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Saturday,ÊO ctoberÊ22,Ê2016
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www.SunCommunityNews.com
In SPORTS | pg. 24-26
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Sectionals underway
In opinion | pg. 6
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Let’s get active
Football, soccer playoffs begin
Organizations help promote health
In TICONDEROGA | pg. 2
Sci-fi economic boost Trekonderoga bolsters local economy
Effect of village dissolution remains unclear on Moriah budget Dissolution of Port Henry village has big impact on the town By Lohr McKinstry
lohr@suncommunitynews.com
MORIAH – Taxes in Moriah are likely going down, Supervisor Thomas Scozzafava says, but because of the dissolution of the Village of Port Henry no one knows by how much. Our primary job is to get a budget,” Scozzafava said at a recent Moriah Town Council meeting. “It’s not an easy thing, but we’re doing it right.”
The 2017 town budget is being worked out, he said, with help from the state comptroller’s office. “The Comptroller’s Office has been here twice,” he said. “They tell us we will probably get a waiver on the tax cap.” The Moriah Town Council passed a resolution to override the state tax cap, which the state hasn’t set for Moriah, Scozzafava said. “The State of New York does not have a clue what the tax cap will be because of dissolution,” the supervisor said. The base cap this year is 0.6 percent, but can differ town by town depending on various financial factors.
The village is slated to end its existence as a municipality on March 31, 2017, and the town will take over its functions. The town is getting state dissolution aid to help keep taxes down, as it pays for responsibilities that were previously those of the village. The town budget’s amount to be raised by taxes will probably total around $2.2 million. The 2016 town budget was $4.17 million, with a tax levy of $2.15 million. Once the town budget is adopted, the town plans to set the public hearing for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10. Town taxes for former village residents will
probably increase, Scozzafava said, because they’ll be paying the full town tax rate, instead of the reduced rate those living inside the village paid previously. But because there will be no more village taxes, former village residents will see an overall tax decline, Scozzafava said. He said the Essex County Real Property Tax Service estimated that on a home assessed at $105,000, their total taxes will drop by about $1,069. The reduced town tax rate for village taxpayers was because some services they received were also provided by the village. Many of those services will now be provided by the town.
GOPÊ Ô superÊ PACÕÊ dropsÊ $500kÊ intoÊ NY21Ê race
Ahead of final stretch, funds will be allocated to television commercials in the Watertown and Albany markets By Pete DeMola
pete@suncommunitynews.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A “super PAC” backed by House Republicans announced plans to spend $500,000 against Mike Derrick in the final stretch of New York’s 21st District Congressional race. The independent expenditure will include television advertising in the Albany and Watertown media markets, the Congressional Leadership Fund announced on Friday. “In just two years, Elise Stefanik has delivered for her district and stood as a conservative, results-oriented leader in Congress,” said Ruth Guerra, a CLF spokeswoman. “Mike Derrick, on the other hand, vows to be another rubber stamp to the failed Obama-Clinton agenda that has left hardworking families behind.” The spending influx comes three weeks before voters head to the polls on Nov. 8, and is part of a $10 million package allocated last week to 15 congressional districts across the country, bringing CLF’s total announced general election spending to date to over $33 million in 29 districts.
People enjoyed all types of apple treats at Penfield Applefolkfest recently. See more photos, page 16. Photo by Lohr McKinstry
>> See NY-21 | pg. 27