BREAKING: Allegany County legislators appear to be coming in the back door on a proposed personal wage increase next year of $3,500 each, or more than 40 percent. In a little-known action, which appears to have been shrouded originally in secrecy, county lawmakers, by a split vote, have included the salary increase, to $12,000 annually, … Read more
Allegany County District IV legislators, representing the Towns of Wellsville and Andover, are scheduled to meet their constituents and others Tuesday night in Andover “for general discussion of mutual problems and interests.” Legislators Gary Barnes and Steven Havey of Wellsville and James Rumfelt of Andover have scheduled the session for 7PM, November 28, at the … Read more
Allegany County legislators appear poised to overspend this year’s general fund budget by $16 million due to a windfall surplus from 2022 rather than using it for property tax relief. Board Chairman W. Brooke Harris of Alfred told the few people attending last night’s District V legislators meeting at the Town of Allen that the … Read more
Allegany County District V legislators will hold a quarterly district meeting in the Town of Allen Tuesday night to hear general discussion of county resident “mutual problems and interests,” particularly those from the northeastern and eastern parts of the county. The session, to be conducted by Legislators Janice Burdick and Phillip Curran of Alfred Station … Read more
Voting is underway until 9PM today at local polling places throughout Allegany County as voters ballot for candidates for county and town offices, along with two state propositions. Six positions will be determined solely by write-ins, including two Town Council positions in Alma and one each in Bolivar, Friendship and Genesee, along with a Town … Read more
Early voting is underway at locations in Belmont and Wellsville for this year’s general election for local government offices, with six positions in various part of the county to be determined by write-ins. Registered voters can cast ballots from today through Sunday at the Allegany County Board of Elections at 8 Willets Avenue (State Route … Read more
Three public meetings, for Allegany County residents to talk with district legislators, have been scheduled this month, starting tonight in Belmont and continuing next week in the Towns of Wellsville and Willing. District II Legislators Gretchen Hanchett and Dwight (Mike) Healy of Belmont, and John Ricci of Cuba, will be at the Amity Town Hall, … Read more
Auditors from the State Comptroller’s Office have determined that the Village of Canaseraga improperly paid over two-thirds of bills sampled from a more than a two-and-a-half years period ending in February of this year. The audit found that “(a)lthough the 300 claims reviewed were for appropriate Village purposes,” $656,000, or 68 percent, “had one or … Read more
A Friendship pharmacist, the Allegany County Clerk of the Board of Legislators and several other individuals have been recognized by the county board during its annual session at the Allegany County Fair in Angelica. Jeffrey Marks, owner of the Friendship Pharmacy for the past 30 years, received last week the board’s monthly community service recognition, … Read more
Issues of legal marijuana being laced with deadly fentanyl, problems obtaining school bus driver due to applicants being unable to pass drug tests due to marijuana use, community residents being a greater problem than college students in use of drugs, drivers under the influence of marijuana, lack of money to pursue street level drug dealers, … Read more
A Belmont county legislator apparently won’t be supporting any move to provide significant tax relief to property taxpayers, despite a bloated surplus which exceeds one-and-a-half times what the county already expects to collect from owners each year. Legislator Dwight (Mike) Healy abruptly exited his chair and effectively adjourned a public meeting of District II legislators … Read more
The Town of Friendship is seeking ways to overcome an immediate manpower shortage for garbage pickup while it and other local governments struggle with similar shortages in various workforce positions. Town Supervisor Russ Hall told a gathering of local officials last week, during an Allegany County District II Legislators meeting with residents, that three of … Read more
Republican voters in five Allegany County towns will be able to vote until 9PM today in Primary Elections for various positions, including town council members in Allen, Angelica, Friendship and Wirt, town supervisor in Almond, and highway superintendent in Wirt. Primary voting will occur at town polling places, with a total of 148 local government … Read more
EXCLUSIVE: Allegany County’s property tax rate is the second or third highest in the United States by one measure as county legislators continue to put away millions – over 160 percent more last year than was levied against taxpayers. An Allegany County Hope Community News compilation from different data sources appears clear that Allegany County … Read more
Allegany County residents will have an opportunity to question District II Legislators Wednesday night during a town hall meeting at Friendship. Representatives Gretchen Hanchett and Dwight (Mike) Healy of Belmont and John Ricci of Cuba will field questions, starting at 6PM, June 21, at the G.A.R Hall at Island Park, 29 West Water Street. The … Read more
Early voting will start next Saturday at Belmont and Friendship for Republican Primary contests for local offices this year in only the five Allegany County Towns of Allen, Almond, Angelica, Friendship and Wirt. Voters will be offered the voting opportunity at various times over nine days at the county Board of Elections at 8 Willets … Read more
EXCLUSIVE: Allegany County’s state legislative representatives are being asked again to work at retaining the county’s third highest sales tax rate in the state at the same time as the government’s surplus escalated by more than $16 million, or nearly 50 percent, last year. The new unappropriated fund balance of nearly $48.8 million is enough … Read more
Two Allegany County online information providers were recognized tonight by a statewide open government coalition for efforts in shedding light on closed door meetings of the county Board of Legislators. Allegany Hope Community News and Resources Editor Casey Jones was commended by the New York Coalition for Open Government during its online annual meeting for … Read more
Allegany Hope has added a link to the new 2023 Allegany County Governments and Services Directory to this website. The Directory, compiled by the Office of the Clerk of the Allegany County Board of Legislators, has a broad range of locally-focused listings, including government officials and contact information, from federal and state levels down to … Read more
A committee of the Allegany County Board of Legislators is sending to the full board a proposal by a Cattaraugus County-based arts group to provide $11,500 in funding to help it reduce its current year’s budget gap. The request comes from the Tri-County Arts Council (TCAC) of Olean and occurs after the demise this year … Read more