PAGE A-4 THE POST-STANDARD Tuesday, April 5, 2011

LOCAL NEWS

Fayetteville budget plan avoids tax increases

Village officials credit past
steps that anticipated
tougher financial times.
By Elizabeth Doran
Staff writer
For the third consecutive
year, the village of Fayetteville that’s because the village’s
has a proposed budget that
calls for no tax increases, de-
spite rising costs and a large
drop in sales tax revenue, vil-
lage officials say.
The tax rate for 2011-12
would remain at $6.70 per
$1,000 of assessed value, said
Mayor Mark Olson.
The village’s total proposed
budget is $5.1 million, up from
about $4.7 million this year;
first bond payment for the new
firehouse is included, Olson
said.
Although Fayetteville will
lose $450,000 in sales tax rev- able to avoid raising taxes dur- for it, Olson said. The village also is starting
enues, it spread that loss over ing tight financial times? to make some money on its re-
two years. Pension costs are up ‘‘A lot of it is because we
‘‘We need a new loader
truck and we knew we would, cyclables by selling the news-
35 percent and health insur- knew this was coming, and we so we saved for it over several paper, glass and metal people
ance costs are up 12 percent, prepared for it in previous years,’’ he said. ‘‘We only put out in their blue bins. Be-
although that increase is lower years,’’ Olson said. bond for big projects.’’ cause of that, the village’s tip-
than in some years, Olson said. ping fee has decreased about
For example, Fayetteville’s In addition, department $40,000, Olson said.
The village plans to use debt load comes from its 2005 spending is down 5 percent A public hearing on the bud-
$200,000 of its $800,000 fund renovation of the municipal year over year. Instead of the get is set for Monday, and the
balance to help offset the sales building, and from construc- usual 3 to 3Ö percent raises, budget is scheduled to be
tion of its firehouse. Every- hourly workers are getting 2 adopted in late April.
tax loss and higher costs.
thing else the village pays for percent raises and department Contact Elizabeth Doran at
How has the village been with cash, rather than bonding heads 1 percent, Olson said. edoran@syracuse.com or 470-3012.

Lanigan to leave
social services job
Erin Maxwell case occurred
during Oswego County
commissioner’s tenure.
By Debra J. Groom
Staff writer
Frances Lanigan, who has
been commissioner of the Os-
wego County Department of
Social Ser-
vices since
2003, plans
to retire in
June.
Lanigan,
60, has
worked for
the county’s
Social Ser-
vice Depart- Lanigan
ment since June 1974.
One of the roughest periods
of her tenure as commissioner
involved Erin Maxwell, the
11-year-old Palermo girl who
Mike Greenlar / The Post-Standard died in August 2008. After her
JASON CARELLO, of Regional Truck & Trailer of Henrietta, washes one of his custom rigs before a news conference death, it came out that she had
Monday, when it was announced that the ‘‘King of Trucks All Truck Super Show’’ will be held at the state fair- been living in horrendous con-
grounds May 27 to 29.
ditions and sometimes didn’t
she would resign if a state in-
vestigation concluded her de-
partment was responsible for
Maxwell’s death. The report
on that investigation stated the
Department of Social Services
failed to do an adequate job
handling the case, but it said
the department could not have
prevented her death.
Maxwell’s stepbrother, Alan
Jones, was found guilty of her
murder by an Oswego County
Court jury. Her father, Lindsey
Maxwell, and stepmother,
Lynn Maxwell, were found
guilty by a Palermo town court
jury of endangering the wel-
fare of a child and served near-
ly two years in county jail.
In her retirement, Lanigan
plans to spend more time with
her family, to pursue a few in-
terests she hasn’t had time for
and to do more volunteering
for her church and groups such
as the Child Advocacy Center.
She is a graduate of the
State University College at Os-

Truck Show to Pull in Visitors

have enough to eat. wego.
Two county legislators Contact Debra J. Groom at
called for Lanigan to be fired. dgroom@syracuse.com, 470-3254 or
Lanigan said at that time that 251-5586.

25,000 expected at fairgrounds on Memorial Day weekend

By Mike McAndrew
Staff writer
Onondaga County tour-
ism officials said Monday
they expect more than
25,000 people to attend a
new show featuring souped-
up trucks on Memorial Day
weekend at the state fair-
grounds.
The ‘‘Regional Interna-
tional King of Trucks All
Truck Super Show,’’ featur-
ing more than 2,000 vehi-
cles from mini-trucks to
tractor-trailers, will be pres-
ented May 27 to 29 by Right
Coast Inc., the promoter of
the annual Syracuse Nation-
als classic car show.
The Syracuse Convention
& Visitors Bureau estimates
the event will generate $2.1
million in spending by visi-
tors in Onondaga County.
‘‘Memorial Day Weekend
is typically one of the slow-
er weekends for our Syra-
ONONDAGA COUNTY Executive Joanie Mahoney takes
part in the announcement about the ‘‘King of Trucks’’
show Monday during a news conference at the Center
of Progress Building at the state fairgrounds.
cuse area hotels, and now,
with this event, it will be
one of our busiest weekends
of the year with visitors in
the area,’’ said David Hold-
Mike Greenlar / The Post-Standard
er, president of the bureau.
He said the $2.1 million
is what people traveling Contact Mike McAndrew at
more than 50 miles to attend mmcandrew@syracuse.com or
the show are projected to 470-3016.
See a video from
Monday’s news
conference at
syracuse.com/
videos.
spend on hotels, restaurants,
retail shopping and transpor-
tation.
Onondaga County is pro-
viding $50,000 to Right
Coast to help market the
event, Holder said.
‘‘We plan on building off
the huge success of the Syr-
acuse Nationals and use the
same business model to
promote ‘King of Trucks’
and give truck enthusiasts an
event to call their own,’’
said Rob O’Connor, event
director for Right Coast.
There will be a $6 to $12
admission charge to attend
the truck show.
Plumley helps students
reach graduation
PLUMLEY, FROM PAGE A-3
bridge building competition, a
rocket launching contest and
taking a group of eighth-grad-
ers on a week-long camping
trip every summer to study the
human effect on wildlife and
forestation.
Plumley focuses much of
his energy on at-risk youth,
specifically middle school
children within the Syracuse
City School District. His hope,
he said, is that participation in
science fairs or other competi-
tions will create a foundation
for exploration and learning
that will increase students’
chances of finishing school.
‘‘One of our goals is to get
them to go through high
school, let alone get them to
college,’’ Plumley said.
Participating in science fairs
or similar activities helps stu-
dents distinguish themselves
from the rest of the crowd
The honorees
We will profile each person
this month:
Monday: Lynn Beth
Satterly, founder of clinic for
uninsured.
Today: Peter Plumley,
director of area science fair.
Coming:
4 Avery Brooks, started
urban athletics program.
4 Thomas Slater, director of
the area food bank.
4 Deborah Boughton,
founder ballet, arts center.
4 Bill Aris, high school cross-
country coach.
4 Martha Ryan, co-founder
of child advocacy center.
4 Diane Kuppermann,
president of Make-A-Wish
group.
Achievement
Award luncheon
The Post-Standard’s eight
Achievement Award

Liverpool votes to fund FOCUS Academy once they apply to college, he

said.
Along with running the Syr-
recipients will be honored
during a luncheon at noon
April 27 at the Holiday Inn
Liverpool/Syracuse.
The school board, however, does not The board voted to keep the FOCUS two teacher aides and two custodial posi- acuse science fair and working Ticket information and
Academy in the budget. Last week, a tions, Dangle said. for the MOST, Plumley is also
reinstate six middle school positions. group of parents presented a petition of Because the district had planned on a professor at Syracuse Uni-
the luncheon reservation
form are available at post-
434 signatures asking the board to re- losing about $3.3 million in state aid, the versity’s College of Engi- standard.com/events or
By Sarah Moses move the proposal for the alternative, school board was able to use the extra neering and Computer Sci- you may email a request for
and Fernando Alfonso III
Staff writers smaller learning community. money to close its budget gap, restore ence. He teaches an one to
The board also voted against restoring about 20 teaching position and restore introductory course for unde- kpoliquin@syracuse.com.
The Liverpool Central School District six teaching positions at the Liverpool some of the kindergarten music programs, clared freshmen engineering You may also contact Helen
Board of Education voted to fund the Middle School. A group of more than 30 Dangle said. About 25 teacher positions majors. Marcum at 637-4647.
FOCUS Academy and to restore fine arts parents and teachers asked the board to that become available because of retire-
positions, but not some middle school When he asks his students
consider restoring the positions because ments will not be filled, she said. why they decided to study en- ‘‘Some of the things he’s
teaching positions, during a budget work- they feared the elimination of an entire The board also plans on raising the tax done in this community have
shop Monday night. gineering, the most common
team of teachers would create large class levy by 1.8 percent. answer is that they were in- been phenomenal,’’ said Sam-
‘‘I think the board is having a lot of fun sizes and eliminate programs. The school board did not vote on the volved in some kind of design- uel Clemence, an SU engi-
tonight restoring cuts,’’ said Superinten- The board did vote to keep three fine budget Monday night and plans on hold- ing or building competition, he neering professor who has
dent Richard N. Johns. arts positions. Several advocates for the ing a meeting early next week. said. After repeatedly hearing worked alongside Plumley for
Board members have been going district’s fine arts program attended Mon- ‘‘We’re getting close,’’ Dangle said. this answer, he said, he under- many years.
through Johns’ $132,852,400 proposed day’s meeting. ‘‘We’ll have a good budget and minimize stands how important it is to
budget line by line for weeks to find areas The board plans to adopt the budget help kids early on. Plumley continuously en-
the impact to student programming, and
where they can make cuts and areas next Monday. A public vote is scheduled courages kids to take up hob-
that’s been our ultimate goal.’’ ‘‘A child that doesn’t have
where they can restore funding. The state for May 17. bies that ‘‘stretch your mind,’’
Baldwinsville residents will vote on the this experience is cheated,’’ including building model
budget restored $1.2 million in aid to the budget May 17 at Baker High School. Plumley said.
district, which will allow it to restore sev- B’ville yet to approve budget Residents can also vote on a proposition Plumley was honored in
trains and stamp collecting.
eral positions and programs. These activities have taught
The Baldwinsville Central School Dis- for the district to purchase six, 2003 with a college educator him many things about me-
‘‘It’s still a reduction in state aid, but trict estimates that it will lose $2.5 mil- 65-passenger buses; one, 30-passenger of the year award from the
it’s good news,’’ Johns said. ‘‘It think this lion in state aid and plans on cutting five chanical engineering, electrici-
bus and two, six-passenger Suburbans. Technology Alliance of Cen- ty and U.S. history, he said.
is the first time that I got to bring good positions as it gets closer to approving the There are about 910 people employed tral New York.
news from Albany.’’ 2011-12 budget, Superintendent Jeanne by the school district. Last year, the dis- His work has inspired many People nominating someone
Changes made to Johns’ proposed bud- Dangle said Monday night. trict cut 92.95 positions, which resulted in of his students to become more for The Post-Standard
get weren’t good for everyone, though. The positions include one mechanic, 29 layoffs. involved. From 2003 to 2005, Achievement Awards are
Plumley was director for the asked to spotlight individuals
SU engineering school’s K-12 who richly deserve public rec-
outreach program. He enlisted ognition.
Need to sell? Want to buy? the help of his students to put ‘‘Boy, that’s Peter in Tech-
syracuse.com/classifieds together bridge building com- nicolor,’’ Frawley said.
petitions, and a few of them Contact Lorenzo Arguello at
have gone on to begin similar 470-2259 or at
programs in their home states. larguello@syracuse.com.