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. March 6, 2006 UPDATED 11:45 P.M. E.S.T. UPDATED WITH PIX 3/7/06 6:45 P.M. E.S.T.: The Board of Education was presented with an accounting strategy Monday evening to soften the blow of last week’s announced decline in the city tax roll which has cost the district $11.6 Million in tax collections.  The Assistant Superintendent for Business, Terrance Schruers suggested Monday evening the School Board take the option of taxing the five variable PILOT properties at the 2006-2007 tax rate, as a strategy to hold the 2006-2007 Budget School Tax Rate Increase to White Plains property owners to 9.54%.

The Schruers Solution: Levy One, Books Pilot Revenue Going Into 2006-07 to Keep Tax Rate to 9.54%. Note PILOT Revenue of 8.8 Million as opposed to Levy Two (Below). Photo, WPCNR News

To make up the $11.6 Million tax shortfall directly attributable to the $6.3 Million Tax Roll deterioration, announced by the School District last Thursday, the district is raising the school tax rate to $449.64 per $1,000  of assessed valuation, or $39.19, UP from $410.45 per $1,000 of Accessed Valuation in 2005.

 This means if your home is assessed at $18,500( which has a taxable value of $14,175 approximately a $700,000 home on today’s market) your school tax will be $6,475  in 2006, up about $570 from $5,904 in 2005.  Your tax rate goes up 9.54% if the Schruers strategy is adopted.

The School Budget projected for 2006-2007 was not discussed, but instead remains at the current $166.1 Million figure presented last  Monday evening, prior to the report from the City School District  that the Tax Roll had declined.

$6.3 Million Nosedive in Assessments Costs District $11,622,000 in taxes. 

The $6.3 Million erosion of the 2006-07 tax roll, though softened by a projected $1.6 Million increase in PILOT revenue up from the Assessor figure of $7,248,405 for 2005-2006 costs the School District $11,622,000 in tax collections. A corresponding tax increase from the city (15 to 20%) will put the average $704,000 home (the median price for a home in White Plains) in a position to pay about $9,000 in taxes to the city and the school district in 2006, and puts residents on target to pay five figures in city and school taxes for the first time ever in 2007.

The school district is proposing to make up that $11.6 Million shortfall from the eroding city tax roll by raising their the school tax rate to $449.64 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, (using the Levy 1 Schruers Solution).

In previous budget years, Assistant Superintendent of Business, Terrance Schruers said variable PILOTS for the next budget year have been taxed at the current year tax rate for estimating purposes. The effect of that practice that Schruers called “Levy II” has always generated a slight surplus to the school district that went into the fund balance, but generated a higher tax levy.

If the school district continued old formula for taxing variable PILOTS, Schruers explained to the Board, the tax impact on district property owners would be 9.99%. Note lower PILOT Revenue on Levy 2 (second figured down, right column). This formula was used in past years to estimate PILOT revenue. Photo, WPCNR News

The district will receive an additional $400,000 in revenue by choosing the new Levy 1 strategy, slightly softening the $11.6 Million cumulative tax hike.  Levy 1 was invented by Schreurs to deal with the budget surprise created last week when the city tax roll was discovered to have declined $6.3 Million ($6,354,257 less than the $304,680,309 tax roll of 2005-2006,) to a $298.3 Million tax roll ($298,326,170) for 2006-2007. 

The effect of the Levy 1 strategy keeps the tax increase residents face to 9.54%.

Booking Projections as Revenue.

Previous fund balance surpluses, caused by the more cautious estimating the school district used on PILOTS,  Schreurs explained,  had been used to fund retirement payments and certioraris, which now routinely exceed the fund balance capacity to cover them.

The certiorari tab for 2005-2006 alone to the school district is approximately $8 Million, which was covered by a short term bond issue, which will be paid for over the next five budget years. The district expects to float another $8 Million bond issue in 2007-2008 to pay for expected certioraris in 2006-2007.

Check with the Accountants

Board of Education member Terrance McGuire recommended the district check with their accountants to get their opinion on the recommended practice. Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors said the strategy would be shared with the Annual Budget Committee on Wednesday evening to get their feelings about the change in strategy.

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors and Board of Education President Donna McLaughlin remarked how cooperative the City of White Plains had been this year with conference calls last week discussing the pilot situation and giving the district more accurate information than they ever had before.

Math Experts Leave Early.

The discussion came up after a presentation of changes being made to the school district 5th to 7th grade math program,  with six of seven middle school math teachers present. Unfortunately, the math teachers left before the discussion of the PILOT tax strategy began. Most of the approximately 86 winter season Scholar Athletes (all having obtained an averge of 90 or better), being recognized earlier in the evening left, too. The scholar athletes were unavailable to aid the mathematically challenged in divining the budget solution to keep the tax increase under 10%.

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WPCNR STAGE DOOR. By John F. Bailey. March 5, 2006: County Legislator Harriet Cornell, Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner  and Nyack Mayor John Shields want the Helen Hayes Theater sale to Milbrook properties stopped and the theater opened up for bid to the public. The three will plead their case before two Assistant Attorneys General in White Plains Wednesday as the controversial sale continues under review.

Nyack Mayor John Shields reported exclusively to WPCNR Sunday that he, Rockland County Legislator Harriet Cornell, and Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner, and Nyack Mayor John Shields have scheduled a meeting Wednesday in White Plains with Assistant Attorneys Generals Gary Brown (who originally approved the sale in January), and Tom Hoffay in White Plains to acquaint them with the reasons why the sale to Milbrook properties should be disapproved.

 

Shields said the hope was the Attorney General’s office would issue a show cause order to the Rockland County court to disapprove the sale, and perhaps open it up for bidding to the public. Mayor Shields said he had not spoken to Elliot Spitzer, the Attorney General personally, but assumed Mr. Spitzer was aware of the matter. 

 

The Pikus family which owns Milbrook Acquisitions is a heavy contributor to the Democratic Party, having contributed approximately $27,300 to Democratic candidates since 1999. 

 

Attorney General’s Office Assumed a Profit on Sale.

 

Shields said he had been told Assistant Attorney General Brown had approved the sale because there appeared to be nothing illegal about the sale and because a $1.4 Million profit appeared to have been realized on the sale of the theater.

 

However in public forum two weeks ago it came to light in statements made by the Board of Directors of the Helen Hayes that in addition to paying off the mortgage on the theater of approximately $2.8 Million, that $700,000 in debt also had to be paid off with the proceeds, and already had been paid out of the $700,000 down payment tendered by Milbrook Acquistions, eliminating virtually all the “profit” apparent from the sale.

 

 It is not clear whether Assistant Attorney Mr. Brown in approving the sale had examined the IRS Form 990 Helen Hayes filed for the year 2003-2004  in October, 2005, showing Helen Hayes had accumulated $1,351,986 deficit as they went into the 2004-2005 year.

 

In 2004-05, Helen Hayes purchased their building from the previous owner for $2.8 Million. However, in November, White Plains Performing Arts Center severed their relationship with the Company, forcing the theatre to close because White Plains had been paying half the salaries of 7 of the Helen Hayes staff, according to Tony Stimac and sources familiar with Helen Hayes dependency on White Plains money.

 

Pushing for Disapproval.

 

Shields also said he hoped the Attorney General’s office would retract their approval, because a formal $5 Million offer had been made by Rosie and Kellie O’Donnell and rejected by the Helen Hayes Board of Directors within the last week because of the contract in force. He also said two other operators had been found who were submitting proposals.

 

Shields told WPCNR that he felt the Helen Hayes Board of Directors needed come up to its full compliment of Directors (10), before evaluating proposals, and noted the short board was another reason for the sale to be disapproved.

 

The O’Donnel Turn Down.

Shields told WPCNR that the Board of Directors has already turned down a firm, documented offer for the theater citing the present contract as the reason. The O’Donnells of Nyack offered $5 Million plus $500,000 in improvements to the theater.

 

WPCNR notes that the $5 Million offer would have, if accepted by the Helen Hayes Board, provided a $1 Million budget, plus $500,000 of physical improvements, according to news reports. The present $3.7 Million sale leaves little working capital and demands substantial new investment by any new operator of the theater who seeks to rent the theater from Milbrook after the sale is closed.

 

Shields explained to WPCNR that the theater was never offered to the general public, and that his government found out about the Board’s “quiet” sale to Milbrook, only by discovering the sale when papers were filed.

 

Lawyer Confirms Privacy of the Sale.

 

Laura Weiss, a member of the Board of Directors, confirmed the private nature of the Helen Hayes sale by stating at the public forum on the theater closing  February 15, that she personally had brought in Milbrook, notifying them the property was available because the Helen Hayes Board of Directors could save several hundred thousand dollars on debt if they could raise the cash within a week. She had thought of Milbrook as a possibility, a firm for whom she handled legal work in the past. Ms. Weiss noted at the forum that she had done all her legal work on the Helen Hayes-Milbrook contract pro bono.

 

Present Board of Directors to Evaluate

Proposals to Run Theater, Shields Says.

 

Mayor Shields also reports to WPCNR that the Helen Hayes present Board of Directors is making the decision on what proposals would be accepted to rent the theater. Shields said the Board is short four persons of the ten required on the Board, and he felt the Board should appoint new members. He also said he felt that Milbrook, the new prospective owner should make the decision on who should rent the theater if the sale goes through, not the present Board of Directors.

 

Helen Hayes Board of Directors, who expressed publicly they would all resign from the board after the sale was completed, and that the theater needed “new blood” according to Walter LeCroy, has a option to rent the theater in the contract.

 

 

Board Has First Option to Rent Theater

 

 

The Helen Hayes Board of Directors expressed publicly February 15, they would all resign from the board after the sale was completed, and that the theater needed “new blood” according to Walter LeCroy, one of the directors.

 

The Board of Directors, despite all saying they wanted to leave the Board February 15, have an option to rent the theater.

 

 Deborah Darbonne of Friends of the Nyacks confirmed this to WPCNR Saturday with this statement on the situation exclusively to WPCNR:

 

“The Helen Hayes Theatre Company Board has an option to continue to use the Helen Hayes Theatre as a theatre. That option expires 30 days after the sale of the theatre complex to Milbrook. Friends (of the Nyacks) continues to talk with the Helen Hayes Theatre Board to encourage them to accept additional proposals for use of the theatre beyond the board’s announced deadline.(Editor’s Note: the deadline has been extended to March 26).

 

The mechanics of how a proposal for use of the theatre is “accepted” during the option period would have to be discussed with the Helen Hayes Theatre Board and Milbrook.

 

If the option is not exercised and expires, there will be futher discussions with Milbrook, the prospective owner. Milbrook has indicated its willingness to work with Friends of the Nyacks to allow for continued use of the theatre as a cultural/performing arts center/theatre.”

 

So You Want to be in Show Business?

Proposals Aired in Public Forum April 5.

 

The Friends of the Nyacks have guidelines issued by the Helen Hayes Board of Directors as to how to submit a proposal to run the theatre.  The submission deadline is March 26.  All proposals meeting basic submission guidelines will be presented to the public in an open forum the Friends of the Nyacks will stage on April 5.

 

On April 10, the “Friends” will submit all proposals with comments to the new owner of the Helen Hayes Theatre.

 

Among  those the Friends of the Nyacks website lists as being interested in forming “a consortium” to run the theater are Greg  Karr,  Tim Brady, The Rivertown Film Society, Off World Theatre, Children’s Theatre, and Elmwood Playhouse.

 

The proposal guidelines on the Friends of Nyack website (www.friendsofthenyacks.org) poses these dollar challenges: the prospective operator(s) should expect costs of operating and rent to be approximately $850,000 a year ($71,000 a month), a number supplied by The Helen Hayes Theatre Company, according to the Friends of the Nyacks website.

 

The theatre impresario-to-be needs to submit an abstract (Executive Summary) of 250 words; a Statement of Need –how it fits the community, 250 words; Project Description; organization information; Project Schedule –time to implement; Budget, high level summary budget; Biographies, and a conclusion.

 

 

 

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. March 5, 2006: Liz Flooks scored 16 points for the White Plains Girls Basketball Team as the Tigers won the Section I Girls basketball championship by overwhelming New Rochelle Sunday afternoon in the Class AA basketball championship at the County Center. White Plains will play next in the Regional Sectional on Friday at Pace University  in Pleasantville. It was the second year in a row that the White Plains girls have won a Sectional I Championship.

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WPCNR DOWNTOWN DAILY. From the White Plains Downtown Neighborhood Association. March 4, 2006: Rob Tamboia, a resident of the White Plains Downtown is in the process of organizing a viable, vocal group of residents who live in the White Plains inner core, and has formed an online group. He reports:

We now have a “Yahoo Group” for the White Plains Downtown Residents Association. Feel free to click on this link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whiteplainsdowntown or search YAHOO for WHITEPLAINSDOWNTOWN (No spaces!)

We look forward to you being a member, it’s free, and it’s a simple way to email information back to the entire group.

Regards,

Rob Tamboia

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. March 3, 2006: In the last two weeks, White Plains Police have distributed printed flyers to banks, small businesses and service stations in downtown White Plains, warning motorists against leaving keys in the ignition while doing errands or making shortstops. Martin Gleeson, spokesperson for the Police Department told WPCNR there is no particular reason for distributing the flyers at this time, that the police distributed the flyers to businesses as a public service.

The flyer reads, in part, ” Did you know 20% of all cars stolen today have the keys in them? Convenience stores, ATMS and gas stations are easy hunting grounds for thieves. Plus, leaving your car running and unattended is against the law. Don’t leave your keys behind. Even for a minute…that’s all it takes.”

Gleeson reports that in 2005 there were 54 car thefts in White Plains, and in 8 of those thefts, the keys were left in the vehicle by the drivers. From January 1 through February 26, Mr. Gleeson tells WPCNR there have been 10 Auto Thefts in White Plains, 1 of which had the keys left in the car.