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WPCNR STATE OF THE CITY PART 2. By John F. Bailey. December 4, 2024:

EDITOR’S NOTE THIS IS A LOOK AT WHAT I WROTE IN 2008 ABOUT THE STATE OF THE CITY AND HOW THE CITY ADDRESSED THESE ISSUES.

1.Bring Budget in Line with City Revenues? Instead of budget cutting, city hall has pursued spending policies in recent years that have required, and continue to require revenue generating by selling city land, while funding affordable housing projects with city assets. The city now faces renegotiating union contracts which they will settle at a minimum of 4% — maybe even 5% — now that they have a ¼% sales tax increase in the works.  The city needs to look at their spending policies – task force the budget – instead of lurching forward with what appears to be a lack of planning? FIXED! THE CITY HAS KEPT BUDGETS FROM GROWING, NOT RUN DEFICITS AND KEPT TAXES ACCEPTABLE. DESPITE THE COVID IMPACT ON THE CITY THE LAST THREE YEARS THE CITY SALES TAX IS NOW BACK THROUGH OCTOBER UP 2.8% IN REVENUES AND IF THAT 2.8% GROWTH RATE (REFLECTING INFLATION) STAYS WHERE IT IS THE CITY WILL MAKE $49, 119,250 MILLION BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR BUT BIG NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY AND JUNES COULD PUT THE CITY AT AN ALL-TIME RECORD HIGH OVER $56 MILLION. MOMENTUM HAS TO CONTINUE. WESTCHESTER COUNTY IS COLLECTING SALES TAX REVENUES 4.9% ABOVE LAST YEAR, AND SHOULD HIT $800,061269. A GREAT NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER COULD PUT WESTCHESTER AT $1 BILLION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AN ALL-TIME HIGH.

2.Televise Work Sessions, Planning Board, Zoning Board Meetings. Major policy decisions are made at these meetings, and, in the case of the Common Council Work Sessions, and Special Meetings seemingly scheduled suspiciously close to holidays and at inopportune times to satisfy developer priorties.  Important city issues are decided on in a small packed conference room with limited audience. The city should televise these sessions and Planning and Zoning Board meetings to better inform the public. Lack of equipment is no excuse. They could also be easily televised over the internet via the city website. If WPCNR can do it with White Plains Week, the city with its Commissioner devoted to internet services and computers, could certainly do it. FIXED. IN THE LAST 17 YEARS THE CITY THROUGH WHITEPLAINSCOMMUNITY MEDIA.ORG HAS TELEVISED WORK SESSIONS, SPECIAL SESSIONS, PLANNING BOARD AND ZONING BOARD AT TIMES.

3.Enact Surcharge to Arrest Assessment Decline. It is no secret that declining commercial assessments are killing Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. White Plains. This year the owner of a $700,000 house in White Plains will pay over $16,000 IN school, city and county taxes with no end in site. A Tennessee County (IN 2008) hadmoved to enact surcharges on increased value of commercial and residential properties  to reflect the actual resale value of  the properties. The city could explore a surcharge for services, an air rights tax, or similar mechanism to relieve the White Plains residential property owner. The Adam Bradley-Suzi Oppenheimer separate Commercial Tax Rate  proposal for assessments (designed to eliminate the Equalization Rate penalty that increases White Plains property tax for homeowners when our homes increase in value) did not pass the State Senate and has been forgotten,  It is time for the city to take action and take aim at the commercial property owners who are bleeding the homeowners with certioraris. NOT FIXED. NO TAX RELIEF ON PROPERTY TAXES. BOTH THE CITY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVE KEPT PROPERTY TAX INCREASES BELOW INFLATION. SCHOOL BUDGET INCREASE THIS WAS 1.06%. HOWEVER THE ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR 2024 WAS DOWN 1.7% FROM 2023.  IN 2024 THE ASSESSMENT ROLL THE ASSESSED ROLL WAS $270,398,423. IN 2023, IT WAS $275,179,938. LET US ASSUME COVID TOOK ITS TOLL ON OUR ASSESSMENTS DUE TO CERTIORARI FILINGS, MAYBE. IN 2021, THE WHITE PLAINS CITY ASSESSMENT ROLL, THE BASIS OF PROPERTY TAX CALCULATION WAS $280,775,263, DOWN 3.6% IN 5 YEARS. WHEN CAN WE EXPECT THIS TO SWING BACK UP AGAIN? WHY ARE NOT RISING HOUSE PRICES THE LAST TWO YEARS HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE ASSESSMENT DRAIN? IF I WAS DOING THE BUDGET THIS YEAR I’D WANT TO KNOW.

4.Add Warming Shelters: My sources tell me there are a lot more than 17  homeless persons who need shelter from the cold and misery of one of the dampest coldest miserable winters we are experiencing. The homeless bed shortfall is by no means solved despite the efforts of the last two weeks. I suggest the backslapping and the sanctimonious pats on the back that characterized the last special meeting of the Common Council when the council agreed to allow cots is premature and in bad taste. Once again our Common Council has shown they are not leaders. They should reach out on their own to enlist the aid of concerns within the Central Downtown area to make available vacant buildings to provide beds for them all. Sites that come to mind are: the St. John’s School, which is closed and empty – and fenced. If the Archdiocese would step forward and give its permission to use this vacant space nights, you have plenty of room to house the homeless. But that’s just one place. I also suggest  the fire house down by the railroad station, the Fire Station at Lexington and Maple,  the White Plains Housing Authority, County Center perhaps.  Could we explore with a little creativity, please? And could we have them open all year?  There is no excuse for not taking a lead on the issue, when no one else is. NOT FIXED. HOMELESSNESS VAGRANCY PANHANDLING IS MUCH MORE VISIBLE IN THE CITY

5.Liaison with the Department of Transportation on the Tappan Zee/I-287 Corridor: This is long overdue. You cannot make plans for developing the railroad station area – as the council seems to be inclined to explore – without working with the state. If White Plains is not careful we are going to have another Exit 6,7,8 construction nightmare rammed down our throats.  One look at the way the Department of Transporation has ruined the Central Westchester Parkway and eastern gateway to our city is a preview of what the DOT is going to do to White Plains unless we start looking over their shoulders. Could the Mayor and the Common Council get on the stick on this issue.  You cannot redo the Railroad station without figuring out the role of light rail and commuter rail east-west. At last look on this issue – the geniuses were talking light bus routes!  Are you kidding me, DOT? We are polluting the planet with fumes and you’re even thinking more buses, which no one rides???? This kind of thinking is going to wreck White Plains unless as I say, the Mayor and the Council start interfacing with the state on this issue.  It doesn’t matter what you think you want to develop if the state wants to develop something else.NOT FIXED. GROWING WORSE. ONE DRIVE INTO WHITE PLAINS ON MAIN STREET OR UP MAMARONECK AVENUE WITH DAILY CLOSED OFF LANES, RECKLESS U-TURNS MADE WITH NO TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT AND OBLIVIOUS PEDESTRIANS  STARTING INTO CROSSWALKS AGAINST THE LIGHT AND JAYWALKERS WITH A DEATH WISH CROSSING AT MIDBLOCK HOW ARE STREETS GOING TO BE ABLE TO LOSE LANES? REALLY. AND ANOTHER THING THE CITY-OWNED PARCELS ALONGSIDE THE METRO NORTH RAILROAD STATION HAVE GENERATED THE FLURRY OF PROPOSALS THE CITY ASKED FOR I THINK 5 YEARS AGO. THAT WAS A CORNER STONE OF THE CITY TRANSIT DISTRICT PLAN.

 6.Illegal Housing Crackdown: The next time one of the multi-family homes with 50 persons in it burns – the city may not be so lucky. When 208 West Post Road burned, this was a warning. According to the Mayor, the residents attempted to put the fire out themselves rather than call the fire department. I wonder why? It is time to get tough on the illegal rooming houses, not matter how many rich and powerful politically connected slum scum own them. If, and mark my words this may happen next week or next month, 10 persons die in an illegal housing fire, White Plains will be front page news. NOT FIXED NOT BEING ADDRESSED. MAYBE THE NEW WESTCHESTER COUNTY D.A. WILL LOOK INTO THIS. THE CITY IS NOT TO MY KNOWLEGE AND IF THEY HAVE GOOD FOR THEM, WHY NOT ANNOUNCE FINES CONVICTIONS OF LANDLORDS OVERCROWDING AND UNSAFE PREMISES.