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Revised school budget prepared for re-vote for a tax levy increase at the district’s Makes significant cuts for calls calculated tax levy limit of 3.14 percent and 2025-26 school year the use of $1,641,005 from the district’s BY KATE HILL STAFF WRITER The Cazenovia Central School District (CCSD) has prepared a revised 2025-26 budget proposal to be put before eligible voters on Tuesday, June 17. The $39,617,418 spending proposal
fund balance (i.e., savings account). Voters rejected CCSD’s original $40,446,980 expenditure budget proposal on May 20. The plan included a 6.77 percent tax levy increase and $1,641,005 of appropriated fund balance. Because the proposed tax levy increase
exceeded CCSD’s calculated tax levy limit, the budget required approval by a supermajority of voters — 60 percent or more — to pass; however, only 52 percent voted in favor of the original proposal. The revised budget proposal will require only a simple majority vote — 50 percent plus one — for authorization. On the budget re-vote date, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the
middle school auxiliary gym. When its original budget proposal failed, the district faced a $829,562 gap between expenditures and revenue for the 2025-26 school year. To address this budget shortfall, CCSD has put substantial cuts and changes in place for the 2025-26 school year. Some of the reductions in staff, proVote l Page 12
New doctor joins St. Joseph’s Physicians Primary Care BY KATE HILL STAFF WRITER
St. Joseph’s Physicians Primary Care recently welcomed Cassandra Cheung, MD, to its Cazenovia office. Cheung is a recent graduate of St. Joseph’s Family Medicine Residency, the largest family medicine residency pro-
gram in the northeast. During her residency, she was one of a select few senior residents voted by their peers into the position of chief resident. The primary role of a chief resident is to help facilitate communication between residents and the program’s administrators and faculty. “I was often acting as
a representative for the voice of my fellow residents, advocating for our medical education,” said Cheung. “Responsibilities also included peer mediation and administrative duties.” According to the St. Joseph’s Health website, Cheung is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), a
not-for-profit, private organization that provides independent assessments of qualifying family physicians. Established by physicians, ABFM Board Certification is a voluntary credential that exceeds state medical licensure requirements. “There are many aspects of family medicine that I love,” said Cheung. “Primary care physicians are able to care for patients of all ages, see en-
tire families, and address a broad scope of medical issues. What inspires me the most is the ability to work with a patient through all stages of life. It is a privilege to have that type of continuity, the opportunity to get to know my patients over time and develop a trusting patient-physician relationship. I hope to become a reliable part of their support system Doctor l Page 14
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St. Joseph’s Physicians Primary Care — Cazenovia recently added Cassandra Cheung, MD, to its team of family medicine physicians.
Scouts, American Legion prepare for flag retirement ceremony Restricted watercraft regulations adopted Public weighs in on regulating short-term rentals By kate hill Staff writer
SUBMITTED photo
On Flag Day, Scouting America Troops 18 Boys & Girls and American Legion Post 88 will respectfully retire torn, faded, frayed, or otherwise damaged United States flags during a ceremony at The Maples farm in Cazenovia. BY KATE HILL STAFF WRITER Members of Scouting America Troops 18 Boys & Girls (B&G) and American Legion Post 88 invite the community to join them on National Flag Day as they honor retired United States flags during a ceremony at The Maples farm in Cazenovia. The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 14, at 3 p.m. Flag Day is a holiday commemorating the adoption of the flag of the US on June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Continental Congress. The US Flag Code stipulates, “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no Flag l Page 3
On June 9, the Cazenovia Town Board adopted a local law amending the town code “with respect to regulating the docking, mooring, and launching of certain restricted watercraft on and in Cazenovia Lake.” The proposed local law was originally introduced during the board’s March 10 meeting. On or about March 11, it was referred to the Madison County Planning Department, which made its recommendation and returned it to the town for local determination. A public hearing was conducted on April 14. As a result of the public hearing and written comments received by the town, the board decided to revise the proposed local law to provide better clarification and direction. The board introduced the amended version on May 12. According to the town, the proposed regulations are designed to provide protections for the quality of the lake waters and to control excessive motorized boat traffic to protect users of the lake while balancing the rights of property owners to enjoy their property and use the lake in a reasonable manner. The following types of vessels are listed as “restricted watercraft” applicable to the law: boats containing or utilizing a combustion-style engine or electric/battery-powered engine for propulsion; motorized sailboats; and barges — powered or unpowered/with or without engines — that can be transported and used for commercial or personal purposes. Before adopting the proposed local law, the board held a well-attended public hearing on the revised version. Cazenovia Lake Association (CLA) board members Bob Crichton, Dave Tyler, Linda McHugh, and Dave Miller, along with multiple town residents, commended the town board for its efforts and expressed their support for the proposed local law. Village resident Fritz Koennecke said he believes the law will make the lake safer and protect it from many of the risks the community has been trying to mitigate over the past few years.
Volume 215, Number 24 The Cazenovia Republican is published weekly by Eagle News. Office of Publication: 35 Albany St., Second Floor, Cazenovia, NY 13035. Pe r i o d i ca l Po sta ge Pa i d at Cazenovia, NY 13035, USPS 095-260. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Cazenovia Republican, 2501 James St., Suite 108, Syracuse, NY 13206.
cnyspca pet of the week: Meet Cayenne, the spicy kitty.
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sports: Caz, Chittenango track athletes battle in state qualifier.
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Bob Kukenberger, who lives on the west side of the lake, thanked the board for its hard work. He also voiced his concern regarding the impact of the bubblers/aerators used by some lakefront property owners to prevent ice formation around their seawalls or permanent docks in winter. “If it continues the way it is continuing, eventually we are going to have an island of ice in the middle of the lake and no ice around the edges,” he said. “. . . I’m going to be working on writing a letter to the [Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)], because we think it might be a state issue, not a local town issue.” He added that he is an advocate of educating lakefront property owners on alternative ways to protect their docks and seawalls. One of the speakers, who has a 75-foot easement on the west side of the lake, said she is in favor of limiting the launching locations for restricted watercraft to approved sites to avoid the introduction of invasive species; however, she questions whether the town has the authority under New York State law to pass its proposed regulations. She also said she is opposed to the idea of allowing easement holders to have fewer restricted watercraft than property owners, noting that she believes the restriction significantly reduces the value of her easement. She also requested that the board include deeded lake access rights in its proposed rule that any permission granted by a lakefront property owner to another person for the temporary mooring of a restricted watercraft shall be limited to no longer than seven consecutive days. Barb Arnold, a co-owner of a lakefront property, commented that the number of boats allowed per lakefront property is a “little restrictive,” but she supports most of the local law. The adopted local law is posted on the town website. “We’ve now brought the [local law] to an approval, and the board can now get that program started,” John Langey, attorney for the Town of Cazenovia, said during his report. “You can make adjustments to it as you see fit, as we have done with other laws in the past.” Town l Page 7
Editorial ��������������������� 6
Obituaries ����������� 11,13
history ������������������������ 7
PennySaver ���������������� 8
letters ������������������������ 6
Sports ����������������������� 12