News digest

Irene Conklin, Melinda MacDonald-Gormley win seats on Monroe Village Board

MONROE — A newcomer to Monroe politics won one of the two seats on the village Board of Trustees in Tuesday’s election.

Irene Conklin, who ran on the Working People Party line, received 246 votes. Conklin will join incumbent Melinda MacDonald-Gormley, who ran under the Citizens Party banner, received 226 votes for a second, four-year term.

Incumbent, Frank Eppinger, who ran on the Taxpayers Party line, came in third with 191 votes.

Conklin said her first reaction to the win was one of surprise. “But I realize the people are looking for a change,” she said.

Among her goals are to clean-up the village. “There is garbage everywhere.”

Conklin also said she wants to see businesses return to the village. “When I was campaigning, the people told me they miss that home town atmosphere - I want that feeling back,” she said.

Meanwhile, Eppinger said he was proud of what he did as a trustee.

“I feel I made a major contribution to the village because the tax rate was the lowest in 12 years,” he said. “I always stood up for the taxpayers first whether I negotiated contracts or discussed spending.”

Village Justice Forrest Strauss, who ran under the Judicial Integrity Party, was unopposed for a second four-year term. He received 284 votes.

According to the Village Clerk Virginia Carey, 668 voted out of 4,797 registered voters. That’s 13.9 percent.

- Claudia Wysocki Monroe presents tentative village budget with lowest tax rate in 12 years

MONROE — Village officials presented a tentative budget of $8,149,094 at a public hearing scheduled for Thursday evening with what the mayor described as the lowest tax rate increase in 12 years.

Mayor James Purcell said the good news “is that we are under the two percent cap tax levy. We made sure we fulfilled the obligation mandated by the state.”

New York’s tax cap law establishes a limit on the annual growth of property taxes levied by local governments and school districts to two percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less.

The tax rate increase is the lowest in the Village of Monroe in 12 years, Purcell said.

The amount to be raised by taxes is $5,747.998.

The tentative tax rate is $35.76 per $1,000 valuation, a 0.98 cent increase.

For a home assessed at $50,000, this translates to a $49 increase.

For a home assessed at $100,000, a $98 increase.

The largest increase in the 2012-13 budget is due primarily to rising pension and health care costs.

There were no raises last year and will be minimal this year, the mayor said.

No raises are reflected in the police department budget because the police contract is being renegotiated.

The budget must be adopted by May 1.

- Claudia Wysocki Where to find county services

GOSHEN — Orange County Clerk Donna Benson reminds residents she has full records and permits services up and running at the Parry Building on 4 Glenmere Cove Road (Valley View Center) in Goshen.

DMV offices in Middletown, Port Jervis and Newburgh are handling all vehicle issues while a rented location in Goshen is found.

Benson notes that by mailing renewals to one of the Orange County DMV offices, 12.7 percent of the fee remains in the county; returning it directly to Albany allows the state to keep all the fee. For more information, call 291-2690.

Jobs far set for March 26 NEW WINDSOR — U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth is sponsoring a job fair on Monday, March 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Anthony’s Pier 9 on Route 9W in New

More than 50 local employers are expected. For more information, call Stephanie at 845-206-4600.

Orange County Democrats back Dr. Richard Becker for Congress

GOSHEN — Dr. Richard Becker earned the endorsement of the Orange County Democratic Committee in the Congressional Primary in the new 18th District at the nominating convention Sunday afternoon: The results were:

Becker, a cardiologist from the Westchester town of Cortland, secured 13,224 weighted votes, or 66 percent of the total ballots cast.

Wappiners Falls Mayor Matt Alexander received 3821 (19 percent).

Tuxedo Park Mayor Tom Wilson received 3061 (15 percent).

Sean Patrick Maloney did not receive any votes despite attending the convention and securing a spot on the ballot.

Under the new Congressional maps, Orange County is entirely within the 18th District and includes more than half of the district’s total population. The district is currently represented by Republican Dr. Nan Hayworth, who is now in her first term, and who had beat Democrat John Hall in 2010 after he’d served one term.

“Watching my mother-in-law, a longtime Goshen resident, officially nominate me — and seeing the tremendous response — was an incredible experience,” Becker said. “Orange County Democrats have a rich tradition of successful civic activism, and it’s a real honor to have been endorsed by them. Together, we’ll end Nan Hayworth’s career of lobbyist-funded, Tea Party politics-as-usual and replace her with a Congressperson who represents us.

“We face unique opportunities and challenges here in the Hudson Valley,” Becker continued. “With Orange County now entirely within one Congressional District, it deserves a Representative who’ll always put us first — like Maurice Hinchey does and John Hall did. I’m a problem solver with a record of creating jobs, defending the middle class, and protecting the environment, and that’s exactly the approach we need in Washington — and it’s exactly what Orange County Democrats responded to yesterday.”