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 WHITE PLAINS WEEK NEWS. August 22,2010:

 County Executive Rob Astorino appears on the city news round-up show, WHITE PLAINS WEEK, this week discussing the county’s latest budget situation.

County Executive Visits WHITE PLAINS WEEK, Talks Money, Housing Settlement negotiations, Playland Now at www.whiteplainsweek.com

Rob Astorino was interviewed by John Bailey, the CitizeNetReporter and Peter Katz, the noted ABC Television editor and commentator on Friday evening. The County Executive previewed the budget battle coming up, broke major news on Playland (he sid he would pledge to preserve the buildings now on the site), updated the situation on the county affordable housing settlement (currently county is negotiating how flexible the government guidelines are), and discussed the state of the county and what needs to be done, and how he expects to do it.

The program may be seen around the world on the White Plains Week news site at www.whiteplainsweek.com and on local television at 7 P.M. on Monday countywide on Verizon FIOS channel 45 and on Cablevision, Channel 76 (in White Plains only).

Viewers around the world know they may see Mr. Astorino discuss his fiscal strategy, the affordable housing settlement and what’s ahead on that issue, and reveal startling Playland news, and a look into the future on www.whiteplainsweek.com.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. August 18, 2010: 

The Westchester County Board of Legislators leadership, Chairman Ken Jenkins and Democratic Majority Whip Legislator Judith Myers (Rye), said today they supported County Executive Rob Astorino’s initiative to see proposals for new ideas and usages for Playland Amusement Park in Rye.

Legislators announced plans to move forward on a lease agreement that would house the Westchester Childrens Museum at Playland.  Slated for soft openings in mid 2011, the Museum would occupy the building formerly housing the Playland Bathhouse.

WPCNR observes that the alterations to the bathhouse section where the museum would go has been substantially changed in design of the museum portion in the recent reconstruction that has taken away, in this reporter’s opinion, the “art deco” style that made the Playland Boardwalk a landmark.  

“At a time when budget cuts and the erosion of quality after-school youth programs are causing more people to seek out community-based alternative services within Westchester County, the Children’s Museum will be a vibrant, interactive, cultural institution for children and families, a dynamic resource for schools, a welcoming environment for special needs children, and a means to build tourism in the county,” said Chairman Jenkins.

The former Andy Spano Administration agreed to lease the newly repaired South Bathhouse at county expense for $1 a year, if the Museum could raise the money to build the interior and operate the museum. The Museum has raised $8 million so far and wants to raise $14 Million, and has spent $1.5 Million on building designs.

Legislator Myers, a staunch advocate for the Children’s Museum, supports the County Executive’s request for proposals for Playland because the time is right to make a change, however she won’t support anything that brings more traffic into the Rye residential neighborhood, nor any discussions that do not include Rye residents at the table, or anything that prohibits public access to the Long Island Sound.

“The Children’s Museum represents a community-wide investment in our children without spending any taxpayers money,” said Legislator Myers.  “Over 870,000 children under 11 years of age live within a 15-mile driving radius of our future site at Playland Park in Rye. Yet, Westchester has relatively few cultural resources designed specifically for children.  The Children’s Museum on the boardwalk would be a welcomed addition to the outdoor cafes that don’t interfere with boardwalk runners and walkers, to historic ‘Kiddyland’ for the very young, an Ice Casino for year-round skating, and a music tower for summer concerts. 

The Museum has begun educational programs with community groups as part of its operations. The lease for the museum is being developed for presentation to the Board’s Committees on Budget and Appropriation and Public Works, Parks, Labor and Transportation, chaired by Legislator Bill Ryan (of White Plains).

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. From The Mayor’s Office. August 16, 2010:

The new ImageCast Voting Machine (first introduced to the public two weeks ago on WHITE PLAINS WEEK),  will be available to the public for viewing and familiarizing in the City Hall Rotunda, 255 Main Street through August 26, 2010.

The ImageCast Voting Machine–see it, feel it, experience it at City Hall

The Westchester County Board of Elections has purchased these new machines to replace the mechanical voting machines used in the past. The mechanical voting machines will not used at all in the September 14 Democratic and Republicn Primaries, the November 2  General Election or in any future elections. Citizens can stop by city hall to familiarize themselves with White Plains — and the county’s new voting machine. A powerpoint presentation describing the voting process and the use of the machine will be available, as well as sample ballot and handouts.

City Hall is open 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Monday through Friday and Saturday morning. The machine may also be viewed at the Westchester County Center on Thursday September 9 from 7 to 9 P.M. and Sunday October 3 from 1 P.M. to 3 P.M.

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. From New York State Department of Taxation & Finance. August 12,2010:

The July Sales Tax Report was handed down to WPCNR today by  Susan Burns of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance showing White Plains July sales tax collected $286,053 more in sales tax receipts over last July’s figures. (July is the first month of the new city fiscal year

 City Sales tax receipts of $3,717,403 beat the county July sales tax pace, benefiting from a ¼% city sales increase that went into effect June 1, raising July sales receipts 8.34%  (though short of the proportionate increase in the sales tax, 12%) while County Sales Tax receipts continued robustly, up 7.63%.

The city sales receipt for July ($3,717,403), is below the July, 2008 high water mark of July collections of the last five years of $3,938,114, reflecting the pace of sales prior to the beginning of the 2008 economic downturn.

On the county side of the sales tax ledger,  county sales tax continues headed for a surplus with its continued strong showing in July with its 7-1/2% rate of growth sustaining itself another month. Should the county continue on this 7-1/2% sales tax increase trend, the county will generate an $11 Million sales tax surplus, realizing approximately a $444 Million sales tax handle for fiscal year 2010, generating a $12 Million surplus in sales tax receipts over the expected and forecast $432.6 Million.

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WPCNR County Clarion-Ledger.. By John F. Bailey. August 10, 2010:

County Executive Rob Astorino in chatting with WPCNR after addressing the White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations in White Plains Tuesday night, said he would deliver a balanced budget to the county legislature by November 1, with no increase in the county property tax.

County Executive Rob Astorino addressing the Council of Neighborhood Associations Tuesday at Education House.

He said his administration had already cut $36 Million from a deficit of $166 Million, and had identified $40 Million more in savings, projecting the present deficit as $90 Million. He told WPCNR that if the County Board of Legislators added back spending, he would exercise his line item veto, telling WPCNR, “They have made it clear they have no problem raising taxes, so I will veto.”

County Executive Rob Astorino spoke with WPCNR after he made to this reporter’s knowledge the first appearance ever by a Westchester County Executive before the White Plains Council ofn Neighborhood Associations.

Addressing the audience of 45 persons, beginning at 8:50 P.M. Mr.Astorino covered a range of subjects, mostly having to do with budget issues.

 In his general remarks beginning with Playland, say it would not close, but held out the possibilities of less rides, or possibly more rides, licensing a private vendor to run the park and adding other uses to the historic park, citing the success of the Tiki Bar on the Boardwalk that had amazing success. He said that 70% of the users of the park are not residents of Westchester County, and “that has to change.”

He said that the county needed to cut the  $32 Million it spends in child day care by raising the qualifications to participate in county day care services.

In response to a question whether the county would exercise a countwide revaluation of real estate, (to equalize property tax burdens),  Astorino said he would not unless a majority of the cities and municipalities asked for it, echoing his predecessor, Andy Spano, on that question..

Astorino said he did not feel the County Police force could be trimmed significantly because of the services it provides for villages and municipalities which do not have detective services, bomb squads, and lab facilities, but did say he had achieved significant savings in overtime by transferring county police personnel back to patrol duty.

The County Executive also said he was working through commissioners to get them to come up with savings in their departments, saying, “I do not have all the answers, but I can ask a lot of questions.”