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WPCNR STATE OF THE CITY, PART 3. By John F. Bailey, December 6, 2024:
EDITOR’S NOTE: IN 2008, I WROTE ABOUT WHAT I SAW IN WHITE PLAINS AT THAT TIME. I PULLED OUT THOSE THOUGHTS AND DECIDED TO SEE HOW THE ISSUES OF THAT DAY FOR THE CITY HAVE WORKED OUT OVER 17 YEARS SINCE THEN. HERE IS WHAT I SAW THEN AND WROTE ABOUT AND WHETHER AS PROUST PUT IT:
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
- School Budget Reform : This is another very sensitive issue. White Plains school taxes will be averaging five figures this year. The budget is going to top $200 Million in 2009-2010. (this year, 2024, the budget has reached $266 MILLION) The school administration has to take budget cutting more seriously. The budget has to be held at the inflation rate. Otherwise, with real estate values dropping – the tax increase is going to hit the double digits consistently. Just do the math. It can be no more business as usual by the Citizen Budget Advisory Committee. Failure to hold the line on inflation in the district is going to wear out taxpayer good will rapidly. FIXED! STABLE FOR THE LAST 8 YEARS BUT ASSESSMENT ROLL IS DROPPING. INSTEAD OF STEADY 5 TO 7% INCREASES ABOVE THE INFLATION RATE TAX INCREASES HAVE BEEN APPROXIMATELY 1 TO 2%. IMPROVEMENTS TO SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN FINANCED BY ESTABLISHING A CONSTRUCTION FUND TO AVOID BONDING FOR CONSTRUCTION IMPROVEMENTS. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS MANAGED TO HOLD THE LINE DESPITE CONSISTENT DECLINE IN THE ASSESSMENT ROLE. THE MYSTERIOUS CONTINUED DEVALUING OF WHITE PLAINS REAL ESTATE DESPITE IT BEING IN DEMAND IS A PROBLEM. UNLESS THIS ASSESSMMENTS TURN AROUND IN THIS NEW 2025 ASSESSMENT ROLL THE CITY HAS TO FIND SOLUTION TO THIS ASSET DRAIN WHICH THE HOMEOWNER PAYS FOR. A RUSH ON DEMANDS FOR LOWERED ASSESSMENTS BY COMMERCIAL OWNERS COULD BE EXPECTED THIS YEAR TRYING TO COVER LOSS IN REVENUE FROM THEIR PROPERTIES, IN THE 5 YEARS OF COVID, MAY RESULT IN A HIT ON THE ASSESSMENT ROLL AGAIN
2. Parking Reform: If you live in White Plains, even in 2008, when parking fees became a revenue generator to be manipulated according to city need for revenue, you know you have to plan your visits to downtown because of the limited parking options, as well as the severe time limitations placed on the meters – as well as the high likelihood of getting a $15 ticket. (now $25 in 20240). It is no fun. This needs to be looked at. When residents do not feel like going downtown, the city retail is getting killed. AND the $1.25 for a half hour is a huge inconvenience. NOT FIXED. GETTING WORSE? HURTING WHITE PLAINS RETAIL REPUTATION.
A longer time limit is needed at the parking meters – perhaps raising the rates a little, but the time limits are what are so bad. You can rarely get everything done within an hour. Two hours is reasonable. One hour is not. I also do not like the double billing at the console parking lots, where the city is earning money when there is still time left on a parking space. That needs adjusting. I would also like free parking after 5 PM. That would be much more reasonable.
I also suggested graduated parking tickets. Your first parking ticket would be $5 $10, second, $15, third $20, fourth, $25 and so on. This coordinated with expanded meter time intervals with increased rates for those longer meter intervals might be a direction to go.
These are wild suggestions, but a city that is unpleasant to shop in is not a city that is going to become a magnet destination. Though the Department of Parking is the city’s most profitable department, raking in $20 Million and spending only $10 Million in expenses, this does not mean it should keep increasing its profit margins just because it can.
3. Policy Making: I wrote in 2008 The Common Council has to work just a little in-between Work Sessions and Special Meetings and the monthly Common Council meetings. They have to go out and mingle with the city. Go into places like Winbrook, South Lexington Avenue, the senior center, hold community meetings on their own and not just listen to their city political leaders who have no clue what is going on.NOT FIXED OR CONSIDERED. NO PROGRESS IN PRESENTING NEW PROJECTS WAY BEFORE THEY ARE REFERRED TO THE COMMON COUNCIL. NO PROGRESS ON PENALIZING BUSINESSES THAT FAIL TO OBTAIN FINANCING OR DWADDLING ON SITE PLAN OR DESIGN DECISIONS OR INEPT MARKET RESEARCH
The council people have to start the year holding an open meeting or two to discuss things with the city administration and ferret out where the administration is taking the city. The council does not do that now, and have never done it in the 24 YEARS this website has been reporting the news in town. I have seen the council spring surprises on the Mayor, but never asked the Mayor – well, Mr. Mayor? What do you have in mind for the South Lexington Avenue corridor? (For example) Instead they react according to what they think will make them look good politically. It is time for them to stop reacting and start finding out what is going on in the administration minds. Take an interest. Look at parking statistically. Do surveys not do professionally prepared listening presentations that are slanted towards what the city wants to do, which of course we never know. The council needs to take back control from the developer interests that have the administration attention, and establish some protections for the city when developments do not start and get done. New Rochelle has gained a great advantage as a result in attraction of renters for their apartments that are doing well. Ours have not opened yet
4. I wrote this in 2008 about planning: “However, listening twice a month is not leadership for our $40,000 a year for each councilmember. Because whoever becomes Mayor or if Mr. Roach decides not to run – cannot jump into the job and do nothing OR BUSINESS AS USUAL We will know then just how successful development really is – and the sales tax has to be topping ohhhhh — $60 Million by 2009-2010– it’s now at $44.8 Million, otherwise there are going to be serious problems in wages – and property taxes.”
NOT FIXED! THE SALES TAX RECEIPTS IN WHITE PLAINS HAVE AFTER 17 YEARS NOT REACHED $56 MILLION NOT FIXED. THE SALES TAX RECEIPTS WERE BEING HURT IN 2008 BY WHAT I BELIEVE THE UNFRIENDLY, INCONVENIENT PARKING RATES AND FINES. YOU GET ONE $25 TICKET YOU ARE NOT COMING BACK TO WHITE PLAINS. THIS WEEK WHITE PLAINS SALES TAX RECEIPTS ARE UP 2.8% FOR 2024 JUST THE INFLATION RATE. THAT MEANS TO ME RETAIL TRAFFIC AND BAR/RESTAURANT TRAFFIC IS THE SAME AS IT WAS. A SLUGGISH SALES TAX RECEIPTS TREND OVER 17 YEARS TELLS YOU SOMETHING BUT THE CITY HAS NOT FIGURED OUT WHAT THAT IS SAYING. BASEBALL TELLS YOU IF YOU HAVE A BAD BALL CLUB AND A TERRIBLE BALLPARK YOU DO NOT DRAW.
The council has to demand projections of finances. They have to examine those capital project numbers seriously.
5. Development? I wrote this in 2008: “Well – the council and the Mayor and the community have to agree. There are three areas of town left to fix: The station area, Lexington Avenue, and East Post Road – and you cannot do the latter without removing the Coachman and 186 East Post Road—the homeless shelter sites – as well as the Department of Social Services areas – those are roadblocks to making the Lex-Post Road corridors. nothing more than a health services corridor like any other.”
NOT FIXED The council needs to develop a policy formulation stance to consider how they will develop those three areas instead of using the shotgun “Anything Goes” approach. If they don’t the city will have two years of stagnation. The Mayoral-wanna-be’s will be trying to be all things to all voters instead of leaders. It’s no good saying we want “balanced development” without defining balanced It does not work saying, you want “smart growth” without defining what is smart OR KNOWING WHAT SMART IS I say smart growth is “growing within your financial means and attracting development the city needs”I say “balanced development” is “developing a mix of housing and commercial that BOTH PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE AND OWN WAY WITHOUT USING LOSSES AND INCOMPETANCE TO TURN LOSES INTO PROFIT. Homeowners and commercial interests must pay their own way without bleeding the present tax payer.” So far I have not seen that.
AS OUR APARTMENTS IN THE DOWNTOWN FILL UP AS THEY BECOME FINISHED IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS IT WILL SHOW THAT TIMELY PLANNING BY DEVELOPERS MUST BE ENFORCED. THE CITY CENTER AND RITZ-CARLTON WERE BUILT IN 6 YEARS. IT HAS TAKEN 17 YEARS FOR THE EAST POST ROAD AND LEXINGTON PROJECT AND IT IS STILL A FEW YEARS AWAY. AND WE FINALLY HAVE 2 NEW BUILDINGS IN THE DOWN TOWN AND AWAIT THE FINISH OF HAMILTON GREEN AND THE HOLE IN THE GROUND ON MAPLE AVENUE (60 BROADWAY). COVID WAS A FACTOR ADMITTEDLY. BUT THE FINANCING PROBLEM HAS COST US TIME AND MONEY AND COMPETITIVE POSITION AT THE LONG AWAITED FINISH.
The council at long last should find out what combination will achieve those two definitions SMART GROWTH AND BALANCED GROWTH IS.