WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. January 10, 2008: The Board of Education got its first look at Assistant Superintendent for Business Fred Seiler’s Preliminary Budget of 2007-2008 expenses which topped out at $182.2 Million (a 9.8% increase – including projected salaries).

 

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors remarked to the television audience that since The CitizeNetReporter was present and would probably write a story, that it should be pointed out that this figure was expected to and may go down to only a 5% increase or $174 Million.

 

The School Budget is on track to top the $200 Million mark in 2008-2009, and definitely by 2009-2010, even at a 5% rate of growth.

 

 

The Major Increase is in “Other Expenses,” and $8 Million of that is in a one time payment of $8 Million in new certiorari refunds expected in 2007-2008. Seiler notes that if the district bonds that amount the budget could dip to $175 Million. Photo, WPCNR News

The pattern duplicates the Preliminary Budget of last year which came in at $15 Million over 2005-2006 when it checked in at over $169 Million and was trimmed to $165.8M.  The 2007-2008 Preliminary Budget is coming in $16 million over the present budget ($165.9M).

 

Projected into the future, at a flat 10% a year increase the budget will top $200 Million in 2008-2009 two years from now – barring any new programs and new capital construction. If the school district trims the increase in expenditures to 5% a year the $200 Million threshold will be breached in 2009-2010.

 

An estimate of the tax rate is not possible because the amount of assessibles in the city has not been determined yet. Decline in assessibles has contributed to school district and city budget woes the last few years.

 

To Bond for Certioraris or Not to Bond.

 

Seiler said that the main driver of the budget was his proposed strategy of paying an expected $8 Million certiorari bill in 07-08 out of the budget instead of bonding for the expected refund as the district is doing in the current budget.

 

Seiler told WPCNR Wednesday that if the Board of Education changes its mind and decides they would bond for the $8 Million (or possibly more, Seiler said), that the budget would drop from $182.2 Million to about $175M.  The Seiler strategy of paying certioraris out of pocket instead of pushing them out over five years echoes a recommendation of Richard Hecht in regard to the bonding of the Capital Project, in which he recommended paying debt off sooner rather than later.

 

On the matter of District Salaries, Seiler is projecting an increase of 3.2% over the entire district. Seiler said the 3.2% ($96 Million figure ballpark) does take into account expected teacher contract increases. Seiler said that it should not be taken to mean that teacher salaries would be held to a 3.2% increase. Seiler reports negotiations will begin in earnest in two months, but he expected the total salaries in the district not to increase more than the 3.2%.

 

Debt service increase Projected at 30.26%

 

The Preliminary Budget, (not shown on projection slides to the audience), shows the Debt Service increasing from $5.9 Million to $7.7 Million.

 

Seiler said that includes the new bonding for  $8 Million in certioraris in the 06-07 budget plus $1.7 Million in debt service expected for the first year of the Capital Project (Athletic Fields and High School Renovations). 

 

Seiler said that in 2008-2009, another $1.7 Million would come on board for the second portion of the $66 Million Bond, followed by a third $1.7 Million or more debt service increase in 2009-2010 when the third $20 Million chunk of the bond is planned to be floated. That is, assuming 5% interest rates and the present School District Bond Rating.  

 

Seiler noted to the audience that the Board of Education could choose to ease the impact on the year-to-year budget by opting to bond the new $8 Million in Certiorari expected by the School District in the year 2007-2008. That would increase the debt service slightly, while taking $8 Million out of the “Other Expenses” budget.

 

Seiler said he expected Utilities to decrease 27% because original projections expected them to be higher, and there would be less payments for tuition (sending students out of district)

 

Transportation is going to increase 9.54%. The Board voted an additional $164,000 for Transportation this evening to provide for Middle School busing.

 

An estimate of revenues was not provided.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. January 8, 2007: Proposals to give tax relief to county property taxpayers and to better ensure public safety dominate the list in a proposed state legislative package that County Executive Andy Spano released today.

Highlights of the package include proposals:

·        to reform  the pistol-permit licensing process,

·         to decrease distracted driving by teens by barring them from using, while they drive, any cell phone or mobile device  (including hands-free),

·         to continue the cap on Medicaid costs and to add a new cap on costs of programs to educate handicapped pre-schoolers,

·        to require the state to issue a fiscal statement on any proposal that might impact local governments,

·        to strengthen the county’s ability to go after dead-beat parents.

 

 

The package has been sent to the county Board of Legislators for review and additions. It will then be given to the county’s Albany delegation as a joint package from the county executive and the county legislature.

 “Each year we closely examine what actions we should advocate for on the state and federal levels,” Spano said. “This package includes some new proposals and some that we have sent to Albany in the past. We know some proposals take time to accomplish. I am hopeful that Albany will be receptive to our many ideas that will protect public safety and give our residents critically important tax relief.”

 

Here are some of the specifics:

 

• Extension of the county’s Property Tax Stabilization and Relief Act: This 1.5 percent sales tax has t

since its inception in 1992 provided revenues of $541 million to the county, $692 million to municipalities and $235 million to school districts for a total of $1.5 billion. Without an extension, this sales tax would expire and the county, local governments and school districts would have to raise property taxes to make up the revenue.

 

• Pistol permit licensing: Currently, the process for issuing licenses to carry and possess firearms in  Westchester is administered by the office of the County Clerk despite the fact that all background investigations, the bulk of the responsibility with respect to license applications, are performed by the County’s Department of Public Safety.  The purpose of this legislation is to transfer all aspects of the licensing functions relating to pistol permits to the Department of Public Safety. Consolidating all of the functions related to the issuance of a license to carry or possess a firearm in the Department of Public Safety is both efficient and sensible. The change is supported by the County Clerk Tim Idoni, District Attorney Janet Difiore and District Administrative Judge Francis Nicolai.




• Teen driving: Westchester was at the forefront in the state – and the nation – in adopting a law that banned the use of hand-held cell phones by drivers. Spano would like to go further by banning the use of any cell phone or any mobile devise (hands free or otherwise) by drivers under the age of 18. According to auto industry research, teen drivers are four times more distracted than adults by cell phone use. As a separate but related measure, Spano is proposing to increase the number of supervised driving hours required before a teen may get a driver’s license.




• Underage drinking: Spano is continuing to advocate for a number of proposals aimed at reducing underage drinking. These include ones to suspend the liquor and lottery licenses of merchants who sell  alcohol to minors and to expand penalties for underage drinking.  




• Fiscal disclosure notes: Each year the state passes numerous bills that have a financial impact on local governments and local property taxpayers. There is currently no requirement that the local fiscal impact of a bill be analyzed in any systematic way. This proposal would require that every proposed state law  that would affect the revenues or expenditures of local governments include a written statement fiscal impact statement. In 2004, County Executive Spano issued an executive order requiring that a fiscal impact statement accompany all legislation submitted by the county administration.  

 

• Medicaid cap: Spano worked hard to get the state to enact a cap on the costs to local governments of Medicaid, and this has provided significant relief to county taxpayers and stabilized future growth in expenditures. The Medicaid cap must be permanently authorized in statute. This cap has already helped counties such as Westchester stabilize property taxes.




• Other caps: Similar to the Medicaid cap, Spano is calling for a cap on the costs to local governments of the state- and federal-mandated programs to educate handicapped pre-schoolers. Between 1997 and 2007, the cost of this program tripled, from $25.9 million to an estimated $83.1 million. The burden on Westchester property taxpayers increased even more dramatically — by 3.6 times. The tax levy burden shot up from $10.8 million to $39 million in this ten year period, a 261 percent increase




• Medicaid tracking and health insurance: A county survey of employed Medicaid recipients released last year revealed that many are not provided adequate health insurance by their employers and have turned instead to the government for health care, at an estimated cost to Westchester taxpayers of $11.5 – $34.5 million. Spano wants the state to better track this information so appropriate legislative remedies can be found.




• Deadbeat parents: Westchester has an aggressive approach to finding deadbeat parents using telephone records. This proposal would ask the state to take the lead in expediting the release of these records. 

·        Wireless network security: Westchester last year adopted a unique local law to require that commercial 

entities that provide public Internet access to the public via wireless or local area network connections provide 

minimum security measures to prevent the disclosure of electronically stored personal information. 

Spano believes the state should adopt a statewide law similar to that of Westchester.

·        Sex offenders:  Spano reiterated a call for a law that would allow convicted sex offenders to be 

held in civil confinement. 

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By “Edges” Bailey. January 5, 2007 UPDATED WITH NEW PIX 2:15 PM EST UPDATED January 7, 2007 10:45 P.M.: The Skyliners, Westchester- New Jersey and Connecticut’s  Junior Synchronized Skating team compete in the Colonial Classic synchronized skating competition this weekend, Friday evening and Saturday afternoon at the  Junior World Cup Qualifier at the fabulous Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Massachussetts with the class of the eastern and midwestern teams.

 

The Skyliners Junior Team putting on a great skate Saturday evening after their Friday evening short program,  finished 4th in the country of the 11 Junior synchronized skating teams competing in the skate-out to determine which team would represent the United States in the World Synchro Championships in Nottingham, England in March.  The Junior Skyliners skated to a 4th place finish behind the elite Chicago Jazz (1st), The Colonials of  Massachussetts(2nd), and Team Braemar of Minnesota (3rd). 

 

The Juniors competed in the short program again Saturday evening in the Colonial Classic portion of the competition, finished first, easing out the Skokie Valley (Illinois) Starlights by less than a point in a splendid rematch. The Skyliners Novice Team finished fourth in their highly competitive division, while the Juvenile team skating Sunday finished third behind The Colonials (1st) and the Skokie Valley Starlights. Details later on WPCNR.

 

Skating for the Governor! The Skyliners, the tri-state Junior Synchronized Skating Team sponsored by The Skating Club of New York, skating their Spread Eagle Splice in the very friendly confines of the Executive Plaza Rink,  wowing the crowd to Proud Mary at the Albany Statehouse Monday afternoon as part of Celebrate New York. Photos, WPCNR Sports

 

The team is fresh off a flawless performance on the Executive Plaza Rink in Albany at the Inaugural of Governor Eliot Spitzer  Monday afternoon.  They participated with 18 other performing groups across the state in the Celebrate New York  entertainment extravaganza to honor the Governor and entertain some 8,000 estimated guests.

 

The Skyliners — Rockettes on Skates –Skating to Proud Mary–at the Statehouse.

The Skyliners, sponsored by the Figure Skating Club of New York, finished 7^th at the Porter Classic in Ann Arbor, Michigan of 13 teams, but less than a point out of fourth place. The team followed that debut performance up with a first place at the Bourne Cape Cod Classic the second week in September against a strong eastern field. They have also made two public skates at The Pond in Bryant Park, entertaining crowds of holiday shoppers and skaters and followed that up with their performance at the New York State Inauguration.

 

 

The skating exhibition was put together by Ice Theatre of New York, at the request of the Inaugural organizers. Ice Threatre had only three weeks before the Inaugural and contacted the Skyliners. Josh Babb, Skyliner Director of Synchronized Skating and the Skyliners Junior team Coach with Jenny Gibson. Babb, who performed with Ice Threatre in 2001, accepted the short-notice invitation and the team gave up their New Years Day for the Governor and to spread the synchro “gospel,” skating’s fastest growing sport.

 

The only hitch was the Albany rink on the Executive Plaza is almost square, only 120 x 100. Babby reworked the Skyliners Proud Mary short program, slowing it down and fitting the team’s spread eagle splice, ladders, pinwheel and spiral glides to the limited surface. The team had one week before Christmas and one week after to prepare for their “condensed” skate.

 

Leaving from Westchester Skating Academy in pouring rain on New Year’s Day by luxury bus, the Skyliners did not know whether they would skate or not. The arrived in Albany at 10:30, and discovered the rink was smaller than expected. Coach Babb cautioned them “not to push,” and they practiced.

 

The New York National Guard Field Artillery Troop from Jamaica, Queens, on hand at the Inauguration to fire off the Spitzer 19-gun salute,  precisionists themselves stopped when they saw The Skyliners practicing and watched and watched with respect.

 

When The Skyliners skate, people watch. Even the U.S. military. A contingent of the New York National Guard from Jamaica, Queens saw the girls practicing and watched attentively, respectively, appreciating the precision and the spectacle.

 

The Skyliners made new friends for synchro! The Girls with their new fans — the Field Artillery contingent from Queens!

 

After the Inaugural Ceremony the skating spectacle began the Celebrate New York program as crowds were walking across the plaza. Individual skaters came first in the show.

 

The Skyliners were last to go on,  following “got it” skates by  the amazing 10 year old Olivia Serafini to Can Can  and 14 year old Michaelee Scarincio of South Glens Falls New York to Sentimental Waltz, the Finland Ice Dance Champions, Jessica Huot and Juha Valkama skating to Chopin’s Fantasie Impromptu. They were followed by Rye’s  Katrina Hacker, the 16 year old 2007 U.S. Figure Skating North Atlantic Divisional Champion, skating divinely to Con Te Partiro sung by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman.

 

 

Olivia Serafini, 10 years old and she owns the ice!

 

Micjaelee Scarincio, Glens Falls, 14 year old Phenom

 

The Ice Dance Champions from Finland Honor the Governor: Jessica  Huot and Juha Valkama

 

The immaculate 16 year old Katrina Hacker. 2007 USFSA North Atlantic Divisional Champion

 

The Skyliners took the ice for the finale, receiving the most applause and wining new friends and fans of synchronized skating.

 

The Skyliners double line in the Shadow of The Capitol.

 

The Big Pin Wheel Spread Eagle slow to a stop closing the Show.

 

 

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WPCNR QUILL AND EYESHADE. Interview with Former  White Plains Mayor Alfred Del Vecchio. January 4, 2007: Eliminating the Budget Director in the City of White Plains means “the city will have less control of its money and there’s more room for mischief,” former Mayor Alfred Del Vecchio told WPCNR  last week, discussing why his administration created the position of Budget Director and a Budget Department in his administration (1976-1993).

 

Mayor Alfred Del Vecchio, October 2005.

Photo, WPCNR News Archive

 

 

 The former Mayor notes when he was a councilman, in the early 70s during Mayor Richard Hendey’s administration,  he observed city commissioners had the discretion to spend money as they saw fit,  and not spending tax dollars as allocated. When Del Vecchio  became Mayor in 1976, he moved to correct this and created the Budget Director position to eliminate this “mischief,” after learning of the Budget Director concept at the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

 

Origins of Budget Director.

 

The Mayor recalled that when he was a Councilman in the Hendy administration ( the council consisted of 6 Republicans “working together.” He described the councilpersons as six little mayors each working with the city commissioners to prepare the budget.

 

There was a Finance Department which paid bills and handled the city accounts.

 

Del Vecchio said each councilman was assigned a commissioner and would work with the Commissioner to prepare that Department budget.   

 

The former Mayor recalled the incident that showed him how budgets were spent by the Commissioners:

 

“What happened was each councilperson depending on what his experience was, was assigned a department. Being an engineer, I was assigned Public Works. That’s the way the city was run then. He (Public Works Commissioner) wanted  some extra money one time to convert water meters to be read outside.

            We didn’t have the money, I said we just don’t have the money to do that. He said if I find the money can I have it?  I said you can, but tell me where you’re going to find the money. I had looked at the budget and I didn’t know where he could find money. He  was “finding it” from personnel. I said, how are we going to pay the people if we take this from personnel. He said we have this in the budget. It was taxed for, but we never hired the person. I said whoaaa…you can’t do that (chuckling)  I allowed him to have the money, but as soon as I became Mayor I put a stop to that. Any personnel position that wasn’t filled we took the money away.

               In the late 70s we had a dip in the budget one year. The expenses went way down because we didn’t fund personnel that year.”

 

 

Managing your Own Budget 11 months out of the year

 

Del Vecchio felt this practice was widespread at the time because there was little direct day-to-day supervision of the Departments: “Everyone (The Commissioners) did it (in the early 70s). These are little things the commissioners do. I’m sure that there were lots of them that we never found out about. A Budget Director looks into these things day-in, and day-out.”

 

The Mayor recalls seeing the danger in this practice when there was only the Finance Department and the Commissioners and very brief Council oversight:

 

A Bad Mistake

 

“Don’t forget, as a councilman at the time,  I went over the budget with the Commissioner  (of Public Works) for maybe a couple of weeks, three, four weeks, maybe a month. For the other 48 weeks he was on his own spending his money. The Budget Director does this (going over the budget) 12 months of the year. That’s why it is a bad mistake to do away with the Budget Director, or to allow the Commissioner of Finance to take over the duties in any manner, shape or form of the Budget Director, even temporarily.”

 

 

Internal Auditor Not the Answer

 

When Mr. Del Vecchio was elected Mayor in 1975, assuming office in 1976, he moved to get a handle on the spending process he had observed in his council days:

 

“When I became Mayor, I wanted better control of the budget, I thought it was needed for the city of White Plains. I had never been involved in politics before, and while I was Chairman of a department at Manhattan College, I had never handled that kind of budget I was expected to handle as Mayor. But I knew I wanted better control and we hit upon the idea of having an internal auditor.”

 

The Mayor said Councilwoman Joyce Gordon, after observing the Internal Auditor for a few months told him the process wasn’t working:  “I said what will we do. But, at that time I attended the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. Somebody there said the way it is done is to have a Budget Director and a Finance Commissioner. I began to learn at that Conference what a Budget Director was supposed to do and what a Finance Commissioner was supposed to do.”

 

Not the same function.

 

“When we introduced the Budget Director concept to the Common Council, we explained exactly what was happening. From my thirty years of teaching, whenever we did anything we had both a philosophy for it and we had everything well organized. We said this is what the Budget Director is going to do.

        The council in general (in 1976-77) complained about the Internal Auditor. I listened to them but I didn’t  know what to do. The minute I put together this Budget Director (concept) with the help of the people at the U.S. Conference of Mayors, it was a natural. They (the council) accept it, welcomed it  and said Al, this sounds great, let’s go ahead with it.”

 

WPCNR asked why the Internal Auditor (hired by the Mayor) not able to give the financial oversight the Mayor was looking for at the time. Mayor Del Vecchio said 

 

“The Internal Auditor was focusing on how the Mayor’s office was interacting with the budget. That was the wrong direction. The Budget Director really is an independent person and should not depend on the Mayor’s office at all. I gave Eileen Earl  (Mayor Del Vecchio’s second Budget Director, Kevin Fish was the first), a free hand. She took care of capital projects, a major, major function. My job was to make sure the Commissioners got their reports to her in on time. They would delay their reports.”

 

Commissioners Do Not Like Budget Directors.

 

In an aside, Mayor Del Vecchio related the uneasy relationship that existed between the Commissioners and his Budget Directors (Mr. Fish and Ms. Earl): “Commissioners mind you don’t really like a Budget Director.  She’s not their friend. She watches how they spend money. They were reluctant to tell her exactly what they were doing with the money. We made sure they got the reports in on time. It was all done good naturedly. The council loved it. It was through Eileen Earl that we begun to get the accounting awards. She was the first one to receive it.”

 

 

Commenting on those rough and tumble budget years, Del Vecchio summed them up this way:

 

“There always was a Finance Commissioner who paid the bills, took care of the checking account. He did all the money things. The budget was a free-floating thing. The Commissioners wanted a budget. The Commissioners would come to the Mayor. The Mayor would ask for help from the Council. There was no real structure to how the budget was formed or came about. The budget director was the one who gave it structure.”

 

 

Predicts There Will Never Be Another Budget Director.

 

 

Del Vecchio predicted the future: “You know as well as I do they are not going to hire a Budget Director. Joe (Delfino) knows politics. He’s been in the game long enough. We’re going to look at it again in the spring. Let me remind you of something, the valet parking. Remember when they said they would reevaluate it in a few months? They still have valet parking. The trick of the game is to delay these things and the people forget about it and you just continue them. He knows that game and he plays it well.”

 

A Step Backward

 

WPCNR asked Del Vecchio what will be the effect of eliminating the Budget Director.

 

“I think it is a step backward,” He said. “I think the city will have less control of the money. There’s more room for mischief. You need tight controls. You’re talking about $150 Million a year. That’s a lot of money and the Budget Director really earns his or her own salary by keeping tight controls. A good Budget Director is indispensable.”

 

WPCNR asked if the city rationale that eliminating the budget department would save money made sense. Del Vecchio demurred:

 

“I did read last week that it was a duplication of effort and a burden on the tax payers to have two different departments (Finance and Budget) doing the same job. That is absolutely not true. They do not do the same job. They do absolutely different jobs from different perspectives.

 

The Difference

 

“The Finance Commissioner is interested in the investment of the city funds, what kind of fund balance we have. The F.C. works with banks, the investment of city funds. The Finance Commissioner has very little to do with Capital Projects. The question is can one person do both jobs?

           One person should not do both jobs because it gives you the potential for mischief. There’s not enough cross-checks with the budget and we see that in many budgets, including the federal government. These funds have a way of blending in and being spent. No one may really have their hands in the till, but money is wasted without the oversight  (day-to-day) of a separate person – the Budget Director. One person can not have control of $140 Million a year.

             The best way I can explain is that one person has charge of the day-to-day operations of the city (Budget Director), and the other the more futuristic operations of the city (Finance Commissioner), taking this money which is lying around and putting it to good use.”

 

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WPCNR Common Council-Chronicle Examiner. By John F. Bailey. January 3, 2007, UPDATED 2:30 AM EDT WITH DENNIS POWER SWEARING IN PICTURES: The Common Council voted 5-2 Tuesday evening at the January Common Council meeting to appoint Commissioner of  Finance Gina Cuneo-Harwood to the position of  “temporary” Chief Fiscal Officer “through the budget season.”

 

Mayor Joseph Delfino made a statement that his administration was continuing to look at the possibility of folding the Budget Department (which no longer is functioning) into the Finance Department, and that the city has been studying that possibility since the Budget Director left. He denied the city has ever suggested the Budget Director/Department should be eliminated, blaming such reports on the media. The Mayor read a statement to the effect that the city was being prudent in keeping the position unfilled and entertaining the feasibility of operating with Budgeting and finance in one department. Video Captures from WPGA-TV, White Plains Government Access-TV by WPCNR News

The issue came up prior to the vote where  the council voted to pay Ms. Cuneo-Harwood  $20,000 additional in salary for the “extra work” she will doing in handling the responsibilities of the departed Budget Director, preparing the 2007-2008 city budget

 

 

The city has had no Budget Director since June 2, 2007 when Anne Reasoner abruptly departed employment  that Friday afternoon under circumstances the city has refused to explain. The city denied she was fired. The Deputy Budget Director, Jim Hricay, upon Reasoner’s departure in June was transferred to the Finance Department reporting to Cuneo-Harwood. Last month, Hricay left the city for a position in Stamford.

 

Malmud, Power Opposed

 

Councilpersons Rita Malmud and Dennis Power said they were troubled by the creation of the temporary Chief Fiscal Officer position. They were against eliminating the Budget Department function since it served as a check-and-balance on the city finances.

 

Councilman  Benjamin Boykin demurred, saying he would vote for the Cuneo-Harwood appointment because the extra pay was to compensate her for  wearing both hats as Commissioner of Finance and Budget Director. He said the council would discuss the concept of eliminating the Budget Department in the spring.

 

Councilman Thomas Roach said he, too, was not in favor of eliminating the Budget Department, but saw this the Cuneo-Harwood “raise” as merely a pay matter.

 

Councilman Arnold Bernstein said the Corporation Counsel Edward Dunphy had assured him this was legal to do, and that the job needed to be done. Mr. Hockley and the Mayor also strongly supported the proposal.

 

 

Mr. Hockley said that in the early 70s the city did not have a separate budget department and that arranged had worked well. He said that it was his responsibility was to save taxpayers’ money and perhaps eliminating the Budget Department was a way to do that, but did not commit firmly to eliminating the Budget Department. He said that the city needed the job to be done and he was voting to compensate Cuneo-Harwood to pay her for the additional responsibility of budget directing.

 

Council Asks No Questions.

 

No member of the Common Council asked the Mayor directly whether the city was conducting searches for Budget Director candidates to see who was out there the last six months. No advertisements have been run for the position to WPCNR’s knowledge, as the city has for Building Commissioner (filled temporarily by Damien Amodio).  The city on the surface has made no effort to fill the positions of Budget Director and Depurty Budget Director.

 

No Common Council member asked the Mayor about hiring a consultant to handle the Budget Director “planning function.”  Ms. Cuneo-Harwood’s responsibility as Commissioner of Finance is managing the city’s cash and paying the city’s bills. The Commissioner of Finance only has budget responsibility for his or her own department and managing the city’s money, and managing returns on city investments and funds. The Budget Director is a policy maker who plans how all the city money is allocated.

 

Media Blamed for Reporting Budget Department Demise

 

The Mayor read a statement accusing the media of inventing the story that the city was attempting to kill the Budget Department. He said this resolution was a mechanism to compensate Ms. Cuneo-Harwood only. He also said looking at eliminating the budget department was following a directive of Councilman Benjamin Boykin to look at city spending last April.

 

“Commissioner Habel (Sue) made some comments tonight in the hearing in relation to Bank Street, where sometimes things are printed in the press and media and it stirs an interest in something without having the facts there.

 

I think in this case here, the same issue occurred. I want to make sure, I’d like to make a statement because I want to have a clear understanding of what the public knows and the council knows because we’ve had some discussions of this as council members.

 

Last budget season the council and particular the Budget and Management Committee, when Mr. Boykin took over as chairman, he basically directed the administration to look at ways to reduce expenses and consolidate services.  That was a charge. And he still says it. And he’s right. We should be doing that, not only in this department but in every department in the city.

 

As you know, our Budget Director left in August of last year (actually June 2, 2006) and we have operated without one since that time. We have provided and continue to provide all the financial and budgetary information in a timely and effective manner. We truly have. We didn’t skip a beat. We didn’t skip a beat.

 

This administration has never suggested the elimination of the Budget Department I even heard tonight on Citizens to be Heard that we did. We never suggested it.

 

In the interest of consolidating services which was charged to this administration, by the council and particularly Budget & Management, including citizens of our community, reducing expenses and eliminating duplication, we have looked at and continue to look at the possibility of folding the budget department into the finance department.

 

Raising his voice menacingly, the Mayor continued, “as is the case, I want the public to understand this, as is the case iun every municipal government in the county of Westchester, there’s 44,  except for county government, they  (Budget and Finance) are split  there – but the Budget Director belongs to the County Executive which we would never even think about doing here, o.k.? So keep in mind, this isn’t rocket science, every community, 43 (we’re  the 44^th) have consolidations of  budget and management.”

 

 

“Budgetary reports and analysis  will always be necessary, will always be an integral part of the financial planning, that will continue, it must continue, it will continue” raising his voice for emphasis he said emphatically, “The fact that we’re operating without a Budget Director is not a result of poor planning. It is a result of prudent and careful planning as we continue to study the issue of possible consolidation and cost-savings.”

 

“This item (the Cuneo-Harwood pay increase) tonight is not about that. It got intertwined with that. This item is about compensation for an individual who essentially functions as the head of two departments where we continue to study this consolidation possibility. This person (Cuneo-Harwood) has performed admirably, above and beyond, to produce the best financial value this city has seen in the last few years.

 

“We will produce a budget this year  and it will be a good budget, just as we’ve done the past nine years we will do what we have to do to get the job done. We’ll get the job done. This issue is solely about fairness and equity and it is the right thing to do. It truly is.”

 

With that the role call vote was taken and Ms. Cuneo-Harwood’s paycheck grew.

 

What do they really do, anyway?

 

The Finance Department as defined in the Charter accords the Commissioner of Finance the duty of paying city bills and managing funds for best investment return. The Finance Commissioner is only responsible for their own department.

 

 The Budget Director is defined as the “check and balance” on the spending of all city departments. He or she is the city  financial planner and decision-maker, and is given absolute budget assigning power by the Charter.

 

According to the City Charter,  (page 23, Section 68) the Budget Director shall

 

“review the estimates, altering, revising, increasing or decreasing the items of said estimates (prepared by all department heads), as he shall deem necessary in view of the needs of the various spending agencies and the probable total available revenue of the city. The budget director may call upon the city officers, heads of departments and other spending agencies of the city for information and details of the estimates submitted by them and it shall be the duty of such officers, heads of departments and other spending agencies to furnish such information and details to the budget director. The budget director shall then prepare a proposed budget in the form required by law and he shall transmit this proposed budget in writing to the common council at the state meeting of the common council in April of the current year.”

 

Background

 

When Anne Reasoner left the city as Budget Director, WPCNR asked Paul Wood, the City Executive Officer if the Budget Department might be consolidated into the Finance Department, Wood said, “not at this time, but that could be considered a possibility.” About September, WPCNR asked Wood the same question but Wood never responded with a city position on the status of hiring or searching for a new Budget Director.

 

Though it is true that financial statements are eventually grudgingly, sparingly issued by the city,  media have to cajole, badger, make phone call after phone call to acquire routine figures such as sales tax receipts, and questions about budget items are ignored as long as possible. The statements issued by the city are not handed out willingly with a smile. Sensitive financial information has to be cleared by commissioners  through the Mayor’s office which necessitates follow-up call after followup call, voice mail message after voice mail message, rarely returned.

 

Prior to the sudden Reasoner departure, in April, 2006,  WPCNR asked Mr. Boykin Chair of  the Budget and Finance Committee concerns about city finances. In an interview with us, Mr. Boykin told WPCNR the Committee was concerned about how the city is being run and managed. Boykin said, “We’ve had a lot of growth, and we need to look at the city again, to see whether we have the right people doing the right things.”

 

 

In other action,

 

* Dennis Power was sworn in for the remaining year in the term of deceased councilman Robert Greer. Congressperson Nita Lowey said Mr. Power understands the responsibility of public service. With County Legislator Bill Ryan and Assemblyman Adam Bradley in the first row, Mr. Power remarked that he had first been approached to run for council by Robert Greer in the late 80s, and said here he was again, returning to the council, again related to Mr. Greer. Power said he hoped in his service that the council would do as Rabbi Lester Bronstein said, opening the Council meeting, to listen to its citizens and make the right decisions.

 

Dennis Power being sworn in to the last year of Robert Greer’s term on the Council with his son, Joseph holding the Family Bible.

 

Congressperson Nita Lowey was eloquent in her praise of Mr. Power’s understanding and committment to Public Service. Ms. Lowey also mentioned she would be working in Washington D.C. to eliminate the minimum alternative tax and to bring the troops home from Iraq.

 

County Legislator Bill Ryan, and Assemblyman Adam Bradley shared the Dennis Power Moment. Power, later in the Council Meeting, asked Mr. Bradley to spearhead the continuance of the 2% sales tax for White Plains through the new New York State legislature.

 

* The Council approved the RPW project refurbishing the entrance to 1133 Westchester Avenue.

 

* The hearing on the creation of legislation to accommodate the North Street Community on North Street was adjourned to February.

 

Bank Street Parking Lot Legislation to Allow “Residential” Hearing Opened

 

The hearing on legislation permitting  the Bank Street commuter parking lot in the Urban Renewal area to include residential housing was opened. The Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel explained this was not a zoning change, blaming the media for leaving this impression. (WPCNR in previewing this meeting, referred to this as a zoning change, and WPCNR regrets the error.)

 

Nonetheless the legislation reclassifying the parking lot  is a change of use of the land because, as Habel explained,  zoning in that area already allows residential, but that the land being urban renewal land does not at the present time. In order to make the land a possibility for residential use, this Common Council had to change the law. The hearing was kept open until February, at which time the “legislation” would be available to the council would be available.

 

Habel said some plan(s) were being examined by the city at this time and no decision had been made. 

 

This was puzzling.

 

Two weeks ago, Executive Officer Paul Wood stated to The Journal News  reporter Keith Eddings that the city was not putting the parking lot land up for bid, and that it was looking to sell the land to LCOR to build two residential apartments  with some 400 apartments, limited to 23 stories each in height. Wood said the plan being considered  would have LCOR pay the city $16.5 Million for the parking lot (which Habel said had 200 self-park spots and 70 more stacked parking slots), and the city would pay LCOR $5 Million to provide 300 parking spaces within their apartment/retail complex to replace the commuter spaces. 

 

What was interesting was when the Mayor asked if there was any comment on the proposal, no citizen stepped to the podium.

 

No Councilperson opened their mouth either.

 

The Mayor even asked the Council if they had any questions. The Council did not ask any questions or even bring up the Paul Wood exclusive to The Journal News.  Perhaps the Common Council members did not read The Journal News, watch White Plains Week or read on this website of that story.