jones said. “Instead, the Assembly developed a proposal that puts municipalities first and makes sure they can continue offering vital services.”

Supporting farming communities

Farmers are vital to the North Country –in fact, Clinton County is the largest producer of maple syrup in the state. The Assembly proposal restores millions to fund agriculture programs to ensure farmers can continue to grow in New York.

The budget proposal allocates funds for an array of programs, including child care for migrant farm workers, a tractor rollover protection program, farm family assistance and agricultural research. FreshConnect, a program to make farmers markets more accessible to low-income families, will receive $625,000 in this year’s Assembly budget proposal. The Adirondack North Country Association Farm-to-School program will receive $300,000 to support initiatives that supply local food to schools.

Agriculture of all kinds, which Jones has been a longtime advocate for, will also receive funding to promote and support New York farm products.

“We must invest in programs that help farmers, preserve our farmlands and support innovative uses of agriculture,” Jones said. “These programs play a massive role in the North Country’s success.”

The Peru Central School Board of Education will gather Tuesday, March 21st at 6:00 PM in the Jr/Sr High School Community Room for their fourth public session budget workshop. At its budget workshop, the School Board is expected to:
· Review Budget Timeline
· Host an Encore of the Community Budget Forum
· Receive Overview of Budget Advisory Committee Activity
· Discuss Enhancements, Revenues, and Expenditures

The full agenda is available on the Peru CSD website at www.perucsd.org.

The meeting is open to all.

Source: 62 agencies and programs Trump wants to eliminate

Source: 62 agencies and programs Trump wants to eliminate

Source: Maple industry in Clinton County seeing liquid gold this year – Sun Community News & Printing

Source: Local trooper dies from 9/11-related illness – Sun Community News & Printing

LITTLE, SENATE COLLEAGUES ADVANCE BUDGET PROCESS
Propose tax relief, increased school aid and clean water funds

Senator Betty Little today voted in favor of a budget resolution that outlines the State Senate’s response to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive budget and keeps the Legislature on course for adoption of an on-time budget.

The Senate proposal calls for an increase in school aid, tax relief and workers compensation reform to help small businesses and billions of dollars for clean water and sewer projects throughout New York State.

“Today marks another important step in the budget process, our chance to offer alternatives to the governor’s budget based on what our constituents have told us,” said Little. “From this point, we now negotiate with the Assembly and Governor.”

The Senate Republican plan would reverse changes made last year to the STAR, school property tax relief, program that had created confusion and caused the delay of payments to local taxpayers.

The Senate plan rejects a number of tax-and-fee increases proposed by the governor, including new Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) fees, new taxes on internet purchases and a new surcharge on pre-paid cell phones. In addition, to help avoid future tax increases, the Senate’s resolution imposes a statutory cap on state spending.

Little and her colleagues are advancing workers’ compensation reforms sought by small businesses, such as updates to duration caps and schedule loss of use awards.

School aid funding would increase five percent over last year, for a total of $1.2 billion, bringing the total investment in schools to a record level of $25.4 billion.

The State Senate proposes nearly $8 billion to ensure all New Yorkers have access to clean, safe drinking water by addressing extensive water quality issues and infrastructure needs. This includes: creation of a new $5 billion Clean Water Bond Act; support for the proposed $2 billion for clean water infrastructure; establishment of a new Drinking Water Quality Institute; and creation of the Emerging Contamination Monitoring Act.
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The budget proposal seeks to make college more affordable for more students, regardless of whether they attend a public or private college in New York State, by increasing the minimum TAP award from $500 to $3,000 and the maximum to $5,500. Income thresholds would also be increased to $100,000 in 2017-18; $110,000 in 2018-19; and $125,000 in 2019-20.

Little and her colleagues are also proposing $45 million annually to compensate direct care professionals who care for individuals with disabilities.

The Senate and Assembly will soon convene joint conference committees, which will work to reconcile differences between the budget proposals of both houses with the goal of adopting a new budget by April 1.

Source: Wait times long for some state records – Times Union

Peru – March 15, 2017 – Today’s Soup Kitchen at Si. Augustine’s Parish Center is cancelled because of the storm.

A message from the Peru Central School District Office: Peru Central School District will be CLOSED on Wednesday, March 15th.
Thank you.

L-R John Bernardi, Marge & Bruce Garcia

At the United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc. Annual Meeting and Recognition Dinner on Saturday, March 4th, 2017, Bruce & Marge Garcia, were the recipients of the 33rd Annual Dorothy & Alan Booth Distinguished Citizen Award. John Bernardi, CEO of United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc. said, “Bruce and Marge are outstanding people. Their kind and generous spirit is an inspiration to many and they give selflessly to the betterment of the Adirondack Region. They are both fine examples of what it means to be a distinguished citizen and we can all strive to be more like them.” Pictured is Bernardi with Marge and Bruce Garcia.

Source: Northern Adirondack Central School student charged with making terrorist threat – Sun Community News & Printing

Due to inclement weather, Peru Central School District will have an Early Dismissal on Tuesday, March 14th as follows:

10:30 dismissal for Jr/Sr High grades 7-12

11:30 dismissal for Elementary grades K-6

The Peru Knights of Columbus Bingo scheduled for Tuesday, March 14th bingo is cancelled because of the impending storm. Hopefully, bingo will resume on Tuesday, March 21st.

Source: NACS deals with shooting threat | Local News | pressrepublican.com

Source: Cadyville man dies in Beekmantown crash | News | pressrepublican.com

Office Returned a Nationwide Record of $452 million in SFY 2015-16 *B-roll video available*

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced that his office has over $14.5 billion in unclaimed funds and urged New Yorkers to see if any of it belongs to them. In State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2015-16, DiNapoli’s office set a national record for the third consecutive year for the most unclaimed funds returned in one year totaling $452 million.
“We’ve made it easier for New Yorkers to search for and claim money that is rightfully theirs,” said DiNapoli. “Over two million people visit our website every year, and we return $1.5 million a day. But we need people to help spread the word to their family, friends and neighbors. Take a few minutes out of your day and visit our website.”
There are currently more than 35 million unclaimed funds accounts, some dating back to the 1940s. Excluding New York City, the majority of people who are owed money can be found on Long Island, where there is over $326 million in 590,983 accounts owed to Nassau County residents and over $240 million (524,316 accounts) for residents in Suffolk County. Westchester County has over $250 million (448,529 accounts) owed to residents, followed by Erie County (over $113 million owed to 241,221 accounts) and Monroe County (over $82 million owed to 196,890 accounts). Read more »

Moving to the former Peru K of C Hall on Route 22.  

Source: Prayers answered for Mission of Hope warehouse | Local News | pressrepublican.com

The car wash is underway at the Peru Fire Station this morning (Saturday, March 11) to assist former Chief Bill Downs with cancer related expenses. The fire fighters and Bill’s family are working. It’s going on until noon. Please join as a community to help this very worthy cause. Bill gave to us. Let’s give back now!

Call Meeting To Order

Pledge of Allegiance

Roll Call

MOTION: Approval of Minutes for the Public Hearing for Zoning Board Manning and Town Board Regular Meeting of February 27, 2017

DISCUSSION/MOTION: Reports from all Departments: (Water/Sewer/Valcour; Highway; Town Clerk; Dog Control; Youth Department; Code/Zoning; Supervisor’s Report; Court; Website; and Banking Reports)

Community Input

DISCUSSION/RESOLUTION: Accept Bid for Parsons Road Culvert.

DISCUSSION/RESOLUTION: Military Turnpike/Mannix Road Trade Acceptance.

DISCUSSION/RESOLUTION: Revised Planning and Zoning Fee Schedules.

DISCUSSION: Shared Services Fuel Contract with Peru Central School.

DISCUSSION: Youth Program Background Checks.

DISCUSSION: Annual Town Finance Schools.

DISCUSSION: Internal Controls Audit Update.

DISCUSSION: Adjourn to Executive Session.

DISCUSSION: Return to Regular Session.

Other Business.
Community Input on Agenda Items.

Motion to Adjourn.

Please be advised that the car wash to assist Bill Downs is Saturday, March 11th, not Sunday, March 12th. It’s from 8 till noon at the Peru Fire Station.

Peru Central’s Board of Education will be holding a special meeting on Wednesday, March 15, 2017 at 4:15 PM in the Jr/Sr High School Community Room. The Board is expected to immediately proceed into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing employment history of particular individuals. No other school board or school district business will be conducted.

Peru Central’s Board of Education launches its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 14, 2017 at 4:15 PM at the school district’s Community Room, adjacent to the main entrance of Peru Jr/Sr High School. An executive session associated with particular personnel matters will take place immediately following the 4:15 PM start. The school board is slated to reconvene for public session business at approximately 7:00 PM. The Board will also conduct their third budget workshop along with a community budget forum shortly after they reconvene at 7:00 PM. Anticipated topics include:

· Election Services
· Bid Award
· Appointment of Personnel
· 2017-2018 Academic Calendar

The full Board agenda is available on the District’s website at www.perucsd.org.
All are welcome.

Bill Downs (Center) after receiving his Water Plant Operator of the Year Award from Supervisor Peter Glushko and Greg Timmons.

Peru – On Saturday, March 11th Peru and North Country residents will have the opportunity to assist former Peru Fire Chief Bill Downs who is battling Non Hodgkin lymphoma. Bill’s cancer was in remission until January when an aggressive lymphoma was discovered. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy and when that’s complete he will undergo stem cell transplant therapy in either Burlington or Boston. Bill and his wife Donna will have to live near the hospital for several weeks. To help out with expenses Bill and Donna’s daughter Taylor, family and friends are running a car wash at the Peru Fire Station between 8 a.m. and noon on Sunday. It’s only $5 a car.

Bill Downs is well known here in his hometown and elsewhere. The Halloween haunted garage at his Main Street home entertained children for many years. As a Peru Water Department employee, he was chosen as New York State Rural Water Association’s Plant Operator of the Year.

For more information contact Taylor Crowningshield at 335-3237.