October 18, 1989 - l20?3 11/01/90 S!1 I, No. 43 t:F~TH F'tJJ:~:L I C L* J: r;:!:;·f:1F:;:\' • 451 l)ELAWARE ~VE ~ weekly newspaper serving the towns of IG Bethlehem and New Scotland Bethlehem forum could liven up race Only face-to-face meeting of candidates By Mark Stuart representation," said Sylvia Ponemon, one Bethlehem voters will be given the of the coordinators of the forum, "It will only opportunity to see -a face-to-face fo­ be similar to our forum of two years ago." rum between the town board candidates The town board race between Demo­ tomorrow ('Thursday) at 7:30p.m in the crat John Smolinsky and Republicans auditorium of the Bethle1,1em Town Hall, Charlie Gunner and M. Sheila Galvin is 445 Delaware Ave., Delmar. the only contested campaign in The forum will be sponsored by the November's town election. Bethlehem Citizens For Responsible Plan­ At Thursday's forum, each candidate ning and will follow a question and answer will have three minutes to respond and format. The candidates will be asked will be given time for opening and closing questions submitted by community, so­ statements. cial and civic groups. "The questions will be bhiad-based questions with broad (Turn to Page 9) Voorheesville grant to cushion tax bite By Bob Hagyard The district was one ·of only six to The $1 million asbestos grant won by receive asbestos abatement grants· from the Voorheesville Central School District the state Education Department. Under "willgoright back to the taxpayers," Super­ terms of the program, a district could intendent Alan McCartney announced last receive up to 60 percent reimbursement week. for the cost of asbestos removal. In Voorheesville, 60 percent would amount Actually,. the money would be applied to about $1.9 million. to reduce the debt load incurred by the $8.9millionasbestosremoval/reconstruc­ Board members, surprised and de­ tion bond issue approved by district vot­ lighted at winning half a loaf, readily ers lastspring.Atthe Oct 10 Voorheesville endorsed the superintendent's idea. school board meeting, McCartney sug­ Other action · . gested the district apply part of the grant The board also: to the upcoming frrst-year payment - "smooth out the load," in the • Took no action on board member superintendent's words. With the rest, David Teuten's suggestion to retroactively the district would set up an investroent extend property tax collection deadline fund and apply the proceeds to reduce the past Sept. 30, which fell on a Saturday this debt burden over a period of years. (Turn to Page 13) For those who must account for drop-off points than all of our competi­ bottom lines as well as deadlines, tors combined. there's Express Mail® overnight service. So the next time you need to • . At just $8.75 for an 8-ounce send a letter or document over­ letter, Express Mail service ·night, use the package of price, offers you guaranteed* morn­ speed, and convenience that ing delivery between major only we can deliver. markets, Saturday service at Express Mail service from no extra charge, and more your post office. ~ iXPRiSS MJJ/L We Deliver. *Full postage refund if delivery is not attempted by noon. Some restrictions apply. Check with your local Post Office for details. © 1989 USPS Call The Express Mail Office At 452-2307 Or One Of These Local Post Offices; Delmar • 439-1933 Altamont • 861-6953 Slingerlands • 439-5371 South Bethlehem • 767-3054 Feura Bush • 439-2497 Guilderland • 456-1400 Glenmont • 434-8358 . Selkirk • 767-3308 Voorheesville • 765-4022 PAGE 2-October 18, 1989- The Spotlight ' .. Coyne's budget: s~ll airport or raise taxes By Patricia Dumas the amount "to subsidize an other­ would require "prudent manage­ fall short of estimates and noted wise equivalent iocrease io the tax ment of county budget funds." that the local share of mandated AlbanyCountyExecutiveJames Alb C t levy." The remaioiog $8.5 million, social services programs will io­ ]. Coyne is asking county legisla- He said that instead of bondiog any OUn J he said, would be kept io reserye. crease by $2 million. tors to choose between turning forroadimprovements, the county W. Gordon Morris Jr. ofBethle­ shouldhaveannuallybudgetedfor the county airport over to private · He blamed the budget gap on The largest single cost increase hem, the county legislature's mi~ such public works projects. management or cutting back on "an abhorrent state budget, press­ under the 1990 budget is in debt nority leader, said the Democratic . "We are facing huge tax in­ service for the county's recent $67 expenditur~~ for. ~?ad improve- iog local needs, and a sluggish administration'sattemptto balance ments and )ail facilities. state economy." creases every year from now million bond issue which provided the budget "is an example of gross on, "Morris said, "and if we have money for jail expansion, highway The proposed $302 million ·"Since the executive budget is mismanagement." money to balance the budget this improvements and part of the budget he is submitting to the merely· a recommendation on a "The county executive is put­ year, what about next year?" Knickerbocker Arena expense. ~egislature cal!s for a property tax plan of spendiog and an estimate The debt for the jail expansion and . tingiotohisbudgetmoneywedon't Republican legislator Edward mcrease but 1t can be kept low, of iocome and given that I have road reconstruction comes to even know we're goiog to get," Buhrmaster of Colonie called Coyne said, if the. county receives come to ~refer a lease arrange­ Morris said. He said that the Fed­ about $6.2 million. money from the rurport lea§e/ sale ment with an airport operator, it is Coyne's budgeting proposal "an eralAviationAdministration (FAA) According to Coyne, the budget plan he favors. now up to the county legislature to example of deficit financiog in the has yet to rule on whether lease shows a $500,000 reduction io net Republican legislators claim decide the future of the airport and worst way." Buhrmaster said he money would have to bereiovested spendiog for the arena. He said that the choice Coyne is giving the size of the 1990 property tax wants the county to keep the air­ ioto the airport. that $4.6 million in debt service for themstemsfromlnismanagement levy," Coyne said. port, and make it work as a county Morris said, however, that ifthe operation. the arena will be partly covered io and neglect. Coyne favors leasiog the air- airport has to be sold, he favors Coyne said that transfer of arr­ hotel-motel taxes and io the lease The proposed 1990 budget, portto British American-Lockheed privatization instead of ownership port operations to private manage­ of corporate boxes and retail space. made public last week, provides Air Terminal, a partuership that by an authority, which was Coyne's ment "is a significant first step The budget recommends a 6 for a tax levy of $26 million which has offered a 40-year lease at $50 recommendation io prior years. toward addressiog the broaden­ percent salary iocrease with a cap translates to a tax rate of$3.70 per million, with $24.5 million to be­ Coyne at one time wanted the air­ iog and often uncontrollable fiscal of $2,500 for county employees not $1,000 of full valuation. It means come available immediately if the port to be sold to the Capital Dis­ pressures we face." covered by a collective bargainiog that there would be a 6.5 iocrease county accepts the proposal. trict Transportation Authority. Inhisbudgetmessagelastyear, contract and a 15 percentiocrease io property taxes, an amount Coyne Coyne's budget message states Asked about the pending FAA Coyne leaned toward-privatization io the cost of health iosurance for termed "modest." that "without the privatization of ruling, Coyne said he is confident andiothisyear'smessagehestates covered county employees. The increase is beiog held the airport, jail expansion and io­ that the FAA will authorize the that "future privatization will help down, Coyne said, because his frastruc_ture repair would be de­ county to use the lease money for meet future needs by providiog Coyne called on the legislature budget "assumes immediate io- layedatleastfiveyearsandwould budgeting needs. reliable revenue sources." to lobby agaiost .state-mandated come from a long range lease ar- require sizeable cost iocreases." . Morris said the administration Listing' the fiscal problems fuc­ costsforweHare and medicaid. He rangement at the county airport to Includiogthe$25.5millionlease has long ignored the county's iog the county, Coyne said that said New York is one of the few subsidize an iocreasingly uncon- payment in his revenue projec­ needs, knowiog full well that cut­ sales tax receipts, traditionally a states in the country requiring trollable budget gap." tions, Coyne used $17 million of backs in state-funded programs dependable revenue source, will counties to share in those costs. D A homestead among the apple trees (From Page 1) The partlt:ular farm that Peter moulding and four panel doors with and Rose-Marie live .on came origi­ original hardware. The big fire­ These farms are. all nally from the patroon ship of place has a Dutch oven to the side positioned near and. along the Stephen Van Rensselaer and was and probably io the early years Voorheesville Altamont road and conferred by lease from the Pa­ this was the "keeping room" in the • belonged originally to James, Wil­ troon to William Davis on Decem­ house - used for entertaining, · liamandAddisonBeebe,and]acob ber 8, 1813. !twas later transferred eating, working cookiog and even Wormer, all early settlers in the to Andrew Witherwax in 1818 and sleeping.