Harrison REVIEW THE
May 20, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 21 | www.harrisonreview.com
Harrison considers law to regulate pet sales by COReY StOCKtON Staff Writer
LOOKSÊ GOOD The town/village of Harrison held its Taste of Harrison event on Sunday, May 15 to benefit the local library. Visitors were welcome to food and beverages from area vendors. For more, see page 9. Photo/Bobby Begun
$110M school budget passes districtwide vote by SIbYLLA CHIPAZIWA Editorial Assistant The Harrison Central School District’s proposed 2016–2017 budget totaling $110 million passed the test on Tuesday, May 17. According to unofficial results, 1,264 votes—77 percent—supported the budget, with 372 votes opposing it. The results are expected to be certified on Wednesday, May 18 at the Board of Education meeting, after press time. Robert Salierno, the district’s assistant superintendent of business, told the Review that the process of getting the budget passed was helped by various factors, including a reduction in the teacher retirement system
rate and a teacher retirement incentive that saves the district money; getting $420,000 of the Gap Elimination Act funds— which has helped New York state fill its revenue shortfall—restored; and the ability to increase the tax levy to 0.90 percent due to Harrison’s property tax cap increasing. Salierno added that the voter turnout appeared to be “lighter than in past years,” with a total of 1,636 votes cast this year. Program highlights of the 2016–2017 school budget include maintaining class sizes districtwide, adding security personnel to all schools during evenings, creating an extended year special education program in the summer, and adding two more fifth-grade teachers at the
Parsons and Harrison Avenue Elementary schools. Other areas of the budget will upgrade security on campuses and Wi-Fi access points, and provide funds for classroom renovations to meet increasing demand. Also on Tuesday, Board of Education incumbent Trustee Rachel Estroff was re-elected with 1,035 votes and Placido Dino Puccio was elected to his first term on the board with 983 votes in uncontested races. Puccio, 48, had been a member of the school board’s Citizens Budget Advisory Committee for a decade before running for trustee. The new trustee is happy to have been elected, but expressed his opinions on the relationship
between state school boards and officials in Albany. “Being a trustee to the Board of Education, yes, it’s an honor,” he said. “Looking forward, [however,] the boards don’t really have the power anymore; the power is with the governor.” Puccio decided to run for a seat “to hopefully move the pendulum in the other direction.” “We’re back to 200 years ago,” he said. “It was King George and Britain, and we got rid of him by having a revolution. Now you have King Andrew Cuomo who’s basically dictating 90 percent [of what school boards do].” Estroff, 44, has been a Board of Education member for budget continued on page 8
The Harrison town board is considering a law which would restrict how a pet dealer may acquire dogs and cats. The legislation was proposed by Councilwoman Marlene Amelio, a Republican. “It’s something I’ve been working very diligently on,” she said. “And I’ve been working hard on getting the mayor on board as well.” This proposal comes after a law passed in February in the village of Mamaroneck that made it illegal for pet vendors to sell commercially bred dogs and cats. As a result, dogs and cats sold in Mamaroneck must be acquired from animal rescue shelters or humane societies. Mamaroneck is the first municipality in the state to pass such a law, following a 2014 bill signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, which allowed municipalities to place more stringent laws on pet stores. The city of New Rochelle has proposed and tabled a similar law that would result in up to $250 in daily fines and/or imprisonment for a pet dealer in violation. Amelio said Harrison’s law has not yet been fleshed out, and the town’s attorneys are still exploring the possibilities and legalities of the bill. This style of law has, in fact, become the target of some legal backlash. A similar law in New York City that requires pet stores to obtain their animals from Class A license breeders and to spay or neuter the animals before selling them led to a lawsuit last year from the New York Pet Welfare Association, which states its mission is “to ensure that pet owners in cities like New York continue to have access to
healthy, humanely treated purebred puppies.” Their website says businesses in the pet industry and those adopting pets have the right to purchase the pets of their choice. The law was upheld in November 2015, but the pet association has filed an appeal. Amelio said she expects the legislation in Harrison to be an item up for discussion at one of the two town board meeting agendas in June. When explaining the importance of the pending legislation, Amelio referenced Mahatma Gandhi, who said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Paula Krenkel, co-president of Pet Rescue, a humane society in Harrison, said any kind of law that can dissuade pet shops from buying from so-called puppy mills will promote the proper treatment of animals. “However anybody wants to [write the law], we’re in favor of it,” she said. However, while the law has the welfare of animals in mind, it may be hard on businesses. The law in Mamaroneck resulted in the closing of National Breeders, the only pet store in the village at the time the law was drafted. According to Krenkel, the unscrupulous and inhumane practices of puppy mills allow them to breed and sell a large quantity of animals. However, breeders who abide by the law cannot meet the high demand for pets. “A reputable breeder does not have the number of dogs that can support a pet store,” she said, adding that pet stores can support themselves with animals from shelters and humane societies. There are currently no licensed pet stores in Harrison. CONtACt: corey@hometwn.com