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THE RACE FOR WESTCHESTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE BOILS DOWN TO WHO DO YOU TRUST?
COUNTY EXECUTIVE INCUMBENT ROBERT P. ASTORINO, WHO CLAIMS NOT TO HAVE RAISED YOUR TAXES IN 8 YEARS. SAVED ZONING IN COUNTY TOWNS BY BATTLING HUD. BROUGHT IN MAJOR NEW BUSINESSES
OR GEORGE LATIMER, EXPERIENCED TWO-TIME STATE SENATOR, THREE-TERM COUNTY LEGISLATOR. MR. LATIMER’S MESSAGE TO WESTCHESTER IS YOU CANNOT TRUST MR. ASTORINO BECAUSE OF HIS ALLEGED PLAY FOR PLAY DEALS MADE WITH A NUMBER OF HIS CAMPAIGN DONORS, AND LATIMER PORTRAYS HIM AS A DONALD TRUMP PUPPET NOT SUPPORTIVE OF WESTCHESTER VALUES.
LATIMER CHARGES MR. ASTORINO DID RAISE TAXES FOR COMMUNITIES INCLUDING RYE, EASTCHESTER, GREENBURGH, MAMARONECK. BUT MR. LATIMER NEGLECTED TO SAY THE TAX RISES WERE THE RESULT OF LOCAL REVALUATIONS OF ALL HOMES IN THOSE TOWNS BY THE COMMUNITIES THEMSELVES AND THE COINCIDENCE OF RISING HOME PRICES.
MR. ASTORINO HAS HAD ONE ISSUE: MR. LATIMER’S FAILURE TO PAY PROPERTY TAXES TO RYE, PARKING TICKETS AND LIENS ON A THIRD HOME LATIMER OWNS.
LATIMER ACKNOWLEDGED THE TAX DEBT, BUT SAYS THEY ARE HIS WIFE’S RESPONSIBILITY. LATIMER SAYS ASTORINO IS JUST RESORTING TO PERSONAL ATTACKS.
IT’S A MYSTERY WHY MR. LATIMER DID NOT PAY ALL THESE OBLIGATIONS SOME WAY BEFORE HE STARTED HIS COUNTY EXECUTIVE RUN LAST SPRING.
MR. LATIMER HANDED MR. ASTORINO AN ISSUE ON A PLATTER WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT INFLUENCE VOTERS TO DENY HIM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE TODAY.
THE ASTORINO STRATEGISTS HAVE BEEN SATURATING TELEVISION EXPLORING IN DEVASTING PRODUCTION DETAIL HIS TAX DELINQUENCY.
DOES IT MATTER HE HAS NOT PAID HIS TAXES? DOES IT MATTER THAT GEORGE LATIMER CAN LET HIS TAXES GO UNPAID FOR 5 YEARS, WHILE A NORMAL TAXPAYER MIGHT EASILY BE FORECLOSED ON OR HAVE LIENS PLACED ON THEIR HOME?
IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE CITY OF RYE SIMPLY LET THE LATIMER TAX TAB GO BY IGNORING IT. THE COMPTROLLER’S OFFICE IN THE CITY OF RYE DID NOT RESPOND TO WPCNR CALLS ASKING IF RYE HAD ADVISED MR. LATIMER THAT HE COULD HOLD OFF PAYING THE TAXES UNTIL HIS WIFE’S ESTATE DISPUTE WAS RESOLVED. A SIMPLE LETTER TO THAT EFFECT FROM THE COMPTROLLER’S OFFICE MIGHT HAVE SPARED MR. LATIMER THE PERSONAL PAIN INFLICTED BY THE ASTORINO CAMPAIGN. BUT THEN A LETTER OF LENIENCY ON THE TAX PAYMENT, MIGHT MEAN THE CITY OF RYE WAS TREATING MR. LATIMER SPECIAL AND WOULD HAVE TO TREAT EVERYONE THAT WAY. MR. LATIMER HAS SAID HE HAD RECEIVED NO COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY OF RYE TO THAT EFFECT.
ISSUES—REAL ONES THAT THE COUNTY FACES IN THE FUTURE HAVE NOT COME UP IN THIS CAMPAIGN.
TAX INCREASES:
MR. LATIMER TOLD ME ON “PEOPLE TO BE HEARD,” HE DID NOT PLAN TO RAISE TAXES IF ELECTED.
BUDGETING:
STATE SENATOR LATIMER SAID ON THE SAME PROGRAM HE WILL CONDUCT A TOP TO BOTTOM AUDIT OF ALL COUNTY EXPENDITURES TO FIND OUT THE COUNTY’S FINANCIAL POSITION.
AIRPORT DEAL:
HE SAID HE WOULD WOULD ANALYZE THE COUNTY AIRPORT DEAL, PERHAPS REJECT THE LEASING PROPOSED BY MR. ASTORINO.
PLAYLAND:
MR. LATIMER CHALLENGED STANDARD AMUSEMENTS, THE DESIGNATED, CONTRACTED PLAYLAND OPERATOR TO PAY THE UPFRONT PAYMENT THEY OWE THE COUNTY BY DECEMBER 31. THAT IS MR. ASTORINO’S CONTRACT DATE WHEN PAYMENT IS DUE FROM STANDARD AMUSEMENTS TO SEAL THE PLAYLAND DEAL.
LATIMER SAYS IF THAT PAYMENT IS NOT MADE, “ALL BETS ARE OFF” LATIMER WILL REEXAMINE WHETHER TO LEASE PLAYLAND AT ALL OR HAVE THE COUNTY RUN IT, IF STANDARD AMUSEMENTS DELAYS THAT PAYMENT.
MEANWHILE, IN WHITE PLAINS MILAGROS LECUONA, CHALLENGER TO MAYOR TOM ROACH, CAMPAIGNED IN GATHERINGS IN SUPPORTERS’ HOMES. NO LITERATURE OR MAILINGS OF ANY SUBSTANCE AFTER THE DEVASTATING DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY RESULT WHERE SHE LOST BY A 3 TO 1 MARGIN.
SHE ATTEMPTED TO TURN AROUND HER CAMPAIGN FOCUSING ON THE ARTS LAST WEEK. BUT DURING THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FORUM AT THE WHITE PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY A SIGNIFICANT EXCHANGE-INTERACTION HAD TO BE DEVASTATING TO THE DOGGED, DETERMINED MS. LECUONA
AT A COMMUNITY DEBATE, SHE ASKED WHITE PLAINS RESIDENTS IN ATTENDANCE IF THE CITY WAS BETTER OFF THAN IT WAS 7 YEARS AGO.
THERE WAS A COLLECTIVE LOUD “YES’ FROM THE AUDIENCE. A DEVASTATING VOICE VOTE FROM PERSONS IN WHITE PLAINS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE MAYORAL RACE.
MAYOR ROACH SHOULD HAVE HIS WAY TODAY.
AS BOB GRANT THE ACERBIC OLD WMCA TALK SHOW HOST SAID WHEN HE SIGNED OFF HIS TALK SHOW,
YOUR VOTE COUNTS. USE IT.
