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 COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Legislator Bill Ryan’s Office. January 11, 2007: Westchester County Board Chair Bill Ryan (D-I-WF, White Plains) appointed County Legislator Vito Pinto (D-I-WF, Eastchester) Chair of the Board’s Legislation Committee, effective January 10.  Pinto has given up his current position as Majority Whip to assume the position. He replaces Legislation Committee Chair County Legislator Clinton I. Young, Jr. (D-I, Mt. Vernon) who was elected the Board’s Vice Chair at Monday’s Board meeting.

“We have a great deal of important work ahead but right now, the most pressing task at hand is the legislative package we’re putting together to bring to Albany,”  said Pinto. “We have many important issues on the table, including significant public safety measures as well as several initiatives that would lead toward critically needed property tax relief. I’m hopeful that with the new governor, we will have a very productive year.”

Pinto, a Tuckahoe native, was the first Democrat to be elected by the 10th District. Prior to his election as County Legislator in 1997, Mr. Pinto served on the Tuckahoe Village Board from 1983-1985 and the Eastchester Town Council from 1985-1997. He enjoyed a 32-year career in education, retiring from the Tuckahoe School District in June 2002.

During his tenure on the Board, Pinto has chaired the Committee on County Officers and Departments, the Public Works Committee and the Parks Committee.  A Vietnam War veteran, he is an outspoken advocate for veterans’ issues. He’s a staunch supporter of issues related to senior citizens, youth, the disabled, the County’s parks and public safety. Pinto sponsored legislation to keep guns out of the hands of kids and has successfully urged the County to upgrade its emergency response services. He is the Board’s liaison to the Westchester County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Board.

Legislator Pinto is a 1958 graduate of Tuckahoe High School. He earned his BS Degree in Industrial Arts Education from SUNY Oswego and a Masters in Guidance and Counseling from New York University.

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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.”