Camillus Onondaga County Business

Onondaga County Legislature votes down off-track betting for second time in a year

Syracuse, NY -- One year after rejecting off-track betting, Onondaga County legislators turned it down again Tuesday.

Lawmakers voted 12-7 against cutting a deal with Capital District Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. to establish betting parlors in the county. Capital OTB had offered the county $1 million a year in revenue.

The seven in favor were Richard Lesniak, R-Lysander; Kathy Rapp, R-Salina; James Corbett, R-Camillus; Robert Cox, R-Pompey; Sam Laguzza, D-Syracuse; Marty Masterpole, D-Syracuse; and Chairman James Rhinehart, R-Skaneateles.

This is the second time in 12 months that the county has rejected off-track betting. Last June, the vote was 13-5.

Masterpole, who sponsored the legislation, said he wasn’t voting for it proudly. But he said he thought it was the responsible thing to do. “I’m morally opposed to cutting services that are vital to our county,” Masterpole said.

Masterpole said he didn’t think he had the votes to pass the legislation, but said officials with Capital OTB asked him to call the question before the state Legislature ends its session June 20. The state has to bless the deal.

The Legislature’s vote clears the way for Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner to ask the state for special approval to allow the city to make its own deal with Capital OTB. That was why Laguzza said he voted for OTB. He said he expected the city will get OTB without the county’s help. “If the city is the sponsor, (the county) will get the short end of the stick,” Laguzza said.

In other business, legislators also approved controversial funding for the Sheriff’s Office’s Air-1 helicopter and the Oncenter.

They agreed to give the Air-1 helicopter $155,000, less than half the $340,000 the department requested to keep the program going. The entire amount was set aside by the Legislature earlier this year with the requirement that it would be released after the department proved it was working to get a commercial license and set up a nonprofit foundation. Both would defray the costs of running Air-1. The license would allow the county to charge fees for transporting victims to hospitals, and the foundation would allow it to collect donations.

Legislator Robert Warner, R-Van Buren, said the Sheriff’s Office will have to come back, again, to show its progress before getting the rest of the money.

After more than an hour in a closed-door meeting, legislators approved $1.8 million to bail out the Oncenter, including a $900,000 loan. The money comes from hotel room taxes and additional sales tax revenues the county expects the U.S. Bowling Congress Women’s Championship to generate. Several legislators suggested the county consider selling the convention center, which has operated in the red for several years.

Underage ID Enforcement Initiative Nets Two Arrests

(Oneida, NY – June 20, 2011) On June 19,2011 the New York State Police conducted an Underage ID enforcement detail in the Towns of Elbridge, Skaneateles, Camillus, Marcellus and Geddes including the Villages of Jordan, Elbridge, Skaneateles and Marcellus in Onondaga County.

As part of the initiative 10 tavern/bars and 9 retail establishments serving or selling alcohol within this area were checked for their compliance with the laws of the State of New York relative to prohibiting sales of alcohol to persons under the age of 21.

As a result of the operation two people were charged by the New York State Police for the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of twenty-one.

Charged with one count each of Unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree (PL 260.20) and Prohibited sales of alcohol to a person under 21 (ABC 65-1) was:

Thomas J. Brennan III, 57, of 10 Kane Ave., Skaneateles. Brennan is scheduled to appear in the Town of Skaneateles Court on July 13 at 7P M. He is employed as a bartender at The Sherwood Inn located at 26 West Genesee St., Skaneateles.

Rosalie A. Johns, 20, of 4609 Cleveland Road, Syracuse. Johns is scheduled to appear in the Town of Marcellus Court on June 26 at 6:30 PM. Johns is employed as a bartender at the Village Tavern located at 6 East Main St., Marcellus.

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Our county and its people, a descriptive work on Erie County, New York

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