Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi is proposing a 34.7-million dollar budget for 2015... which increases spending by 3.6-percent. However... it keeps the tax increase below the 2-percent property tax cap... which means home owners will be eligible for a rebate of the added tax cost -- if the final budget remains under that mark. During yesterday's budget presentation at City Hall.. Teresi said the tax levy would increase by 346-thousand dollars under the plan... but, adds that's 37-thousand dollars UNDER the tax cap. Teresi says there were several challenges in the budget... including increases in salaries and pension payments -- though the pension rates will be down in 2015. On the positive side... he says the budget does use 250-thousand dollars from the just under one-million dollar, undesignated fund balance... which is much less than previous years. He adds they've also budgeted a slight increase in dividend payments from the Board of Public Utilities' Electric Division in 2015... based on expected net revenues of about 7-million dollars. Teresi's budget team plugged in 482-thousand dollars... which is about 7-thousand dollars more than last year.
The 2015 budget-making process in Mayville has taken another step foward with the county legislature's main financial committee completing it's work. The Audit and Control panel yesterday completed its review of Executive Vince Horrigan's proposed, 228.6-million dollar spending plan. Committee Chairman John Runkle says they were able to reduce spending by just over 750-thousand dollars... and, that means there will be a slight tax cut. As a result... Runkle says the committee was able to reduce the full value tax rate by two cents per thousand. Horrigan proposed a 9-cent-per thousand tax increase. He says they made the greatest reduction in spending -- about 500-thousand dollars -- in Social Services. Runkle says those changes were mainly in revenue. He adds they also added some money for capital equipment purchases. Runkle also says the cuts were made without touching reserves. The full legislature is expected to take up the budget on October 22nd.
A city man is jailed on 500-dollars bail for allegedly pointing a silver, replica pistol at a person sitting in a car on Jamestown's westside in a threatening manner. City police were called to the scene on West Third Street about 1:30 yesterday afternoon... where a man standing in the street allegedly pointed a hand-gun at the victim. Officers say witnesses identified 37 year-old Miguel Monge-Osario as the suspect... and, he was arrested. Police add they recovered a silver-colored BB Gun in the backyard of Monge-Osario's home. He's been charged with second-degree menacing... and, was jailed pending further court action.
New York has joined three other Northeastern states in agreeing to collaborate on investigations of heroin trafficking that often cross state lines. The others are Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Massachusetts. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says law enforcement officials from the states will give each other greater access to their drug informants, wiretap evidence and other resources so they can collectively target trafficking networks.
A well-known community leader in the Jamestown-area has been tapped to be Chautauqua County's new manager of Airports and Parks. During a press conference yesterday at the County Airport near Jamestown... County Public Facilities Director George Spanos introduced former Southwestern New York American Red Cross Chapter Director Bill Tucker as the new head of airport operations. Tucker... who retired from the military after 23 years of service... says he's excited to take the helm. He says a state report three years ago shows the airports play a crucial role in the county's economy. Tucker thanks Spanos, and the search committee for placing their trust in him... and, promised to improve on these "local jewels" of the community. Spanos says the search committee interviewed several "very good candidates." However... he says they were looking for basically two things: someone who had been in a leadership position with good managerial experience, and someone familiar with the area. Spanos says Tucker was exactly the person they were looking for. Tucker begins his new job today.
Wegmans has been named as the 'Employer of the Year' by the Resource Center... at the annual Disability Awareness Awards. The awards honor successful persons with disabilities and those who have helped them. Nurse Susan Short of Panama won the 'Health Provider of the Year' award. Beth Ray of Falconer, a self-advocacy coordinator at the Resource Center was named 'Advocate of the Year'. Another Resource Center employee, Diane Cornell, received the 'Community Service Award'. Two Resource Center consumers, Nathan Stearns of Ashville and Daryl Smith of Jamestown were honored for their achievements. Kevin Smith of Falconer was named 'Volunteer of the Year', and Truck-lite in Falconer was recognized as the Allied Industry 'Customer of the Year'. The Disability Awareness Awards were presented Wednesday night in Dunkirk.
Gas prices in the Jamestown-area have fallen another 4-cents this week to just over 3-dollars-61 cents per gallon. The Triple-A East Central’s weekly Fuel Gauge report says the average price for regular, unleaded this week is 3-dollars-61.1 cents... down from 3--64.8 last week. The Fuel Gauge says the price is based on reports from 19 stations in the Jamestown-area. The average national price for regular, unleaded is now 3-dollars-28 cents per gallon. That's a nickel less than one week ago.
Comedian Bob Newhart actually didn't have to go far to develop the "button-down humor" that's made him a legend. Newhart talked with us about all the telephone routines he did in his 1960s albums that he first made a name with. It all started during his days as an accountant in Chicago. Newhart says he got bored with it... and, began during routines with friends over the phone. He says one thing led to another... and, Warner Brothers came calling... and, wanted to record him during a nightclub appearance. We asked Newhart which routine was his favorite... and, he says they're all like your "favorite child." He says "The Driving Instructor..." and, the "Abner Doubleday Baseball" are obvious favorites. Newhart will likely do a couple of them -- at least -- when he headline's the "Lucy-Town Half-Marathon Weekend" in Jamestown this Saturday night. His performance at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts begins at 8 PM. Tickets are going fast. For more information... call the Reg Lenna box office at 484-7070... or go on-line to Lucyrace-dot-COM.
NFL owners have unanimously approved the sale of the Buffalo Bills to Terry and Kim Pegula. The husband and wife already own the NHL's Buffalo Sabres. Longtime Bills owner Ralph Wilson died in March... prompting the sale. The Pegulas offered $1.4 billion to buy the NFL franchise.
