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.

Hits: 0

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From the Office of the State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. December 23, 2009(EDITED): School districts across New York state, including White Plains and New York City, face a potential funding gap of at least $2 billion when the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding runs out in 2011-12 unless federal aid is renewed or replaced by state aid, according to analysis released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Property taxpayers could face on average a 7.7-percent tax increase in 2011-12 to make up the loss in ARRA funds, assuming school budgets and state aid remain constant.

The White Plains School District according to Comptroller DiNapoli’s Office  received $3,876,166 of its $13,736,444 in school aid this year from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding that is due to expire. If the funds are not restored by Washington,  the district faces a 2.1% tax increase to replace those funds. This would based on other factors cited last week by the school district send the district budget well over the$200 Million mark in 2010-11.

Last week the School District Finance Committee heard Assistant Superintendent for Business, Fred Seiler detail that the district faced a $15 Million increase in expenses made up of $$2 Million (now $3.9 Million according to the Comptroller’s figures) deficit in state aid, a STAR EXEMPTION DECREASE, $3 MILLION more in salaries, $3.5 Million more in pension costs, $4 Million in Health benefits, and replacement of about $3 Million decline in the assessment roll. The increase indicated by the Comptroller this week, if the ARRA is not extended, would mean if the City School District Budget does not cut expenses, the budget will top $203 Million.

“ARRA funding has helped ease some of the budget pain for school districts and taxpayers,” DiNapoli said. “But that money stops in 2011-12, and when it does, New York’s schools face a $2 billion funding gap. That’s a big hole to fill. The time to start thinking about how to fill that hole is now, not when the money is already gone. It won’t be easy; schools are already facing financial problems. But this won’t just go away.”

DiNapoli’s analysis found ARRA funds made up on average 5.3 percent of total school budgets in 2009-10. The school budgets most reliant on ARRA funds in their 2009-10 budgets are New York City (5.7 percent), the big four districts (5.1 percent) and high-need schools (4.9 percent). Low-need school districts face the smallest gap as ARRA funds represented just 2.4 percent of their 2009-10 budgets.

In upstate New York, school districts in Central New York, the Capital Region and the Finger Lakes ARRA funds made up 5.5 percent, 5.2 percent and 5.1 percent of their budgets on average in 2009-10 respectively. ARRA funds represented just 3.2 percent of Long Island school districts’ budgets and 3.3 percent of Mid-Hudson Valley school districts’ budgets.

DiNapoli’s analysis also found ARRA funding helped independent school districts hold tax levy increases to 2.1 percent on average, rather than an estimated 7.7-percent increase had ARRA funds not been available. Alternatively, school districts would have had to cut costs by as much as 3.2 percent without ARRA funds.

The state projects that foundation aid (the main source of school aid to most districts) will increase by 17 percent over the next three years. To backfill the stimulus funding and meet this commitment, the state would need to increase its share of funding by $4.1 billion, or 31 percent, between 2010-11 and 2012-13, an unlikely scenario given the state’s fiscal difficulties.

To view DiNapoli’s analysis, visit: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/arra-snapshot-121709.pdf.

To view a district-by-district breakdown of ARRA funding as a percent of school district 2009-10 budgets, visit: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/arra-percent-budget-by-dist-2009-10.xls.

Hits: 0

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. From the Transition Team of Mayor-Elect Adam Bradley. December 22, 2009:  White Plains Mayor-Elect Adam Bradley has selected John G. Callahan, a former Corporation Counsel for the City, as his Chief of Staff.  Callahan is an attorney who has spent most of his career representing government entities.

“I’m confident that John Callahan shares my vision for the future of White Plains. His experience and professionalism will help me lead the city in a new direction”, said Adam Bradley.

Callahan will take on a dual role as Chief of Staff and Corporation Counsel for the City of White Plains.  He will oversee the day to day functions of the city and will supervise the City’s Law Department as well. Callahan says, “I am honored that Mayor-Elect Bradley chose me and I am looking forward to the challenge of holding both positions.”

Callahan informed Commissioner of Finance Gina Cuneo-Harwood, Commissioner of Recreation and Parks, Arne Abramowitz and Deputy Commissioner Debra Clay they would not be part of the Bradley administration Friday and rehired Commissioner of Building, Damon Amadeo Friday in the first steps towards shaping the new Bradley administration which takes over the city in 9 Days, Januart 1

Hits: 0

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. From the Mayor-Elect Adam Bradley Transition Office. December 21,2009: The City of White Plains  Mayor-Elect, Adam Bradley, has announced that he will be holding his ceremonial swearing-in and inaugural reception on Sunday January 3^rd, 2010 from 3:00 PM till 5:00 PM at White Plains City Hall, 255 Main Street, White Plains, NY.

The general public is invited to attend and meet the new Mayor in the rotunda at White Plains City Hall.  Mayor-Elect Bradley commented, “This is the most appropriate venue to start my tenure as the people’s Mayor, in the people’s house.  During these tough fiscal times, I think it is important to forego having any formal inaugural ball or reception.  I look forward to meeting and greeting the fine people of the City of White Plains and to personally thank them for their trust and support in me.  This is also an opportunity for me to say thank you to my many friends and supporters who have assisted me throughout my years in public office.”

The general public is invited to attend, light refreshments will be served.

Hits: 0

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. December 18, 2009: Susan Katz daughter of the legendary Sonny Katz, the former City Marshall, was the focus of the annual Traffic Department holiday party Thursday morning as a steady stream of well-wishers from the Department of Public Works, Finance and other city hall employees dropped by to congratulate Ms. Katz on her retirement after 29-1/2 years.

Susan Katz in “traffic” with Commissioner of Traffic, Tom Soyk,left, and Commissioner of Traffic, Bernard Adler, with whom she worked in her first job in Traffic.

Ms. Katz said she enjoyed working with so many people she has met over the years, and noted that she had learned over the years “to appreciate people for the good things they have to offer,” to “look for the good in all of her co-workers,” as her beloved father had always advised her.

Ms. Katz joined the city in 1980 in the Alfred Del Vecchio administration in the Department of Recreation and Parks, where she created the Pops in the Parks Program and the Noonday Concerts that exist to this day, and most other concerts under the direction of then Commissioner, the late Joe Davidson. She counts those concert series are her greatest achievement with the city. She then moved over to the Traffic Department in 1983 under Traffic Commissioner Bernard Adler who joined the party for the festivities with current Commissioner Tom Soyk.

Ms. Katz, a lifelong resident of White Plains plans to devote full-time to her work as Executive Director of Westco Productions, and tutor in a literacy program, and another non-profit organization.

Ms.Katz lamented that as of December 28, City Hall will no longer have a Katz in it. It will be the first time City Hall will be Katz-less in 40 years.  

Hits: 0

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER.  December 17,2009 UPDATED  5:10 P.M.E.S.T.: Phil Reisman, the columnist for the Journal News, reported exclusively this afternoon that Democratic members of the Board of Legislators have voted to oust Bill Ryan of White Plains as Chairman of the Board of Legislators, replacing him with Ken Jenkins of Yonkers. The ouster carries with it a pay cut for Mr. Ryan and an increase for Mr. Jenkins, and comes within hours after Mr. Ryan called for a Charter Revision Commission to reorganize county government to make it more efficient.

The news of Mr. Ryan’s ouster was not promulgated by the County Board of Legislators Press Office.

Bill Ryan, in the County Chairman of the Board of Legislators Seat, July,  2009, on a Board webcast. WPCNR Photo Archive.

Ken Jenkins, County Legislator from Yonkers, Replaces Bill Ryan as Chair of the Board of Legislators. Shown July, 2009. WPCNR Photo Archive.

Mr. Ryan, speaking to WPCNR this afternoon on his denouement,  said he was not surprised since he has served three consecutive terms as Chairman of the Board of Legislators, and over the course of the year, other legislators had talked with him about the possibilities of someone else having an opportunity to serve as Chairman. Ryan said that in the final vote to replace him in favor of Mr. Jenkins that it was simply a choice between him and Jenkins.He said he did not campaign hard to stay on but  did make it clear that for the purposes of continuity with the new administration, he would be glad to stay on for a fourth term, “I wasn’t going to start and recite my accomplishments to them the Democratic legislators. So anyway, we do the vote. They felt three terms was long enough.”

Asked about what a Board of Legislators run by two legislators from the two most distressed areas of the county, Yonkers and Mount Vernon, would mean, possibly more county dollars and interests shifted there at the expense of other areas of the county, Ryan had this to say:

Ryan praised the choice of Lyndon Williams, the legislator from Mount Vernon as Vice Chair of the Board of Legislators, saying that Mr. Williams was “sensible to the need for balance” in matters, and that his background at Citibank and service on the legislature budget committee was very thoughtful and understanding of the problems the county faces. In the matter of Mr. Jenkins, Ryan told WPCNR, he thought he (Ryan) was the better choice to guide the legislature in its relations with the new County Executive, because of Ryan’s three terms as Chair and his knowledge of the system.

Asked if Mr. Jenkins supported Mr. Ryan’s legislation for a Charter Revision Committee to identify ways the county could achieve “the four key words, consolidate, streamline, efficiency and economy” Mr. Ryan said he (Ryan) had talked with 7 legislators who supported it and expected that the rest of the legislature was on board.

Ryan said he would be looking for additional employment starting in two weeks, since his salary will be cut in half. He said he would be President of the New York State Association of Counties in 2010, but that was not a paying position.

He said he would, instead be paying partisan attention to his White Plains and Scarsdale constituency, and “be ever vigilant in protection our (White Plains/Scarsdale) fair share.”