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WJTN News Headlines for Jan. 23, 2018

A new member of the Jamestown City Council is expressing concern that former Council President Greg Rabb will head up two important city panels and co-chair another in the new year...  
 
Republican Andrew Liuzzo says Rabb finished fifth in last November's City Council at-large races and was not re-elected.  Liuzzo says he believes there are people in the community who don't want Rabb to serve on any panel because he was defeated.  He again pushed for better transparency with city government.
 
Liuzzo says Rabb was just elected chairman of the Board of Public Utilities and chairman of the Jamestown Local Development Corporation for 2018.  He was also named co-chair of the Strategic Planning and Partnerships Commission, a panel he co-chaired when he was on City Council.  Acting Council President Tony Dolce says just over 1,900 people voted for Rabb.  He adds that the appointments are Mayor Sam Teresi's to make, but he gives them to council in advance of a vote, and if they have any questions or concerns about them to bring them up. 
 
 
 
Chautauqua County's top-elected official is continuing to visit businesses across the county, trying to reach 100 of them in 100 days...  
 
Last Thursday, County Executive George Borrello visited a company with plans to build a plant in the town of Dunkirk by 2020. Borrello took a tour of the Athenex headquarters in Buffalo, and the company's plant in Clarence.  He says plans remain on track for the construction of a much larger manufacturing facility near Route 5 in Chautauqua County.
 
Borrello says he continues to make progress in reaching a major goal he first announced during his election campaign.  He has now visited 24 business and, he says most have repeated a sounding theme.  They have positions available, but not enough qualified applicants.  Borrello is beginning his fourth week on the job.  The Irving Republican has also been discussing a number of other issues, including last week's release of Governor Andrew Cuomo's State budget proposal.
 
 
 
The New York state Democratic Party has launched an advertising attack on the new federal tax law...  
 
The new campaign announced Monday comes at the direction of Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has said he'll urge Congress to repeal the law.  The new tax code enacted by Washington Republicans caps at $10-thousand dollars a deduction for state and local taxes.  That deduction is especially popular in high-tax states such as New York, where Cuomo says many taxpayers face big tax increases.  The television and online ad campaign is intended to launch a public effort to scrap the law.  Cuomo says the federal changes may force the state to restructure its own taxes to reduce the effect of the increases.  He's also vowed to challenge the new tax code in court.
 
 
 
The impact of the federal tax overhaul may lead some school budgets being rejected this Spring...  
 
That's a very real concern for the New York State School Boards Association in the wake of Governor Andrew Cuomo's budget proposal for 2018-19.  That from Association Executive Director Tim Kreamer, who says the governor is proposing a payroll tax that would be deductable in the wake of the federal changes.  While most people will enjoy still being able to deduct their state and local property taxes up to $10,000, there are some who will lose out, and see school budget votes as a way to take out their frustration.
 
Kreamer says the public votes will be held in May and, a super majority to approve a budget that exceeds New York's property tax cap.  He adds that the organization is looking further into Governor Cuomo's proposed "work-arounds..." including setting up charitable donations for people to support public education.  However, Kreamer says establishing those may cause more confusion for voters. 
 
 
 
People purchasing first-class stamps at the local post office to mail a card, or a letter are paying one-cent more today... 
 
That from Buffalo Regional Spokeswoman Karen Mazukiewicz, who says the new rate of $0.50 per stamp took effect this past Sunday. Mazurkiewicz says that wasn't the only change, adding that the price for postcards also went up a penny and, some packaging products went up three to four percent.  She says this will likely be the only increases you'll see in 2018 because their increases usually take effect in January of the new year.  Mazurkiewicz adds that they can only raise prices within the Consumer Price Index.  Under federal legislation in 2006, she says the U-S Postal Service can increase it's rates once a calendar year to help cover it's costs.  
 
 
 
Chautauqua Striders Mentoring program is looking to expand their school-based mentorships to districts outside of Jamestown... 
 
That from Elementary and Middle School Coordinator Mary-Ann Mason, who says that they're looking to expand more into the south county to work with students in Falconer, Bemus Point and Southwestern.
 
Mason says that their main focus is the Jamestown Public Schools because they have the most kids. However, they do have a north county office in Dunkirk. At the high school level, Mason says Striders takes pride in their tutoring mentors as well as their Life Skills programs in select skills including a program for bi-lingual students. For more information on the Striders Mentoring Program or how to become a mentor, listen to our "Community Spotlight" program online at MediaOneGroupRadio.com
 
 
 
The National Weather Service is continuing a Flood Watch for ice jam flooding across western New York through this evening...  
 
That from Forecaster Steve Welch in Buffalo, who says that includes Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Southern Erie counties until 7:00.  The weather service says rainfall during the watch period will averages around a half inch.