Number of NY farms dipped slightly in 2024

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The number of farms in New York state fell in 2024 compared to a year earlier, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported on Feb. 14. NASS estimated that the number of farms in the state totaled 30,500 last year, down less than 1 percent from 30,700 farms in 2023. Total land on farms […]

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McFarland Johnson looks ahead to growth

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Manufacturing & Engineering, New York News, Small Business, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — McFarland Johnson, Inc. recently announced some leadership changes, but those are not the only exciting initiatives at the growing employee-owned company. “We have grown by double digits every year for the last five years,” President Chad Nixon says of the engineering firm. With that growth comes change, especially with the retirement of

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — McFarland Johnson, Inc. recently announced some leadership changes, but those are not the only exciting initiatives at the growing employee-owned company.

“We have grown by double digits every year for the last five years,” President Chad Nixon says of the engineering firm. With that growth comes change, especially with the retirement of McFarland Johnson’s CEO of engineering, James M. Festa on Jan. 31.

The company kicked off February with a new CEO of engineering, Thomas Kendrick, and a slew of other promotions. McFarland Johnson named Erik Atkins director of transportation, appointed Chris Kopec as director of facilities, named Ruthanne Bulman VP and director of human resources, and appointed Jason Shevrin VP and director of technology.

But the growth and change doesn’t stop there, Nixon says.

“We are hiring like crazy in Upstate New York,” he notes. McFarland Johnson has close to 250 employees and continues to seek out top engineering talent around the state.

McFarland Johnson currently has four locations in New York — Binghamton, Buffalo, Pittsford, and Saratoga Springs — with plans to open a Syracuse location later this year.

“We see Syracuse as a growth opportunity for our company,” Nixon says. The firm already has a number of employees in the Syracuse area and hopes to attract even more to serve both the Central New York market as well as the North Country.

“We are actively looking at office space right now,” Nixon says, adding he hopes the office will open sometime in the second or third quarter of this year.

McFarland Johnson, which has some remote employees, also has a presence in Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, as it continues to grow.

When he started at the firm a few decades ago, projects were maybe
$50 million in value, Nixon recalls. Now, projects are regularly in the $500 million to $1 billion range, he says, and located beyond New York’s borders. “We’re doing work in Alaska,” he says. “We’re doing work in the Cayman Islands.”

McFarland Johnson’s work has also expanded in terms of what services it provides. It still focuses on planning, engineering, environmental, technology, and construction services in the aviation, transportation, civil/facilities, and environmental fields, but the complexity of projects has pushed the firm into new disciplines like software development, Nixon says. McFarland Johnson even developed and patented a platform for airport management called AVIAS.

While growth is important, Nixon notes, it only makes sense if it benefits the company, including its employee owners, as well as clients. Success is where employees, clients, and projects align; where the work is meaningful; and employees feel valued and enjoy the work, he says.

Former West Carthage treasurer charged with $3,000 theft

Law, Accounting & Taxes, Subscriber Only

WEST CARTHAGE — Authorities are accusing the former deputy clerk-treasurer of the Village of West Carthage in Jefferson County of stealing more than $3,000 from the village. Kaytlin Ennis is charged with grand larceny in the third degree; corrupting the government in the third degree; and tampering with records, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli,

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WEST CARTHAGE — Authorities are accusing the former deputy clerk-treasurer of the Village of West Carthage in Jefferson County of stealing more than $3,000 from the village.

Kaytlin Ennis is charged with grand larceny in the third degree; corrupting the government in the third degree; and tampering with records, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Jefferson County District Attorney Kristyna Mills, and New York State (NYS) Police Superintendent Steven James announced Feb. 13.

Ennis was arraigned Feb. 12 before Judge Mary Doheny in Watertown City Court, per the announcement.

“Public corruption corrodes people’s faith in government,” DiNapoli said. “Ms. Ennis allegedly betrayed her community’s trust and now will be held accountable. My thanks to District Attorney Mills and the State Police for their partnership in ensuring justice is served in this case.”

“We are grateful to the Office of the New York State Comptroller, operating in conjunction with the New York State Police, for their hard work to bring this fraud to light,” Mills said in the DiNapoli announcement. “It is important to public trust to know that their hard earned money is not being squandered. We will work to ensure that justice prevails in this case.”

Case background

Ennis began working for West Carthage in October 2018 as deputy clerk-treasurer and was appointed treasurer in January 2021 after the village’s long-time treasurer retired. At the same time, she also worked as the village’s water clerk. The village board did not reappoint her as treasurer for 2024 “because of poor performance,” DiNapoli’s office said.

When discrepancies in West Carthage’s payroll were uncovered during an audit by DiNapoli’s office last year, the comptroller launched an investigation and partnered with the State Police. The investigation found that Ennis took advantage of the lack of board oversight and overpaid herself once appointed village treasurer.

She allegedly falsified time sheets and issued herself additional paychecks, per DiNapoli’s office.

“The arrest of Ms. Ennis sends a strong message that we will not tolerate dishonest actions by those who use their position at the expense of the public” James said. “This former treasurer allegedly took money from the village to support her own lifestyle. We will not tolerate any type of financial illegal behavior or abuse of power. I applaud the work of our State Police members assigned to this case and the State Comptroller’s Office for their support in conducting this arrest.”

Local sales-tax collection growth in N.Y. slowed in 2024

Law, Accounting & Taxes, New York News, Nonprofits, Small Business, Southern Tier, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

ALBANY, N.Y. — Local government sales-tax collections across New York state increased in 2024 but the rise was the lowest in four years. The collections totaled $23.4 billion in calendar-year 2024, up by 1.6 percent, or $376 million, from 2023 levels, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a report issued on Feb. 7.

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ALBANY, N.Y. — Local government sales-tax collections across New York state increased in 2024 but the rise was the lowest in four years.

The collections totaled $23.4 billion in calendar-year 2024, up by 1.6 percent, or $376 million, from 2023 levels, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a report issued on Feb. 7.

The 2024 figures represent the slowest annual growth since the COVID-19 pandemic decline in 2020. The growth in sales-tax collections last year was also less than half of the average, annual pre-pandemic growth rate (3.8 percent) of 2011-2019, following the Great Recession.

“New York’s local governments rely on sales tax collections to support essential services in their communities,” DiNapoli said in his report. “Sales tax growth slowed in 2024, and many counties and cities even experienced declines. This slowing growth, combined with economic risks and potential changes at the federal level, calls for careful budgeting on the part of local officials to effectively navigate these uncertain times.”

Although annual growth in local collections in 2024 dipped below pre-pandemic lows, quarterly year-over year growth — ranging from 1.3 percent in the fourth quarter to 2.2 percent in the second quarter — resembled growth rates in some of the years prior to the pandemic.

Collection data

New York City’s sales-tax growth of 2.8 percent in 2024 outpaced the rest of the state (0.6 percent) for the third straight year. Growth in the city’s collections was boosted by increases in the number of tourists, which nearly matched 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic, DiNapoli’s office said.

Aggregate county collections outside of New York City grew 0.5 percent, or $53.9 million, in 2024 compared to the prior year. However, year-over-year growth varied among counties, with over half (31 of 57) reporting increases.

St. Lawrence County generated the highest growth in sales-tax collections at 5.6 percent, followed by Greene (3.7 percent), Otsego (3.6 percent), and Westchester (3.3 percent) counties.

Tioga County had the steepest decline in tax collections (-4.5 percent), followed by Allegany (-4.4 percent), Putnam (-3.6 percent), and Chenango (-3.4 percent) counties.

Of the 18 cities outside of New York City that impose their own sales tax, 13 saw year-over-year increases in 2024. Gloversville had the strongest growth at 7.3 percent, followed by Oswego (5.9 percent) and Saratoga Springs (5.4 percent). Five cities posted decreases in sales-tax collections — Norwich had the steepest decline (-6.6 percent), followed by Mount Vernon (-4.6 percent), Salamanca (-3.8 percent), Oneida (-3.2 percent), and Olean (-2.7 percent).

Coughlin & Gerhart expands Pennsylvania presence

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Law, Accounting & Taxes, New York News, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Southern Tier law firm Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP has expanded its presence into the Keystone State with a new office in Honesdale, located in Pennsylvania’s Wayne County. Zachary Morahan, partner, and Jeremy Yzeik, associate — both natives of Wayne County — work from the new office. Morahan is the location’s lead attorney.

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Southern Tier law firm Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP has expanded its presence into the Keystone State with a new office in Honesdale, located in Pennsylvania’s Wayne County.

Zachary Morahan, partner, and Jeremy Yzeik, associate — both natives of Wayne County — work from the new office. Morahan is the location’s lead attorney.

“We recognized Honesdale is a growing legal town with a high demand,” Morahan tells CNYBJ in an interview. “Honestly, it’s just a cool town. We wanted to be a part of that, and we want to build upon it.”

As someone who grew up in the area and already had some established relationships there, he is the one who brought the idea for a Honesdale office to Rachel Abbott, managing partner of Coughlin & Gerhart.

“It made a lot of sense,” Abbott says of the new location. The office, at 916 Church St., opened on Feb, 10 and helped close the gap in legal services for the surrounding community. “Our business model is really looking at some of the more small town, rural areas and recognizing there’s a need there.”

As more older attorneys retire and fewer younger lawyers open new practices to take their place, many communities are left without nearby legal services, she notes. Opening an office in Honesdale, a borough (town) with a population of nearly 4,500, fills that void in service and benefits Coughlin & Gerhart’s existing clients, Abbott adds.

“We have clients that do business … that cross over the border quite a bit,” she says, and it just makes sense for the law firm to grow its presence, as well as its expertise, in Pennsylvania.

The firm has already hired three Pennsylvania attorneys in recent months and will be adding a fourth lawyer later this year, Morahan adds.

He views the firm’s presence as complementary, not competitive to attorneys who may still be practicing in the area, due to the depth of services Coughlin & Gerhart can provide. Those legal services are likely beyond the scope of what a single attorney can offer, he says, and Coughlin & Gerhart is happy to extend those services to the community with the firm’s full roster of more than 55 attorneys.

“It gives us the opportunity to tackle the bigger stuff and gives clients the ability to keep legal services local,” he says.

Coughlin & Gerhart’s Honesdale office has a general practice flavor, with a few areas of expertise including trusts and estate, business, real estate, banking, and litigation services.

Morahan is also experienced in the energy industry, having started his career representing landowners in oil and gas leases. Abbott says the practice will expand to include the wind and solar industries growing in Pennsylvania, with a particular interest in representing agricultural clients considering such leases.

“We have some depth in that,” Abbott says. “Those leases are complex. They really impact the usage of your own land.”

Headquartered at 99 Corporate Drive in the town of Kirkwood, Coughlin & Gerhart has additional offices in Bainbridge, Cortland, Hancock, Ithaca, Owego, and Walton, N.Y. as well as Montrose and Honesdale, Pennsylvania.

Barclay Damon adds health-care attorney to Syracuse office

Health Care, Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Barclay Damon LLP says it has added Meghan Fahey to its health & human-services providers and health-care controversies teams. Fahey, who joins the firm as a partner, will have her primary office in Syracuse, per the firm’s announcement. With more than 15 years of legal experience in health-care law, compliance, and risk management,

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SYRACUSE — Barclay Damon LLP says it has added Meghan Fahey to its health & human-services providers and health-care controversies teams.

Fahey, who joins the firm as a partner, will have her primary office in Syracuse, per the firm’s announcement.

With more than 15 years of legal experience in health-care law, compliance, and risk management, Fahey represents health-care practitioners in regulatory and litigation matters. She is knowledgeable in a variety of health-care regulations, including Medicare, Medicaid, Stark Law, and HIPAA, among others, the firm noted.

Most recently, Fahey served as senior VP of legal and compliance for the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) in Utica, where she led the organization’s legal, compliance, and risk-management teams.

In that role, she oversaw major projects, including a hospital merger and relocation, while advising on critical regulatory and operational matters. Fahey has also held corporate counsel positions, where she developed compliance frameworks and advised on multi-state health-care regulations.

“I am thrilled to join Barclay Damon and collaborate with such a talented team of attorneys,” Fahey said in the firm’s announcement. “I look forward to leveraging my experience to help the firm’s health care clients navigate today’s complex legal landscape.”

Barclay Damon went on to say that Fahey has served in both in-house and outside counsel roles, giving her “unique insight” into the challenges faced by health-care professionals. She has a proven track record of resolving disputes “efficiently” and working with her clients on matters pertaining to regulatory investigations, employment-contract negotiations, and professional-conduct issues, as well as representing them in complex litigation.

With about 300 attorneys, Syracuse–based Barclay Damon is a regional law firm that operates New York offices in Albany, Buffalo, New York City, and Rochester; along with offices in New Haven, Connecticut; Boston, Massachusetts; Washington, D.C.; and Toronto, Ontario.

Clarkson University names NBT Bancorp CEO to board of trustees

Banks & Credit Unions, Education & Training, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Subscriber Only

POTSDAM — Scott A. Kingsley, president and CEO of NBT Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: NBTB), was named to the Clarkson University board of trustees, effective on Feb. 1. He will also serve on the Clarkson board’s audit committee, the university announced. Kingsley was appointed the top executive at NBT Bancorp, parent of NBT Bank, in early

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Sculco named deputy inspector general for upstate region

Law, Accounting & Taxes, Subscriber Only

ALBANY — The New York State Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has appointed Jennifer Sculco as the new deputy inspector general (deputy IG) for the Upstate Regional Office. In this role, Sculco will oversee a staff of attorneys, investigators, and auditors investigating allegations of fraud, corruption, crime, and abuse in state executive branch agencies

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ALBANY — The New York State Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has appointed Jennifer Sculco as the new deputy inspector general (deputy IG) for the Upstate Regional Office.

In this role, Sculco will oversee a staff of attorneys, investigators, and auditors investigating allegations of fraud, corruption, crime, and abuse in state executive branch agencies and related entities, according to a Feb. 4 announcement from the OIG.

She brings nearly two decades of experience in public service and law enforcement. Sculco joins OIG from the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, where she most recently served as chief of the Public Integrity & Law Enforcement Integrity Bureau. Her role included overseeing investigations into public corruption, misconduct, and criminal activity by public employees, officials, and law enforcement.

“Jennifer Sculco’s extensive experience and dedication to public service make her the perfect choice for this critical position,” New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang said in the announcement. “Her track record of leading complex investigations and fostering collaboration with law enforcement partners will be invaluable as we execute on our mission of ensuring accountability in state government.”

A graduate of Binghamton University and Pace Law School, Deputy IG Sculco began her career in 2006 at the New York County District Attorney’s Office, serving in the Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Units. There, she managed high-profile investigations of sexual assault, child exploitation, possession of child pornography, gang activity, and homicides of infants and adolescents. Later, as an inspector general and senior inspector general at the New York City Department of Investigation, she led a large team investigating misconduct in the NYC Department of Correction.

The OIG describes itself as “the integrity watchdog” that investigates corruption, fraud, and abuse in New York State government and the workers’ compensation and welfare systems.

Financial Institutions, Inc. names new board member

Banks & Credit Unions, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Subscriber Only

Will also serve on audit committee WARSAW, N.Y. — Financial Institutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISI), the parent company of Five Star Bank, recently announced the appointment of Angela J. Panzarella as a new independent member of the boards of directors of both the parent company and the bank. Panzarella’s appointment increases the size of the Financial

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Will also serve on audit committee

WARSAW, N.Y. — Financial Institutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISI), the parent company of Five Star Bank, recently announced the appointment of Angela J. Panzarella as a new independent member of the boards of directors of both the parent company and the bank.

Panzarella’s appointment increases the size of the Financial Institutions board to 12 members, 11 of whom are independent and three of whom were appointed within the last four years. She will also serve on the audit and management development and compensation committees.

Panzarella brings extensive business and nonprofit leadership experience, including as CEO of the YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County from 2018-2020 and through her 20-year tenure with Bausch + Lomb, as well as prior public company board experience. During her eight years of board service to publicly traded Transcat, Inc., a Rochester–based calibration services and equipment provider, she served as chair of the compensation committee and as a member of the technology and governance committees, according to Financial Institutions.

“Angela is not only a seasoned executive with a proven ability to develop and execute successful business strategies that drive strong financial outcomes, often on a global scale, but a respected leader in the Greater Rochester community, a key growth market for us,” Martin K. Birmingham, president, CEO, and director of Financial Institutions and Five Star Bank, said in the announcement. “As we continue to grow and evolve as a company, we look forward to benefitting from her perspective and counsel.”

Prior to joining the YWCA, Panzarella served as president of ACM Medical Laboratory, Inc., a provider of clinical and global central laboratory services. From 1988-2008, she held a variety of executive and legal roles at Bausch + Lomb, most recently as president of the Canada and Latin American Division and corporate VP of Global Vision Care. She began her career as an attorney at Harris Beach PLLC.

Active in the community, Panzarella previously served on the boards of directors for UR Medicine Home Care and the United Way of Greater Rochester. She earned her bachelor’s degree from St. John Fisher College and law degree from the Albany Law School of Union University.

New CFO of NextGen Label Group begins duties April 1

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CICERO — The man who will serve as the next CFO of NextGen Label Group and president of the Van Alstine division starts those positions on April 1. Andrew Horvath will replace Dan Rosenbaum, who was recently promoted to president and CEO of NextGen Label Group, also effective April 1, the company announced. Horvath joined

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