Niagara County Democrats Urge Action: Legislators Push Issues Left Over From Last Year

By Thomas J. Prohaska, The Buffalo News, N.Y.

Jan. 3–LOCKPORT — The reorganization of the Niagara County Legislature went according to script Tuesday, but some of the minority Democrats already were pushing for action behind the scenes on contentious issues left over from last year.

New Chairman Clyde L. Burmaster, R-Ransomville, returned to the post he held in 2000-01, offering only a brief statement of thanks to his colleagues. He said he will give a State of the County address to a breakfast meeting of the Niagara USA Chamber on Jan. 23 and to the Legislature on Feb. 6.

After the meeting, Minority Leader Dennis F. Virtuoso urged Burmaster to schedule a session between the Legislature and the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency to discuss the tax break the IDA gave the county’s largest property taxpayer, AES Corp.

Burmaster was noncommittal on that one, but he showed more immediate interest in Legislator Harry J. Apolito’s announcement that he intends to reintroduce a resolution to offer some of the county’s low-cost electricity to municipalities that wouldn’t have received any otherwise.

Virtuoso, D-Niagara Falls, asked Burmaster if he intended to reschedule a meeting former Chairman William L. Ross set up last month between the Legislature and the IDA board. The session was canceled because Ross found that too many legislators had holiday-related scheduling conflicts.

“It’s not an issue that should be sidelined,” Virtuoso told Burmaster. “It’s a huge issue to this county.”

Said Burmaster: “I think there’s a lot of questions out there that need answers.” But he wouldn’t commit to a joint meeting.

Burmaster defended the payment-in-lieu-of-taxes, or PILOT, deal to the extent that it at least assures the county what its tax base would be during the 12-year life of the plan.

Over the weekend, Somerset Supervisor Richard Meyers suggested talks with AES over the assessment on its power plant in that town, holding out the possibility of freezing it at a figure to be determined, but AES President Kevin D. Pierce said that knowing what he knows now, he’d rather have the PILOT deal.

Somerset and Barker Central School District officials are pushing for the PILOT deal to be rescinded, something the Legislature can’t do on its own. It can only ask the IDA to do so, and Apolito plans to introduce a resolution for the Jan. 16 Legislature meeting to make that request.

The Barker Board of Education has authorized a lawsuit against the IDA if the PILOT deal isn’t canceled, saying it would cost the district $23 million over 12 years; the estimated total loss for all taxing entities is set at a minimum of $40 million. But Barker School Superintendent Steven J. LaRock said Tuesday the lawsuit won’t be filed until he sees whether there will be any action on rescinding or altering the deal.

Apolito’s resolution to turn over shares of the county’s low-cost power to municipalities that don’t belong to the Niagara Power Coalition also will return Jan. 16, bolstered by data Apolito said he received from Fluent Energy, the consulting firm hired by the coalition.

It estimated North Tonawanda would save $334,241 and the City of Lockport $245,197 in one year on their water and sewer operations if the Niagara Power Project electricity were diverted to them.

“Here’s the numbers from Fluent Energy. They’re not my numbers,” said Apolito, D-Lockport. “[Opponents] were saying there wouldn’t be enough electricity for one light bulb and all that baloney.”

“I’m for it,” Burmaster said. “The kicker there for me is the Sewer District.” It covers only half of the county’s towns, yet is to receive some low-cost power.

“If you’re going to do it for some, you have to do it for all. Fair is fair,” Burmaster said. But he said he is concerned the county has to be able to get the power back from the municipalities if it needs to offer it as an incentive for a major economic development initiative.

The county is planning to use its share for its own buildings and the operations of Niagara County Community College and the county’s own Water and Sewer districts. County Manager Gregory D. Lewis said he wouldn’t want to promise the county’s power to anyone else.

“My goal is to use that to reduce property taxes,” he said. “I’m not going to commit to using it elsewhere.”

New Majority Leader Richard E. Updegrove, R-Lockport, whose Economic Development Committee shelved Apolito’s proposal last year, said he didn’t want to comment until he sees Apolito’s new resolution. It would presumably be referred to Updegrove’s committee.

e-mail: tprohaska@buffnews.com

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Buffalo News, N.Y.

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