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. Special to WPCNR by Westchester County Roving Correspondent Nancy King. December 9, 2011:

Nancy King

After tense negotiations that lasted for 15 hours, the Westchester County Board of Legislators and County Executive Rob Astorino and his team arrived at a budget compromise that saved 187 jobs, restored cuts to community health care centers and left nature centers and their programs intact. 

The vote taken shortly before 2am was 16 for the budget and legislator Marty Rogowsky voting against it.  Rogowsky, who will be leaving the board at the end of the month voted against the budget last year as well.  

The board approved a $548.4 million dollar tax levy which will mean the taxpayers of Westchester will not see an increase in their property tax bill for the second year in a row. 

In a News Release from the County after the news conference, Mr. Astorino is reported as saying  he would most likely line veto the restoration of the current day care rates and the neighborhood centers.

In addition to nature centers, and health centers, the board also restored funding to the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Arts Westchester, legal aid, the Westchester County Probation Department, eviction and homeless prevention programs and food banks.

According to legislators Pete Harkham and Chairman Ken Jenkins, this budget was passed without having to dip into the fund balance. The legislators’ both explained that the money came primarily from the Department of Social Services which underspent their budget last year.

This morning, County Executive Rob Astorino  in a press conference, admitted that negotiating this budget was indeed difficult and that he will more than likely be vetoing certain line items, without saying what..

A news release from the Department of Communications Friday afternoon reports that Mr. Astorino plans at least two vetos of line items– neighborhood centers and restoration of the county day care rate:

“The county executive said he is likely to veto the addition by the board of $1.9 million for three neighborhood health centers and changes to the day care subsidy program. Astorino has argued that the health centers, which provide non-mandated services, run at a profit without county subsidy, noting that their executive directors earn combined salaries of more than $1 million. He had questioned the merit of giving these outside agencies money while the county’s own Department of Health was facing cuts.

            As to day care, he has proposed increasing the parent contribution to 35 percent for non-mandated day care, the same amount paid by parents in New York City and many other New York counties. This would increase the number of families that would be able to receive aid by 600.

He re-iterated that he was disappointed with CSEA in the fact that he perceives that they are unwilling to negotiate the terms of their upcoming contract negotiations. Astorino has been asking for union members to begin contributing to their health care and pension benefits.

Astorino also did not address the issue of placing workers who appear to have received jobs as patronage favors. CSEA Vice-President Manu read a short list at Tuesday’s public hearing at the County Center. Union officials are concerned that these workers have been placed in positions without having to apply for and take the civil service examination. CSEA workers believe that those patronage positions should be eliminated first before their own members are laid off.

Astorino did not however address the issues of having sales tax revenue which was larger than he earlier anticipated, leaving many taxpayers to wonder if the financial health of Westchester County is not as dire as the County Executive would like us to believe.

 This budget is last one where the CE will have to deal with a supermajority of Democrats on the legislative board. It remains to be seen whether or not the next  year will be more productive for the Astorino administration. After January 1^st, there will now be 7 Republicans sitting on the County Board.

Westchester taxpayers however will see little or no change in their upcoming tax bill. Westchester County taxes make up only 20% of the average tax bill. Local school taxes are usually around 65% of the average tax bill and have steadily increased over the years.

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WPCNR MR. AND MRS. AND MS. WHITE PLAINS POLL. December 9,2011:

In four days this week Governor Cuomo presented the New York State legislature with a sweeping overhaul of New York State Tax rates, creating tax cuts for all income levels.

If you earn net income from $40,000 to $150,000, your tax rate declines from 6.85% to 6.45%

If you earn $150,000 to $300,000, tax rate declines from 6.85% to 6.65%.

If you earn $300,000 to $2 Million ($1 Million if a single taxpayer), your tax rate declines from 7.85% to 8.97% down to 6.85% ( a full 1 %)

If you earn over $2 Million your current tax rate of 8.97% declines to 8.82%.

So the question is how are you going to use this windfall, Mr. and Mrs. White Plains. I thought of a few possibilities the windfall can be used for at the right.

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From Assemblyman Robert Castelli’s Office (A.D. District 89) December 8, 2011:

Assemblyman Robert J. Castelli (R, C – Goldens Bridge) reports Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that $67 million in funding has been awarded to the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council, continuing an effort to redesign the way state government works in order to drive economic growth and create jobs.

            Castelli called the $67 million funding award the capstone of a historic week in Albany, with yesterday’s passage of a tax reform deal. “Westchester County families, seniors and businesses have been hit hard by the state’s high taxes like the MTA payroll tax, which has stifled economic growth and eroded jobs throughout the lower Hudson Valley. While the legislation we passed is far from perfect, I am confident that by reducing the job-killing MTA payroll tax’s impact on Westchester County job creators and by reforming the state’s tax code, our state’s economy can begin to get back on track,” he said.

            “To further help promote economic growth, today’s funding awards will help rebuild our region’s decaying infrastructure and invest in high-tech job creation and education,” Castelli said. “Coupled with yesterday’s tax cuts, lawmakers have taken an important step to revitalizing New York’s economy. Now the Legislature must continue to work together to provide relief from unfunded mandates and reduce state spending in order to ensure that these investments are not undone by Albany’s tax-and-spend culture.”

A breakdown of some of the awards to the Mid-Hudson region follows:

Strategy for Investment in Region Resources and Emerging Bio-Tech Sector

The Mid-Hudson strategic plan was designed to take advantage of the region’s location and resources. The Mid-Hudson Region contains a diverse mix of urban, suburban, and rural areas, a full spectrum of businesses, local colleges and universities; a highly diversified and educated workforce; and proximity to New York City.

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WPCNR GREEN NEWS. December 7, 2011:

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation today issued a statement to the CitizeNetReporter to the effect that the agency will approve a closure plan for the contaminated city dump, under review by the DEC for the last six years will be approved by the end of the month. The statement from the DEC press office today:

“The Department is performing a technical review of the final draft of the Landfill Closure Plan for the Gedney Way Leaf and Yard Waste Compost Facility (Gedney Way Landfill).  The Plan provides the detailed design information for the closure of the landfill under the state’s Part 360 Solid Waste regulations.  

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From the White Plains Department of Public Safety. December 6, 2011:

On November 11  at approx 1837 hrs, a male black subject entered the Bluebay Spa, located at 239 Central Avenue 3rd floor, brandished what appeared to be a handgun and demanded cash from the owner.

The victim turned over approximately $800 in cash and the unknown gunman fled on foot in an unknown direction.

During the subsequent investigation, Detectives were, with the assistance of NYPD Detectives from the 112 Precinct, able to positively identify

Andrew Tate, 9/9/81 of 66-23 Austin St #2C of Queens, NY as the subject responsible for the Bluebay Spa robbery. Tate was subsequently arrested and charged with Robbery in the First degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon.