Le Roy

Groveland Station will perform an array of original music and personalized covers tonight at 7 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1 East Main St., Le Roy.

The show is the last in a series of four free concerts offered at the church, and made possible with funds from the Restart NY Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts.

The band is comprised of four members: Jeremy Grace of Geneseo contributes vocals, guitar and songwriting; Dan Fitzpatrick, a bass player who is also from the Geneseo area, works the chapman stick, a guitar-like instrument rare to the modern music scene; Chris Murphy of Livonia partners with the songwriting and vocal duties, but acts as the distinctive fiddle player; and drummer Brett Schultz of Richmond.

“My longest running musical relationship is with the bassist, Dan Fitzpatrick. I played with him in several different bands over the last 15 years,” Grace said during an interview with The Batavian. “Then we met the drummer Brett Schultz, and we started jamming with him. I met Chris Murphy, the fiddle player, at an open mic in Rochester. I immediately thought that he was the best musician I’d ever heard.” 

Thursday’s performance will introduce guest vocalist Piper Wadsworth of the Livingston County group Valley Rising. Wadsworth will contribute harmonies to Grace's and Murphy’s vocals, and perform a lead song planned by the group. 

Groveland Station will offer a blend of original music and covers. Their classic and contemporary covers will include but are not limited to the multi-genre works of the Grateful Dead, John Prime and Merle Haggard. On Groveland Station’s personal adaptations of these songs, Grace offered that they are musical experiences novel to the fanatic listener. 

“When we take this material, we adapt it to our style,” said Grace. “Sometimes we try to surprise people. For instance, if you hear a Grateful Dead song and it's not Jerry Garcia’s guitar, but Chris Murphy on the fiddle, it’s a whole new experience.” 

Fro more information, call (585) 768-7200.

Press Release:

The American Legion Post 576 Memorial Day Monday, May 30 Parade forms at 9:45 a.m. in the Legion parking lot. The parade starts at 10:30 a.m. and proceeds to Trigon Park.

Refreshments at the Legion after the ceremony. Hot dogs and soda

Photo: File photo by Rob Radley from 2917

Four people are each vying for one of three trustee seats on Le Roy Central School's Board of Education during Tuesday's school budget vote.

The two candidates with the most votes will be elected to the two three-year terms that are open, and the candidate to come in third will fill the remaining two years on the other available seat.

The four candidates are Peter W. Loftus, Randa Williams, Jason Karcher, and Rachael Greene.

Also on the ballot is the district's $27,708,988 spending plan.  Voters are being asked to approve a $10,663,025 tax levy.  In-district property owners in Pavilion, Bergen, and Caledonia are looking at a projected tax rate of $19. Property owners in the Town of Le Roy pay the same rate they did this year, $24.14. For further explanation of the tax rates and budget, see The Batavian's previous coverage: Le Roy trustees support $66,000 tax levy increase, still lowering tax rate for property owners with assessment adjustments

During the May 10 school board meeting, the four candidates were given time to introduce themselves:

Peter W. Loftus
Loftus has served on the school district board for six years and is seeking a third term.  He is married to Tammy and they have two children.   

He is an engineering manager at RL Kistler Inc.

"Kistler places a real high value on their employees giving back to the community and providing service wherever they can," Loftus said. "This has allowed me a lot of flexibility to get out of work when I need to, to get back here for any committee meeting, interview negotiations, anything like that that takes place in the normal working hours. My work is really understanding about that and provides me with that opportunity."

He said he learned two things when he first started on the school board. 

"The first thing that I learned is that it's just a massive operation," he said. "The running of this district is all the fast-moving parts. Everything's changing all the time. People are leaving. It's a natural path for people to come and go. So you're always filling slots. It's just the way it is.

"And the other thing that I learned -- and this is the biggie -- that they care; the education, and the life preparation of every student in this district, is what drives everybody here."

Six years ago, when he showed up at the Jr./Sr high school to participate in his own children's educations, he picked up a positive vibe just walking around the hallways. Loftus said, and he decided he wanted to be a part of it, so he decided to run for a seat on the board.

"Now, I do understand a lot of the challenges, and there are many things we need to do to be better," Loftus said. "It's not just a happy place where that vibe is going all the time. There are underlying issues. There are things that we need to improve."

And Loftus wants to help guide that improvement, he said, and his experience will prove to be an asset.

"My six years on the board equips me with some experience and some tools to be a more effective, more impactful board member," Loftus said. "I really look forward to putting that experience to use in a third term."

Randa Williams
Williams, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother of Le Roy students, started her involvement with the Le Roy Central School District when her daughter entered kindergarten in 1976. She served on the PTSO and helped get the first playground built, and then a second.

She's been involved with Girl Scouts for 66 years.

"I think that the most important thing is to be involved in your community," Williams said. "I think that's what brought me here."

She thinks more people should get involved with their local schools.

"In a case like this, if you're involved, you know what's going on in your school. And it's very important what's going on here," she said.

Williams said she is excited to get more involved with the district through a seat on the school board.

"I'm very interested in what's going on and I would like to be involved in it," she said.

Jason Karcher
Part of what brought Karcher to Le Roy is that he married a young lady from the community and they both wanted a place with a strong sense of community and family.

The Buffalo native arrived four years ago and immediately got involved.  He joined the Le Roy Rotary Club and is now set to become president-elect in July. He's also been involved with the PTSO.

"One of the big things for me was about (finding) some place that I could actually dig in, get my hands dirty, and be a part of something that was larger than myself," Karcher said. "When we made the decision, it wasn't a foregone conclusion about where we would go, but it presented itself really quickly that, with family here, and with all the opportunities that are available here, to be able to come back here and (get involved)."

He and his wife Shannon have a daughter and it was his daughter's love of softball that got him even more involved in the community. 

"About two years ago, we had a huge opportunity where there was going to be no softball, there's gonna be no community of girls softball," he said. "That was a big thing for our daughter to make sure that ( girls softball) could continue on. So Shanna and I jumped in and we formed a 501(C)(3) and got it off the ground, and in two years. Now we have over 100 girls playing softball again here in the community, which we think is fantastic, and we're really excited about it."

The level of involvement led to Karcher being appointed to a vacant seat on the school board.

He works for Apple as an employee relations specialist.

"For me, it's about involvement," he said. "One of the things I would call out is, this is our budget meeting, this is where people could come in and actually get to know our candidates. And this is what we have to write (motion it the largely empty auditorium). And I'll call out, why aren't there more people here? That bothers me. So that's one of the big things, if ever voted on to the school board, is wanting to make a commitment that we need more people here."

Rachael Greene

Greene enters the race with more than two decades of experience in education. She started her career as a teacher in her hometown of Warsaw before becoming a principal in Mount Morris.  She was an instructional coordinator for BOCES (a position her husband, Peter, now holds) before becoming superintendent of the Stanley G. Falk School, which is a NYS-approved special day school that provides educational programming for students aged five to 21 who have special learning, social, and emotional needs.

"We have 600 students," Greene said. "We're the largest special education school in New York State -- seven locations and (there are) 44 different districts that we collaborate with. So when I think about what I could bring to the board, I think there's some insight and perspective in the fact that I've been able to sit in many of your positions within the district, not this district, specifically, but in a school system, and understand the roles that each of you plays to make decisions on what's best for kids. But also the perspective of being able to say, wow, you know, 44 districts, what are they doing with this?"

She said she wouldn't see her role as another superintendent in the district, a role Merrit Holly currently fills. 

"I think there's some value in being a thought partner at the table with the board," said Greene, a life-long resident of Le Roy. "In my experience, the other piece I think I would bring to the board is I'm a huge advocate for underrepresented students. When I look at our community of Le Roy and youth, and look at where we were 20 years ago, our poverty levels amongst our families and our students coming through our doors hovered around 10 percent. That trend line has done nothing but grow, where we are at almost 40 percent of our students that come into our school buildings living in poverty every day."

The Greenes have three children going to Le Roy schools, including Andrew, a ninth-grader who attended the meeting with his mother.

"I have a lot of confidence that he also will be in some form of leadership because he's class president, and now president of the Junior Honor Society," she said. "So I'm super proud of that. I think it's important for me as a parent to also model that when you're passionate about something, you want to have a seat at the table. So I'm super proud. He's here to support me."

 Greene said she would serve to support educators and see that both instructors and students -- especially those coming from poor families -- get what they need to succeed.

"I can tell you that our teachers in this district and our staff work so hard to do what's best for kids every day," Greene said. "So, as a board member, I'd want to think about what can we do, not just instructionally, but structurally to provide for what every kid needs in this district. Because the sad part is that two-thirds of those 40 percent don't pass the state exams. That tells me that there's a big gap there and it's our obligation, my duty, I would feel as the board member, and all of ours, to really look at what can we do to break down those barriers for kids every day."

Photos by Howard Owens.

Le Roy High School held its annual Mom Prom on Wednesday night at Red Osier in Stafford.

The event was put on hold for a couple of years due to the pandemic, but Le Roy Superintendent Merritt Holly said organizer Samantha Vagg "made it a priority to get this event back up and running this year for our students and families."

The event is a chance for seniors to invite a mother or other special person who provided support and guidance over the years as they worked their way toward graduation.  The event is usually held around Mother's Day.

Holly said 101 students and moms or special guests attended, which was held for the first time at Red Osier.   The event included a buffet dinner, music, games, and prizes. 

Photos submitted by David Russell.

A 55-year-old male has reportedly fallen 15 feet down an Oatka Creek embankment behind the post office in Le Roy. Genesee County dispatch has requested emergency response.

UPDATE 10:21 p.m.: The patient is conscious and alert. Rope rescue is not needed.

When the mask mandate was first lifted for students in public schools, the number of COVID cases reported amount the Le Roy Central Schools population was low to non-existent, Superintendent Merritt Holly told school board members at Tuesday's meeting.

But like the rest of the community, case numbers have been rising, he said.

"It's just something that is just hanging here as we get into the spring," Holly said. "I think as you've seen, flu numbers are still up. The two haven't gone away. We had a good stretch where we went a couple of weeks with no cases at all and since we've come back from break, we've had three or four (cases), five on a day. So they're up a little bit from where we were."

What Le Roy is seeing in cases mirrors what is being reported in the county as a whole, though in the past week, the number of new cases has leveled off.

There were 283 new cases reported in Genesee County for the week ending May 10, which is down slightly from the 286 cases reported the week before.

As for flu, there were 14 cases reported in Genesee County in the last week of April, according to the state's flu tracker web site.  There were 19 flu cases reported the week before and five the week before that.

Cast members of the Le Roy production of the Musical Newsies competed recently in a "Stars of Tomorrow" competition hosted by the Rochester Broadway Theater League and two of them are still in the running for a possible trip to New York City, Principal David Russell told the Board of Education on Tuesday.

Stars of Tomorrow is a workshop and competition open to high school musical performers from throughout the Greater Rochester Area.

Evan Williams and Nate Yauchzee were selected to participate in the next round, which broadway professionals judge at RBTL on May 26.

"If they are moved on from there, they actually win a trip to New York City, where they will have a great experience with the Broadway performances that go on down there," Russell said.

For more on the competition, click here, where you can also cast your vote for "fan favorite."

Photos: File photos by Howard Owens.

Nate Yauchzee

Evan Williams

Le Roy PD is looking for information leading to the arrest of a suspect in multiple car break-ins that occurred in the early morning hours today,

Surveillance video obtained by Le Roy PD from local residents and shared with The Batavian shows a male subject in a white hoodie and wearing a black backpack attempting to open the doors of vehicles parked in residential driveways.

Chief Greg Kellogg said investigators are asking area residents to check their own camera video to see if they captured any suspicious activity and share the footage with Le Roy PD.

There may be more than one person involved.

The suspected criminal activity took place between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Anyone who may have witnessed any suspicious activity, has video or can identify the suspect in the home surveillance camera footage is asked to contact the LeRoy Police Department at (585) 345-6350 or info@leroypolice.org

Bria Chaquan Carson, 30, no street address provided, Rochester, Chas Westley Burgess, 36, street address redacted, Rochester, and Robert Earl Wyche, 49, street address redacted, Rochester, are each charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd. Each was allegedly found in possession of fentanyl and cocaine at a location on Oak Street in Batavia at 3 a.m. on May 7. The case was investigated by Deputy Jeremiah Gechell and Deputy Morgan Ewert. All three were arraigned in City Court. Carson was released on his own recognizance. Burgess and Wyche were ordered held on no bail.

Mikhail Eric Lundberg, 32, of State Street, Blasdell, is charged with DWAI/combined drugs and alcohol. Lundberg was arrested on a warrant stemming from an incident at 9 a.m., Dec. 29, on Main Street in Corfu. He was arraigned in Town of Pembroke Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Kevin Brown Goodenough, 65, of Stone Road, Rochester, is charged with sexual abuse 1st. Goodenough was arrested in connection with an incident reported at noon on Oct. 8, 2017, on Lincoln Avenue in Le Roy. He was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court and ordered held on $10,000 bail, $15,000 bond, or $40,000 partially secured bond.

Kayla Jean Nicolucci, 30, of Ridge Road, Elba, is charged with petit larceny. Nicolucci is accused of shoplifting from Walmart at 4:59 p.m. on May 7.  She was released on an appearance ticket.

Jerome Wayne Amesbury, 56, of Gilbert Road, Bergen, is charged with harassment 1st and stalking 4th. Amesbury is accused of stalking and harassing a victim on Gilbert Road in Bergen at 9:52 p.m. on May 7. He was arraigned in Bergen Town Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Jimmy L Moore, 45, of Oakfield, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. He was stopped by state police at 4:34 p.m. on May 7 in the city of Batavia. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Le Roy Ambulance held a scrap metal drive today with the assistance of Scofield Rolloff to help raise money for the agency.  The drive started at 9 a.m. and by 10 a.m. they had already filled five Dumpsters with donated scrap metal.

Bryar Biracree pitched a complete game no-hitter for the Le Roy 12U Black Team on Thursday against Geneseo.  She gave up four unearned runs in Le Roy's 8-4 victory. She struck out 14.

LeRoy’s offense was led by Biracree and Abby Valdes scoring two runs each. Kallia Shannon and Annora Karcher both had RBIs.

The girls play Cal-Mum at home on Tuesday.

Information and photo submitted by Shannon Karcher

Press release:

Le Roy Ambulance Service Inc. will be partnering with Scofield Transfer and Recycling to host a scrap metal collection fundraiser! On May 7, 2022 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. there will be several roll-off dumpsters located at Le Roy Ambulance, 1 Tountas Ave in Le Roy, to collect all unwanted scrap metal. Clean out your garage, shed, basement, etc., of all old and unwanted metal items and drop them off for disposal at no cost! Examples of items you can drop off include old appliances, gas grills, bikes, hot water tanks, and anything else made of metal. Volunteers will be on hand to assist with unloading your vehicle! Items that cannot be accepted are microwaves, gas tanks, paint cans, food cans, or any electronics. For more information, please contact 585-343-8383. 

Jason T. Knickerbocker, 30, of Bethany, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, DWAI combined influence of drugs, operating a motor vehicle with its registration suspended, uninspected motor vehicle, and driving a motor vehicle without insurance. Knickerbocker was reportedly found in a motor vehicle in a parking lot on West Main Street at 11:55 a.m. on Feb. 7 under the influence of drugs. Knickerbocker was allegedly found in possession of several bags of fentanyl. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Stephen Matthew Smith, 33, of Pleasant Street, Le Roy, is charged with failure to register sex offender change of address. He was charged with a Class D felony because of a prior conviction on the same charge. He was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court and jailed without bail.

Daniel Norstrand, 66, of Church Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd and menacing 3rd. Norstrand was allegedly involved in a disturbance on Church Street at 8:56 p.m. April 28. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Jacklyn Ann Collins, 33, no address provided, is charged with petit larceny. Collins is accused of shoplifting from Tops Market in Le Roy at 4:14 p.m. April 26. She was released on an appearance ticket.

Cheyanne Alexis Lauer, 26, of Main Road, Pembroke, is charged with petit larceny. Laura is accused of skip-scanning items at a retailer on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia (the address and name of the retailer were not included in the press release; The Batavian has submitted a public-information request for release of the information). UPDATE: The location was Walmart, 4133 Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia.

Lazeuia D. Washington, 44, of Batavia, is charged with trespass and harassment 2nd. Washington is accused of trespassing at a business on West Main Street, Batavia, and engaging in an altercation at 9:28 p.m. April 24. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Kyle J. Schroeder, 25, of Pavilion, is charged with criminal trespass 2nd and petit larceny. Schroeder is accused of making forced entry into a residence on Liberty Street at 12:35 p.m. April 23, remaining in the residence and stealing a pack of cigarettes. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Booker T. Ricks, 50, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd and endangering the welfare of a child. Ricks is accused of not adequately supervising his son and allowing him to run outside and into North Lyon Street before being found by a passerby. An order of protection was issued and Ricks received an appearance ticket.

Jolene Y. Stevens, 33, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. Stevens was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance.  Stevens also charged with trespass at the Red Roof Inn in the Town of Batavia at 9:26 a.m. on April 30. She was released on an appearance ticket.

John A. Cabrera, Jr., 32, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Cabrera is accused of using Facebook Messenger at 11:22 p.m. on April 22 to send a message to a person he was ordered not to contact. Cabrera was issued an appearance ticket.

Pedro L. Diaz, 38, of Batavia, charged with harassment 2nd. Diaz is accused of punching another person in the chest and stomach at 5:37 p.m. April 24.  He was issued an appearance ticket.

Feyza G. Osmancikli, 27, of Batavia, petit larceny. Osmancikli is accused of stealing merchandise from a business on Ellicott Street at 6:47 p.m. April 21. She was released on an appearance ticket.

Macella F. Greene, 37, of Bliss, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, felony DWAI drugs, unregistered motor vehicle; unlicensed operator, and moved from lane unsafely. Batavia patrols responded to a report of a vehicle operating erratically when entering the City at 6:10 p.m. on April 22.  Greene was issued an appearance ticket.

Brian M. Raphael, 34, of Batavia, is charged with failure to appear. Raphael is accused of failing to appear on an appearance ticket for an alleged crime on March 11. He issued an appearance ticket and turned over to the Sheriff's Office, which also had a warrant for his arrest.

Phillip P. Heale, 43, of Batavia, is charged with trespass. Heale is accused of trespassing in Dollar General at 2:13 p.m. on April 26.  He was issued an appearance ticket. 

Jonah Harmon Schnettler, 23, of Boneset Trail, North Chili, is charged with DWI and driving with BAC .08 or greater.  Schnettler was stopped at 4:29 a.m. May 1 on Townline Road in Bergen by Deputy David Moore. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Amanda Marilyn Jones, 34, no address provided, is charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Jones was arrested on a warrant, arraigned in Le Roy Town Court, and released.

Joshua Leneir Webster, 35, of West Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with four counts of criminal contempt 2nd. Webster was arrested on a warrant by Le Roy PD. Webster was arranged in Le Roy Town Court and released under supervision. Webster is also charged with criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, menacing 2nd, criminal contempt 2nd, criminal contempt 1st, and strangulation 2nd. The charges stem from an incident reported at 12:06 p.m. on May 1.

Ethelwoldo Galindez, 54, of Alma Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with petit larceny, conspiracy 6th, and driving without a license. William Anthony Lewis, 36, of Atlantic Street, Sloan, is charged with petit larceny and conspiracy 6th. Galindez and Lewis are accused of shoplifting from Dick's Sporting Goods in the Town of Batavia. Both were released on appearance tickets.

Alan J. Worgo, 59, of Albion,  is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Worgo was stopped by state police in the town of Alabama at 8:24 p.m. May 1. He was released to a third-party.

A publically traded private equity firm based in France has acquired a portion of Empire Access, a Prattsburgh-based broadband company that provides Internet and TV service to several WNY communities, including Batavia and Le Roy.

It's unclear from the news release how much of a stake in the company Antin Infrastructure Partners acquired.

The release stated that the Wagner family, which has controlled Empire since 1946, will retain an ownership stake in the company and Brian Wagner will remain on the company’s board of directors. Jim Baase, Empire’s COO, will become CEO.

Antin's stock is traded in the European Union and the company reported more than $48 million in revenue last year and has more than $23 billion in assets.

Founded in 1896 in Prattsburgh, New York, Empire offers high-speed FTTP ("fiber to the premises") internet, voice, and digital TV services.

The company reportedly manages a network of 1,280 fiber route miles servicing more than 92,000 addresses and 24,000 customers.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in late 2022, subject to obtaining regulatory approvals.

“Empire is one of the preeminent FTTP providers in the regions we serve and the Empire-Antin partnership will enable us to grow more quickly," said Baase, quoted in the release. "With still a substantial opportunity ahead, we are excited to partner with Antin to help secure that future growth and provide high-speed broadband access to consumers across our footprint.”

Kevin Genieser, Senior Partner at Antin, promised growth for Empire with his company's investment. 

"Empire is uniquely positioned to leverage its expansive fiber network to provide broadband services to underserved parts of New York and Pennsylvania," Genieser said.

Citizens, CIT (a division of First Citizens Bank), and Webster Bank acted as lead arrangers on the debt financing for the transaction.

This past weekend twenty moms from the community who are caregivers to medically complex or special needs children were pampered at Personal Preference Salon and Spa in Le Roy, courtesy the non-profits Hope Rises and David's Refuge.

"So often, moms do not take the time for relaxation, and for moms of children who are medically complex or have special needs, it makes it that much harder to step away for self-care," said Hope Rises Founder Kate Glaser. "This was a great way for us to pour back into their cups and the smiles on their faces all day was the perfect result of the hard work and devotion that went into this."

Each mom received pampering services, including massages, pedicures, paraffin hand dips, manicures, makeup, hair style, meditation, and a brunch ahead of Mother's Day.  The charities also provided a goodie bag of gifts.

All of the moms are caretakers of a child or children who either have a life-threatening medical condition, are medically complex or have special needs.

Glaser said this was the first such event for Hope Rises but that the organization plans to do it or something similar again.

Photos and information submitted by Kate Glaser.

Leaves are reportedly burning out of control in the yard at 84 Gilbert St., Le Roy.

Le Roy Fire responding.

UPDATE 1:47 p.m.: A Le Roy medic on scene reports that people are pouring water on the fire attempting to get it out.  "It doesn't appear out of control," she says.  The burn area is about 200 to 300 feet.

Garlyn Maurice Gause, 42, of Brookhaven Terrace, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, tampering with physical evidence, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, and insufficient turn signal. Gause was stopped for an alleged traffic violation at 10:20 p.m., April 24, on Swan Street, Batavia, but Deputy Nicholas Charmoun.  Deputy James Stack and K-9 "Rayzor" responded to the stop. Rayzor reportedly alerted on the vehicle. Upon a search of the vehicle, the deputies allegedly located narcotics in the vehicle.  Gause is accused of possession of narcotics with the intent to sell the drugs. Gause is accused of attempting to conceal evidence after he was in custody. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held without bail. 

Lourdes M. Castaneda, 33, of Le Roy, is charged with DWI. Castaneda was stopped by State Police on Transit Road, Lancaster, and troopers reportedly determined that she exhibit signs of impairment.  Castaneda is accused of failing a field sobriety test.  She was processed at SP Clarence where she allegedly registered at .13 BAC on a breath test. She was released on an appearance ticket.

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

Le Roy Little League opened its 70th season on Saturday.

Board President Jeremy Warner said Le Roy is the last league in GLOW still affiliated with Little League based in Williamsport, Pa.

Photos by Ed Henry.