WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,374,995 VISITS IN ONE YEAR—65,000 VISITS A WEEK BY 985,281 VISITORS

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. December 10, 2008 UPDATED 10:30 P.M.:  Expressing fears that the 2009-2010 school budget process was going to be difficult, outgoing Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors (retiring June 30)  announced the entire city of White Plains would be invited to two public forums or “cafes’” to make suggestions and offer their strategies, and give the Board of Education input on budget priorties.

The two forums replace the Annual Budget Committee of 30 persons who annually met the previous decade to aid the district in shaping a budget that the district has passed annually for years with no votedowns ever that this reporter remembers. But the 2008 budget vote was closer than ever, passing by 105 votes.

The 2009-2010 White Plains City School District budget, is predicted by the CitizeNetReporter to approach $200 Million if school spending follows past trends and city assessments remain the same. The budget has been averaging 7% growth and 8% growth in school taxes for the last decade. The taxes paid by the median house in White Plains ( selling for $700,000) now top $12,600 and are on track to top $15,000 in 2009-2010, at the present rate.

Connors Calls on Entire White Plains Community to Hammer Out the School Budget at two forums Thursday, January 8 and Thursday, February 26.

Connors said that traditionally the community input has been given by a committee of 30 or so prominent businesspersons, realtors, involved parents, educators most long time residents of White Plains. Previously, the ABC Committee has made suggestions as to ways the budget could be trimmed. Most cuts came out of ABC Committee opposition, but the committee rarely objected  strenuously  or had the fortitude to  challenge and ease the ahead-of-inflation pace of the White Plains school budgets the last decade.

Arguably their most impactful decision was rejecting Superintendent of Schools Connors’ suggestion to establish the district’s own division for educating developmentally disabled. Connors saw it as a service not only for White Plains diabled youth, but as a profit center for the district that would attract children from other districts and pay for itself through tuition paid the district. The ABC Committee rejected that.

The Annual Budget Committee meeting February 7, 2008. The Committee usually held about 3 to 4 meetings per year, plus public hearings held by the school district. By cutting down to two Budget Forums and two Public Hearings, there could conceivably be less scrutiny by the public, due to the public lack of familiarity with the School Budget and the way it is set up. Even the ABC Committee which consisted of virtually the same group each, give or take several new faces, for all their familiarity were not as knowledgeable of the school budget pressures, and spoke mainly from the heart, with a few exceptions.

This committee of 30, known as the Annual Budget Committee will not be convened this year, however former members will be invited to participate. The  Budget Forums will feature presentation of the budget, gathering of citizen reaction, and based on what the citizens say about how the budget should be put together, the Board will attempt to formulate the budget.

Connors said, “we know it’s going to be a difficult year (financially). We’re going to invite all  residents to contribute what ideas they have…There are no sacred items. We’ll look at everything within the schools.”

The first “Budget Forum” will be held January 8, and the second, February 26. He said there would be two public hearings on the budget also on March 9 and May 11, with the budget vote scheduled for May 19. Details to follow.

Connors said the Finance Committee would see his first “run-through” on the school budget December 23. Connors said the idea for inviting all the public to participate in budget policy decisions was suggested by the finance committee.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Board of Legislators. December 9, 2008: Monday night, by a vote of 13 to 4, the Board of Legislators approved a $1.77 billion county operating budget for 2009.  The vote came after a long final day of negotiating and number crunching that reduced spending by $1.53 million and cut the tax increase to a low 1.77%. All four Republicans on the Board voted against the plan.

“The Board took a fundamentally sound proposal from the County Executive and worked to make it better,” said Board Chairman Bill Ryan. “We made sure that essential services would continue to be available to our residents, we cut costs and we reduced the amount of the tax increase.”

Ryan noted the difficulty of putting a budget together in rapidly weakening economy.

“We’re all affected by this economic recession. Things are likely to get worse and many people are going to have a tough time. It’s important for government to keep the safety net in place, carry out its other important functions, and save taxpayer money in the process,” said Ryan.

“The budget cuts non-essential spending and incorporates additional revenues recommended by our auditors,” said County Legislator José Alvarado (D, Yonkers), Chair of the Budget & Appropriations Committee.  “We will also continue to provide financial assistance to our local municipalities and school districts by sharing county sales tax revenue with them. Over the last 12 months, that has amounted to $102 million in aid. This is another way in which the county helps local governments and school districts reduce the burden on local property taxpayers.”

Westchester County is the only county in the state that shares sales tax revenue with its local governments and school districts.

“This budget is fair and reasonable and will meet the needs of county residents in 2009,” said County Legislator Tom Abinanti (D-IN-WF, Greenburgh). “That includes honoring our commitment to Westchester Medical Center, a billion dollar economic engine which, with the county’s help, has turned its business operations around and is moving toward financial autonomy.”

Abinanti noted that yesterday, prior to passing the budget, the legislature approved a Cooperation Agreement with the Medical Center that covers the next ten years and provides a steady decrease in the Medical Center’s reliance on county financial support.

Modifications Made

Alvarado said that in the course of the budget review, the committee grilled each department head on whether they had dug deep enough into their budgets to identify areas of potential savings.  

Alvarado said the County Executive’s decision to abandon a plan to give retroactive raises to non-union management, including commissioners and department heads, also contributed to the overall reduction in the spending plan.  

“It is not that the raises aren’t deserved, it is simply that the time is not right,” Alvarado said. “On a daily basis, I see firsthand the excellent work done by county employees and this action of not granting pay raises at this time is not a reflection on their overall good work on behalf of county residents. This decision is a response to the economic realties that we are all facing today.”

Board of Legislators Budget

Chairman Ryan noted that the budget for the Board of Legislators was originally submitted with an increase of 1.4% knowing that the Budget Department would post an additional 1.9% for wage increases. “During the three week period of budget review, I submitted cuts to the Board’s budget totaling $357,799 or a 4.5% decrease to contribute to the overall savings we were trying to achieve,” said Ryan.

“This budget should adequately provide for the operation of the Board in 2009,” said Ryan. “It continues our current system of seven standing committees. It continues our current staffing structure of a central staff assigned to committee support and central Board functions and a personal staff providing direct support to legislators and assigned to district matters and constituent services.”

Legislators Restore Funding for Key Programs and Services 

The legislature restored funding for key programs and services provided by non-profit agencies that legislators agreed either should have been funded or were underfunded in the County Executive’s proposed 2009 budget.  Ryan said the public had spoken clearly, both at public hearings and with individual legislators that they did not want to see cutbacks in “safety net” services for the county’s most vulnerable citizens.

“We added money to ensure the continuation of key services benefiting county residents. These services are provided by non-profit contract agencies that represent an important and very cost-effective part of the county’s service delivery system,” said Ryan. “A tough economy means more people are struggling and more are in need of safety net services that are part of the county’s core mission to provide.” 

Service areas that received additional funding in this budget include community services, such as  neighborhood health centers; child care; early childhood services; assistance to victims of domestic violence; eviction prevention assistance; immigrant outreach for health, education, housing and employment, and, legal aid for the indigent; arts and culture; economic development and environmental protection.  

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. December 8, 2008: WPCNR has learned from a source familiar with fire department operations, speaking on condition of anonymity, that White Plains Professional Fire Fighters have settled and, (according to City Hall Monday afternoon already ratified) a wage increase sequence calling for 3-1/2% in the first year of the contract 2007-2008, retroactive to July 1, 2007 and  3-1/2% the second year 2008-2009  and calling for 4% in 2009-2010. Usually Fire and Police Department contracts parallel each other.

Another change in the contract, according to WPCNR’s source is that the fire fighters have agreed to a 24-hour consecutive tour of duty system, in which each firefighter is on duty for 24-hours consecutive duty tour, which the source said would go virtually do away with almost all of the overtime the department now spends due to firefighters calling in sick on a regular 8-hour shift.  As our source put it, “Each fire fighter is on 24 hours, and he’s off three days, that way he only shows up for duty for 24 hours every three days. He’s there. He has to stay on duty. It’ll virtually eliminate overtime. This is a smart contract, it is good for the city and the firefighters, the council should pass it.”

The source said the contract is simply money-based with the 24 hour duty change the only change, there are no other givebacks. The source said he did not know what the police union had agreed to, but said the 24 hour duty rule was not part of the police settlement.

The City of Hackensack Fire Department, serving a city of 42,000 persons  (White Plains has a population of 57,000, 200,000 during day) operates  a 24-hour duty system this way according to the Hackensack Fire Department website:

The departments is set at 100 members and is under the command of Acting Chief Thomas Freeman (Car 1). Deputy Chief of Operations Bruce Goldberg (Car 2) is second in command.

The department protects 42,000+ residents (U.S. Census Bureau nightime population) and that figure swells to over 100,000 during the day.

There are 4 platoons with twenty-three officers and firefighters on each, under the command of a Deputy Fire Chief/ Platoon Commander. They work a 24 hour shift and are then off duty for 72 hours.
These personnel operate four Engine Companies, one Ladder Company and one Heavy Rescue Company out of four fire stations located at strategic points in the city.

The department also has one reserve engine, one reserve 110′ ladder truck, one reserve heavy rescue unit and a 14′ boat for water rescue incidents.

All firefighters and officers are subject to call back in the event of a major incident.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. December 8, 2008: County Executive Andy Spano and the County Board of Legislators, today announced that there will be no raises for commissioners, directors or any non-represented management employees for 2008 and 2009. The pay plan has been completely withdrawn.

“I know that there are many Westchester residents who are hurting in this economy. I fear that the economy will get worse before it gets better,” said Spano. “If it weren’t for the loss of revenue and for expenses out of our control, I would have not proposed any tax increase. I know that even the small tax increase is not what the public wants. That was the reason I slashed my proposed budget by over 11 million dollars, eliminating positions, cutting overtime, equipment and supplies. That was also the reason I eliminated salary increases for 2009, cutting in half my original proposal. But after hearing from the public, we decided to eliminate the 2008 raises as well.”

Board Chairman Bill Ryan said, “As our residents feel the impact of the weakening economy, government must control expenses as best we can and save money wherever possible. The Democratic majority and the County Executive have decided that now is not the appropriate time to move forward with pay raises. Perhaps down the road, when we have pulled out of this recession and our economy is stronger, we can revisit the issue of increased compensation.”

            Spano acknowledged his commissioners and management staff who, he said, have worked very hard to reduce the cost of government, saving  taxpayers millions of dollars. 

“They have done an outstanding job and if times were better, they would be getting the increase they deserve. But we all have to tighten our belts in times like  this – and sometimes that hurts,” Spano said.

Jose Alvarado, chair of the Board’s Budget and Appropriations Committee said, “It is not that the raises aren’t deserved, it is simply that the time is not right. On a daily basis, I see firsthand the excellent work done by county employees and this action of not granting pay raises at this time is not a reflection on their overall good work on behalf of county residents. This decision is a response to the economic realties that we are all facing today.”        

Spano said, “No one likes to raise taxes. No one likes to pay taxes at all. That’s why the Board’s majority and I have been working together to find ways to reduce the tax levy even further. Eliminating the salary increase is just one step.”

Spano said he hopes that local governments and school districts, some of which are proposing tax increases that the public can ill afford, will look to the County as a model for holding down taxes in this troubled economy.  He offered the County’s assistance in helping them to cut and reduce expenses, where possible.

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. Special to WPCNR. December 8, 2008 UPDATED 5:57 P.M. EST:  Paul Wood, City Executive Officer said this evening he would advise WPCNR “ASAP” of the terms of the  new police and fire contracts. He reported, in response to a WPCNR question, “All I can tell you right now is that both unions have ratified the contracts.”

This means all that is left is Common Council approval or denial, to come December 17.

Earlier, City Hall confirmed  today to WPCNR that Mayor Joseph Delfino has come to an agreement with the police and fire unions serving the city. Melissa Lopez, spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office confirmed this to WPCNR today, and said the Common Council would be meeting in a Special Meeting December 17, 2008 to ratify or decline the agreement.

The  wage agreement  of the settlement is reported to be 4% by union members and by those with knowledge of the terms, but was not disclosed by city hall. The length of the proposed contracts were not disclosed, even when WPCNR asked.

No other details were issued at this time from the Mayor’s Office.  Ms. Lopez  told WPCNR  the Mayor has not reached a  wage settlement with the Civil Service Employees Association.  She said the terms of the police and fire settlement were outlined to the Common Council at an executive session recently.

Subsequently, Ms. Lopez contacted WPCNR and said Paul Wood, city Executive Officer said that the increase  reported to be 4%  to WPCNR was not correct, but Mr. Wood  would not say what the raise hike was.

Four Common Council members contacted this morning to confirm the settlement and the amount of the raise have as of 3:30 P.M. have not returned WPCNR’s phone calls, though the council was informed of the settlement at a recent Executive Session.