Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper carwash entrepreneur BJ Cantele has requested from the Valatie Village Board some forgiveness on property taxes. When Cantele purchased the former Val Kin restaurant on Kinderhook Street in 2015, village taxes were owed by the previous owner. In a conversation with the village board at the time, Cantele announced his intention to purchase the building and to open a carwash and cafe, and Mayor Diane Argyle specifically requested he pay the back taxes and water and sewer bills. Cantele agreed. “They have to be made good,” he said of the debts. On May 8, Cantele was back in front of the board, requesting some of the penalties included in the $34,000 owed be forgiven. While Argyle said the full back-tax bill must be paid, board member Angelo Nero supported giving Cantele some relief. He argued that Cantele would be paying taxes on the property going forward. “I think we should try to help him along,” Nero said. Cantele asked the board to review his request, but a decision was not made at the meeting. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.