Le Roy Central School District is planning to increase the tax levy by $66,000 after calculating how much state aid the district can expect to help cover its $27,708,988 spending plan.

The good news for residents of Stafford, who this year reportedly saw a substantial increase in their property assessments, is that if the numbers hold, their property tax rate for public education will go down about $2.37 per $1,000 of assessed value. The anticipated rate is $19.80. That's 13 cents more than it would have been had the Board of Education decided to balance the budget with reserves rather than increase the levy.

Property owners in the district in Pavilion, Bergen, and Caledonia are also looking at a projected tax rate of $19.

However, property owners in the Town of Le Roy pay the same rate they did this year, $24.14. 

State law requires that all property owners in a district share the burden of education equally so a formula will be applied to Le Roy's tax rate to make it equitable.  

Business Administrator Brian Foeller presented anticipated revenue numbers to board members at a Monday afternoon meeting and then all members of the board participated in a discussion about the tax levy before reaching a consensus decision (no motion nor vote was required) to raise the levy by $66,000.

These are all estimates because final assessment numbers will not be available until July, which will affect the total tax levy.

The tax levy is the total amount of revenue raised through property taxes.  The tax rate is the amount per thousand of assessed value that property owners are billed to pay into the levy.

Board President Jacalyn Whiting (top photo) said she was confused by the Town's decision to forego assessment adjustments this year given the state's required equalization rate and that the town must eventually get assessments up to 100 percent of fair market value.

"How is this going to make things better?" Whiting said.

The spending plan is covered by $16,135,963 in state aid, $10,663,025 tax levy, and $910,000 in local revenues.

Local revenues are:

• Fund Balance carried forward
• PILOTS
• Late taxpayer penalties
• Out of district tuition paid by other schools
• Interest earnings of investments
• Medicaid
• BOCES Refund

Budget increases include:

• Professional support and staff salaries, $364,963
• Special Education out-of-district tuition, $282,000
• Staff health insurance, $150,721 (a 12.5 percent increase)
• Grounds/facilities equipment, $81,000
• Debt payment on existing loans, $56,611

The district is adding one full-time equivalent position, replacing a part-time BOCES employee due to an increase in BOCES attendance. 

A part-time BOCES speech therapist position is being eliminated. There is also a reduction in spending on COVID-19 supplies and several retirements, with not all positions being replaced.

"We've done our part to try and keep this in mind with rising costs," said Superintendent Merritt Holly. "It's tough. These are not easy decisions."

 Whiting agreed, saying the district has done the best it can to control costs.

"This is hard, because I feel we've done a really good job, even adding $66,000 to the levy to bring it to $2 lower per $1,000," Whiting said. "But the assessment part is out of our control. By the same token, you know, we have to balance out here, too."

One thing helping the district this year is the state increased the amount of state aid, a portion called Foundation Aid, to offset shortages to the district in previous years. The increase is only temporary and the district cannot count on it in the future.

Trustee Jason Karcher expressed concern that without a levy increase, the district will face a steeper hill to climb at some point.

"That's gonna be a shock to the system when, and we don't necessarily know when, that would happen," he said. "That's lovely."

Trustee William MacKenzie agreed.

"Eventually the Foundation Aid is going to go away," he said. "It's going to happen."

Trustee Denise Duthe said she believes the district has a history of being responsible for taxpayers' money.

"I think has always done a good job of keeping things basically straight or just a little bit up, not these kinds of wild gyrations," Duthe said. "Everything costs a little bit more. Keep in mind that we want to be as fiscally responsible as we can but we also don't want to do a giant jump next year."

The budget public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10 at 6 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium.

The vote on the budget and candidates for trustees will be on May 17.

There are four candidates for three open seats.  There are two three-year terms and one two-year term open.  The candidates are  Peter W. Loftus (Incumbent), Randa Williams, Jason Karcher, and Rachael Greene.

Photos by Howard Owens

As Genesee County school districts provide details about their 2022-23 budgets, there seems no escaping inflation, and Elba Central Superintendent Gretchen Rosales isn’t afraid to admit she’s looking to cut corners.

Rosales, with the assistance of her district treasurer, Lisa Penna, has joined the list of district administrators who have pointed to the problem of rising prices for everything from electric and gasoline to wood.

“Some of the issues that we face include the sharp increase in utilities and other expenses. We have found that materials we need to operate have doubled in price. For example, the lumber for the high school construction class has nearly doubled,” Rosales said to The Batavian this week. “In order for our students to have the same experiences they have always had, we need to figure out where to cut corners in other areas. Everything from the cost of food to the topsoil we purchase has increased dramatically.”

Rosales and Penna have been working closely to create a budget that is “both fiscally responsible and also maximizes our expenditures to best serve the needs” of Elba Central School students, the superintendent said. 

The district has proposed a budget of $11,215,950, which is a 2.5 percent increase from the current budget. Rosales doesn’t expect any related tax rate increase, as the rate has decreased over the last year due to the estimated average assessed property values, she said. 

The financial plan includes a $100,000 Capital Outlay Project for enhancements to district security (re-keying the building, installing reinforced doors) and improving the heating/ventilation and air conditioning system and the boilers. 

A 65-passenger bus is also in the budget,  and that should be reimbursed by the state for up to 90 percent of the cost, she said. 

While the 2.5 percent increase is partially due to contractual obligations, instructional programs and BOCES services (occupational and special education), there are other reasons for this year’s proposed extra spending, she said.

Those rising prices, coupled with a steep increase in health insurance for employees, have prompted a focus on making cuts of any unnecessary expenses while “still providing top-notch instruction,” she said. 

“Being good stewards of the public's investment in education is not something that we take lightly; schools are not the only organizations feeling the pain of supply chain issues and rising costs,” Rosales said. “The families in the Elba community are feeling it just like everyone else.   Being cognizant of that reality is our primary focus right now.” 

She is thankful for a “great leadership team” that’s willing to be creative with new ideas for the student population. The district wants to hire a part-time social worker to better meet the needs of students in a post-pandemic time period, she said. That’s another common thread amongst county districts: counteract what was lost to students during two years of remote and hybrid learning away from class. The hiring process has just begun for this position, she said.

“We are also looking at enrichment and extension programs to help students bridge the learning gap that happened during COVID.  Schools will certainly need to contend with the COVID pandemic for years to come,” she said. “Elba is lucky in the sense that our small, tight-knit community is nurturing and supportive; we will continue to work through any challenges with this in mind.”

Another part of the upcoming budget vote are board members, both new and long-serving, she said. Current President Mike Augello will be stepping down from his role later this year, while newcomer Mercy Caparco and Travis Torrey run for two open seats.

Collaboration has been key to working on a budget, Rosales said, and she is “very thankful” for the help of Penna as district treasurer, her district clerk Donna Harris, a leadership team composed of department heads and the board.

“Of course, the Board of Education has always had the community's best interests at the forefront of this process; we want to be fiscally responsible while still providing the best education around,” she said. “I think we have a great balance in the 22-23 budget.”

The district’s vote will be from noon to 8 p.m. on May 17. There are four propositions to be on the ballot: The total budget, purchase of a new 65-passenger bus, authorizing a $100,000 Capital Outlay Project, and a vote for two Board of Education seats. 

For more information, go the district’s website at: elbacsd.org

Press release:

At approximately 1:00 p.m. the Mercy Flight Communications Center was notified that a Mercy Flight helicopter had sustained an accident in the area of Elba, NY in Genesee County during Mercy Flight’s annual Bell Helicopter factory training.

Mercy Flight Pilot James Sauer and a Bell Helicopter Flight Instructor perished in the accident. Mr. Sauer, a retired NYS Police Pilot, began working with Mercy Flight in October 2020.

“It goes without saying that our attention needs to be focused on the families of those lost and on our own employees as we deal with this unspeakable tragedy. This is a very dark day for the Mercy Flight family, we are so grateful for the expressions of love, concern and support expressed by many,” said Margaret Ferrentino, Mercy Flight’s President.

“Mercy Flight has temporarily suspended operations in order to allow time for our employees to process the event, and to ensure the complete safe mechanical operation of our other helicopters pending a preliminary accident team investigation. The Mercy Flight Communications Center will remain operational and will refer any requests to other area resources who are standing by to assist,” states Scott Wooton, Mercy Flight’s Executive Vice President.

The cause of the accident has not been determined. FAA, NTSB, Bell Helicopter and Underwriter Accident Investigation teams are responding to the scene. We will provide additional information as it becomes available. 

Previously: Edgerton Road resident heard a helicopter in trouble before Mercy Flight crash in Elba

Lisa Marie Bautista, 37, of East Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Bautista was arrested on a warrant by Le Roy PD on April 21 in connection with an incident reported at 8:28 p.m., Nov. 19. She was released on an appearance ticket. Bautista is also charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She was arrested in connection with an incident reported at 5:36 p.m., April 25 on East Main Street, Le Roy.  No further details released.

Jeremy Munn, 40, of Lincoln Avenue, Le Roy, was arrested on two warrants on charges of menacing 2nd and criminal mischief 4th following a traffic stop by State Police. He was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Kyle Thomas Purdy, 26, of West Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Purdy is accused of violating an order of protection at 3:30 p.m., April 24, at a location on West Main Street, Le Roy. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Michael Zachery Vigrillo, 24, of Smith Street, Buffalo, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Vigrillo is accused of violating a stay-away order of protection by contacting the protected party at 11:48 p.m., pril 25, at a location on State Street Road, Batavia. He was arraigned in Batavia Town Court and ordered to reappear on May 24.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C, I-Batavia) is expressing dismay at the decision of the Assembly Majority to kill a large number of bills proposed by members of the Assembly Minority that would support New York’s veterans and law enforcement professionals, while also bolstering public safety. 

Among the bills that members of the Majority shot down in committee were ones that would restore judicial discretion that was taken from judges following the passage of bail reform (A.7772, A. 6933), support for veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder (A.8377), and the creation of a penalty for committing hate crimes against police officers and other emergency personnel (A.3824). Additionally, bills Hawley co-sponsors were blocked, like making it a felony to fire a gun at either police officers or first responders (A.9608), or into crowds generally (A.4259), as well as another that would add five years to the sentence of anyone who commits a felony while in possession of a loaded gun (A.4762).

“I firmly believe that most people would consider the measures the Majority struck down in committee to be common-sense and uncontroversial and very much worthy of an open debate, if nothing else,” said Hawley. “Crime and public safety have consistently ranked among the top policy issues on the minds of New Yorkers this year, and the legislation we put forward directly addresses the concerns held among many regarding bail reform and the restoration of law and order in our communities. It is truly shameful that the Majority has deprived us of the opportunity to debate these bills in the open on their merits, and instead killed them off to protect themselves politically.”

Press release:

United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes is now accepting applications for its premier Leadership Development Programs. These five-day, once per week, in-person programs teach core skills in self-leadership, cultural awareness, and how to infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion framework into leadership positions in the workplace, on boards and committees, and in volunteer service work. Curriculum topics include personal development; diversity, equity, inclusion; board governance; cultural perspectives; and social issues.  More than 2,000 local community leaders have graduated from these programs over their 40-year history.  

Programs currently accepting applications include:

• African-American Leadership Development Program
• Emerging Leaders Development Program
• Latino Leadership Development Program
• PRIDE Leadership Development Program

The programs cost is $399 per participant and space is limited. An orientation will take place on August 3, with a graduation ceremony on November 3. The registration deadline for all programs is Tuesday, May 31.

To register and learn more details about specific programs visit https://unitedwayROCFLX.org/get-involved/leadership-development.

Press release from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

“Reports that two people have passed in the helicopter crash that took place today in the town of Elba is incredibly saddening, a tragic development to all of us here in Genesee County. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives today, as well as all who were affected by this horrific incident.”

Press release:

Batavia residents Jacklyn (Borrelli) Pratt and Nicole Borrelli co-coach together for a competitive cheerleading program, New York Icons. The sister coaching duo is honored to have their team, Celebrities, representing their program at the upcoming Summit Championship in Orlando, Florida. The Borrelli sisters have been coaching cheerleading for over 10 years and have been co-coaching their Allstar team together for the past three seasons. These sisters have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with within the cheerleading community.

New York Icons, a local Allstar cheerleading and tumbling training facility, in Rochester is proud to announce that Celebrities will be attending The Summit Championship on a PAID bid in the Small Junior Level Two Division to compete at one of the nation’s most prestigious cheerleading competitions produced by Varsity All-Star. Varsity All-Star is a division of Varsity Spirit – the global leader in cheerleading.

The Summit Championship, held at Walt Disney World® Resort’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex from April 28 to May 1, is the season-capping goal for many competitive all-star teams. The Summit Championship, founded by Varsity All-Star in 2013, will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2022 and will showcase more than 1,500 teams and 24,000 competitors from around the globe. The Summit Championship provides a unique experience for athletes to compete against the best of the best across all levels of competition. The Summit Championship and The Dance Summit Championship continue to grow offering multiple paths for teams to have a competitive, prestigious, and celebratory end to their seasons.

The Borrelli sisters and their team have worked extremely hard this season, especially coming off the pandemic and the challenges they faced last season. “We could not have asked for more from our athletes this season,” says the Borrelli sisters. “They have consistently scored the highest overall score throughout our in-season competitions, and we are very proud.” They are heading down to Florida as the TOP Northeast Region Team on the Varsity Leaderboard. 

Jacklyn is a Special Education Teacher at Gates Chili Middle School and the Program Assistant for Gates Chili’s Cheerleading Program. In addition, she has worked with several Genesee Region High School Cheerleading Programs over the last several years and has worked closely with Attica High School. Most importantly, her number one role is being a mom to her one-year-old, Jackson. Nicole is an office manager in Rochester and is the JV Cheerleading Coach for Gates Chili High School along with her other coaching duties and apparel coordinator at New York Icons.

Strong winds that brought down power lines in the Sandpit Road area of Alexander on Monday was actually a category EF-0 tornado, according to the National Weather Service.

The twister brought down several trees and caused damage to historic gravestones in the Alexander Cemetery, according to Kate Goodman, cemetery association president. 

The cemetery which was established in 1813 is a not-for-profit organization and was not insured for the damages, Goodman said.

The cemetery is asking the community for any donations they can provide to help defray the costs of removing the trees and repairing the stones.  Donations can be sent to the Alexander Cemetery Association at 4201 Broadway Road, Alexander, NY 14005. 

Photos submitted by Kate Goodman.

Charlene Schultz is used to hearing helicopters over her house on Edgerton Road in Elba.  She seems to live in a flight path for both the military and Mercy Flight. So she knows what a helicopter passing overhead sounds like when all is all right.

Shortly before 1 p.m. today, she knew she heard a helicopter that was in trouble.

"The motor sounded weird," Schultz said. "You know when you start your car and it goes woo-woo? That's what it sounds like to me twice. Like it won't start. Then it went out completely. Then it came back on and I heard the Big Bang."

She speculated the pilot managed to get the motor started again as the helicopter was heading down but it was too late.

She went outside expecting to see smoke but there was no smoke.  She got in her car and drove to the scene.

"Three men stopped me and I was from here to your car (less than 50 yards) and saw what I didn't want to see. So I turned around and came back home."

Major Eugene Staniszewski, State Police, confirmed this afternoon that two crew members aboard the flight died in the crash. Their names have not yet been released.

The cause of the accident is under investigation. Investigators from both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been dispatched to the scene.

"We will be here for quite a while," Staniszewski said. "This could be into tomorrow while we're still on scene and then after that, it usually takes quite a while, it could be months until they come up with a final determination (as to the cause of the crash)."

The helicopter was on a training mission, Staniszewski confirmed, and it was flying out of the Mercy base at the Genesee County Airport. 

The major said there is at least one person who saw the helicopter go down and several who heard the helicopter in the area.

One neighbor said she saw a Mercy Flight helicopter circle the area before she and her husband went to Walmart.  They only learned of the crash while at the store and returned home immediately.  Schultz, however, said she believes the helicopter that circled the scene showed up after the crash.  She said when she first saw it, she hoped it was a sign that the crew survived but then the Mercy Flight helicopter left without landing.

"We are interviewing several witnesses and local neighbors that live on this road," Staniszewski said. "We'll be working with Mercy Flight and NTSB and FAA to come up with a reason for this crash."

UPDATE:  The pilot was James E. Sauer, 60 of Churchville. The second person was a Bell Helicopter employee and pilot, Stewart M. Dietrick, 60 of Prosper, Texas. They were flying a Bell 429 that was based in Batavia. They were pronounced dead at the scene and taken to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office.

An unidentified helicopter circled the scene an hour or so after the accident.

Power lines were cut because lines had fallen dangerously close to the helicopter, impeding the investigation.

File photo of a Mercy Flight helicopter taken April 24 at GCC following a serious injury accident at Clinton Street Road and Seven Springs Road. Photos by Howard Owens.

Photo by Howard Owens

Multiple callers report a helicopter going down in the area of Norton and Edgerton roads in Elba. Elba Fire and Town of Batavia Fire, along with Mercy EMS, responding.

Genesee County Emergency Management Services has ordered the area to be closed to all unauthorized traffic.

UPDATE 2:03 P.M.: An area resident said that shortly before the crash she had seen a helicopter circling the area. It has been confirmed that it was a Mercy Flight helicopter. No information has been released yet about the crew. The crash site is at 7269 Norton Rd.

UPDATE 2:26 p.m.: National Grid removes power lines that fell on the helicopter. Photo by Howard Owens.

UPDATE 3:17 p.m.: State Police said that two crew members died in the crash; their names have not yet been released. The helicopter was on a training mission. The cause of the crash is undetermined at this time.

Stephen Cronmiller, who joined the Batavia City Police Department in 2014, was sworn in as detective during Batavia City Council's conference meeting Monday at City Hall.  He is to begin his new duties immediately.

Martin (Marty) Hinz was recognized for his 23 years of service during Batavia City Council’s conference meeting Monday evening.

Hinz “brought knowledge and dedication to the city,” with his first promotion to lieutenant, followed later to captain, at the Batavia City Fire Department. He “displayed a calm and composed demeanor” in the face of chaotic situations, council members said.

Photo by Howard Owens

There’s one thing for certain with the City of Batavia lately: entertainment is not taking a back seat to anything.

Live and DJ music, arts, a dunk tank, parades, dancers and food will be filling up calendars from May 30 to July 2 now that City Council has reviewed the requests and passed them on to a business meeting for official votes.

During its Monday conference session, the council looked over several requests for downtown events, from an old standby, the Memorial Day parade, to a new happening of a carnival.

Participants will be lining up at Eastowne Plaza the morning of Memorial Day and walking along Main Street to Bank Street, settling into the city parking lot on Alva Place. A yearly event to honor military veterans, the parade is being organized by City Council member Bob Bialkowski. It’s to begin at 9:45 a.m. and end before 11 a.m.
For more information about this event, go to: www.batavianewyork.com

Next up is a GLOW OUT 5K Run and Celebration that begins and ends at Centennial Park. This event is set for 5 to 9 p.m. on June 9.

GLOW OUT also has scheduled a parade and festival from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 11 at Batavia City Centre parking lot downtown. Some 15 vendors and an estimated 600 participants are expected for the event, according to the organizer, GLOW OUT President Gregory Hallock. It begins on Richmond Avenue in front of Centennial Park and winds around Bank and Ross streets, Washington and Ellicott avenues and back to Centennial.

Also on June 11 (expected to be very busy Saturday), is the Eli Fish Brewing Company Carnival in Jackson Square. Various food dishes from Eli Fish, beer, carnival games, a dunk tank, live entertainment and vendor booths are on the event menu from 4 to 10 p.m.

Council members had few, if any, questions or comments about the events, all of which have completed event request forms and supporting documentation. Council President Eugene Jankowski noted that the GLOW OUT parade is on the same day as the carnival, but there shouldn’t be any conflicts.

“I know these are two on the same day, one is in the square and the carnival itself is not going to require anything from the city,” he said. 

For more information about the carnival, go to: https://www.facebook.com/elifishbrewing/

A former Ramble event that now includes a GO ART! Music and Art Festival, is set to run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 2 downtown. Two stages for music from 20 to 30 bands, an Artisan Alley of artist demonstrations, an arts and craft vendor fair, food trucks, a folk art stage with dancers and other performers and a children's craft area will spill out from Jackson Square onto Jackson and School streets and into a portion of the Save-A-Lot parking lot.

Costs for these events include $2,571 for the Memorial Day parade, with $922 for city police and $1,649.17 for the Bureau of Maintenance; $538 each for the GLOW OUT 5K Run and Celebration and parade and festival ($1,076 total); $538 for city police and $919.29 for the GO ART! Music and Art Festival and no costs involved for the Eli Fish Carnival. 

The following disclaimer is included on the Event Summary page of the council’s meeting packet: 

“Event sponsors are responsible for any costs that may be incurred from their event and have been made aware of estimate costs, if any.”

Bialkowski wanted to clarify how conference meetings work, given that council seems to be voting once at a conference and then once again at a business meeting. 

“I think we’ve been remiss in conference meetings,” he said. 

Council gives a general consensus agreement about moving the agenda item forward to a business meeting, Jankowski said. “There’s been some confusion that we’re voting twice,” he said. The consensus is merely a group agreement to put the official vote onto the business agenda after discussing details in a conference work session, he said. 

The next council business meeting will be at 7 p.m. May 9 in Council Chambers, second floor, City Hall.

Ciro S. Matarazzo was honored by Batavia City Council on Monday night for his 29 years of service to the community.

Matarazzo began his career with the city while he was still in college as a laborer in the Bureau of Maintenance. He was employed in that position from 1997 to 1999 and became a heavy equipment operator for the City of Batavia in 1999, a position he held until his retirement this year. He's also worked in the same department since 2015.

Photo by Howard Owens.

Bill Davis, retired superintendent of water and wastewater for the City of Batavia, was honored Monday night by City Council for his 36 years of service to the community.

He began his career in 1986 as a water and wastewater maintenance worker.  In recognition of his technical skills and work ethic, he was promoted to a senior position in 1996. As his leadership and supervisory skills developed, he earned a promotion to supervisor in 2013, a position he held until 2019 when he was promoted to superintendent.

His career spanned the construction of the Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wastewater Pump Station replacement in the1990s and the replacement of the 12-inch water main on Main Street in the 2000s.

Photo by Howard Owens

Roy Tourt was honored by the Batavia City Council at the start of Monday's meeting for his 23 years of service to local residents.

Tourt retired as superintendent of the Bureau of Maintenance after previously serving as an assistant city engineer. He also served a year in 2020 as interim director of Public Works.  In 2017, he won the Douglas Zefting Award from the Genesee Valley branch of the American Public Works Association.  

Photo by Howard Owens.

Steve Tufts submitted this photo of a massive cloud rumbling through Batavia during the thunderstorm that passed through the city at about 7 p.m.

Tufts said, "Good thing there was no rotation in that wall cloud -- it was heading straight for the Cornell Cooperative Extension!"