All Over Albany

Scanning municipal budgets, concerns among immigrants and farms about enforcement, local singer on The Voice

Municipal budgets
+ Kathy Sheehan's proposed 2018 Albany city budget (pdf) includes includes a decrease in spending of less than half a percent and an increase in the taxes of not-quite 1 percent. It also again relies on $12.5 million in "capital city funding" from the state. [TU]
+ Gary McCarthy's proposed Schenectady city budget includes a 1-percent property tax cut, and projects about $2.3 million in revenue from casino payments. The overall proposed budget is $85.24 million, an increase of not quite 1-percent from the 2017 adopted budget. [Daily Gazette] [Spectrum] [TU] [City of Schenectady]
+ Joe Landry's proposed Niskayuna town budget includes a 2-percent reduction in the tax rate and holds spending essentially flat compared to this year. [TU]
+ Homeowners in some sections of Guilderland were unexpectedly hit with double-digit percentage school district tax increases recently because of how the equalization rate was figured for the town. [TU]

Albany County DA
Chris Churchill argues the office of Albany County DA David Soares should show leniency to a veteran facing possible jail time for a burglary charge -- the man suffered from PTSD and substance abuse, and is now getting treatment. [TU]

Immigrants and farms
A look at how complications and uncertainty in the nation's immigration system -- and now concerns about immigration enforcement -- are squeezing New York farms and farm workers. [TU]

Albany shooting
Albany police say a man was shot in the leg Sunday morning on Clinton Ave in West Hill. [APD]

Election maneuvering
How political parties in New York State use nominations for judgeships to get candidates' names removed from ballot lines for other offices. [TU]

Schenectady police
+ A Schenectady man is criticizing the way Schenectady police tackled him and detained him Thursday because they said he matched the description in a report for a person with a gun -- the man didn't have a gun, and it turned out the report was unfounded. [Daily Gazette]
+ The man shot by Schenectady police in June has filed the precursor to a lawsuit alleging police delayed his access to medical treatment. [Daily Gazette]

Chris Gibson
Chris Gibson said he voted for Donald Trump and "the role now is for us as a people to hold him accountable." [TU]

Schenectady City Council
A survey of the candidates running for three open seats on the Schenectady City Council. [Daily Gazette]

"This is one of those stories where the smallness of what's at stake boggles the mind."
Sara Foss on the long running dispute in Niskayuna between the town supervisor and town court employees over lighting. [Daily Gazette]

Free tuition plan
The Cuomo admin says about 22,000 students have been approved for the new free-tuition Excelsior Scholarship, which is about 5 percent of SUNY and CUNY students. [TU]

UAlbany president
Talking with new UAlbany president Havidan Rodriguez about how he ended up as UAlbany's new president. [TU]

High school football
Many high schools around the greater Capital Region are struggling to fill out football team rosters because of demographic change and, perhaps, concerns about concussions. [TU]

Walking school bus
The Cohoes school district is starting up a "walking school bus" for students who attend two of its elementary schools. [Troy Record]

Her voice on The Voice
Local singer/songwriter/Shaker High School student Moriah Formica will be on The Voice Monday night. [TU]

Stuff going on today

Capitol Hauntings
Monday-Saturday: The very popular Capitol Hauntings tours of the state Capitol begin a new season this week. Many of the spots for the tours are already claimed, but at last check there were still a few available for the evening sessions, and a bunch for the day tours. (Keep an eye on the registration page -- sometimes spots open as people cancel.) Monday-Friday 1 pm and 5:30 pm, Saturday at noon -- free (must pre-register)