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 COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. January 2, 2009: The Common Council will consider Monday evening an ordinance approving a 10-year lease of the Renaissance Square traffic island to LC Main at a cost of $3,000 a year for ten years ($30,000). If approved, the action appears to end the 9-month dispute of Louis Cappelli’s erecting a stone Ritz-Carlton entrance sign on the 30 foot by 4 foot traffic island without city approval, in the middle of a city right of way.

The Ritz Rock today. The toney Ritz Carlton White Plains is in the background.

Ritz Rock Dispute Being Settled Quietly? The Ritz Carlton sign on a traffic island in Renaissance Square, subject of articles in major metropolitan dailies the last eight months and an ongoing festering feud between the city and LC Main LLC, (the city wanted the monument torn down, and refused to sell the island to the developer, as well as refusing to consider leasing plans for the island) appears headed towards a peaceful solution Monday evening.

In a letter from City Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel, the Commissioner states in support of the lease agreement that  “The Planning Department finds that the City has entered into a significant number of license agreements with private property owners to permit use or encumbrance of public right of way, and has accepted liability for the White Plains Beautification gardens in the right of way. The Planning Department further finds that the traffic island on Renaissance Square with the Ritz Carlton sign is attractive, and provides a sense of predestrian scale to an otherwise very wide street crossing.”

The Commissioner sites 12 other such sites already existing in the city that the White Plains Beautification Foundation plants and maintains with donor signage as support for granting the Cappelli license, and notes 10 other sites where organizations have “entered into license agreements for intrusions in the public right of ways,” including The Seasons, The Galleria Mall, 360 Hamilton Avenue, Dunkin Donuts, Key Ford, Fortunoffs, City Center(Valet Parking), 235-245 Main Street, Storage Deluxe and the Westchester Arts Council (Sign Banners over Mamaroneck Avenue).

 The Council rejected Mr. Cappelli’s offer to purchase the island for $18,000. LC Main LLC then submitted a request to lease or obtain a license. Subsequent efforts of the Cappelli organization to obtain the lease or license was tabled by the council for about eight months. Meanwhile, the Cappelli organization went to court on grounds that the city should consider their request and had engaged in “abuse of discretion.”  In December, the Council referred the request out to departments.

Councilman Glen Hockley told WPCNR a month ago at the time of the refer-out, that  the council was releasing the request for referral because it had become clear that Judge Susan Cacace was not going to issue a favorable ruling, “when it became clear the city was not going to prevail in court.”

The ordinance to be considered Monday evening appears to end the dispute should it be approved.

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                WPCNR CONSIST. By John F. Bailey. December 30, 2008: Senator Charles Schumer and Congressman John Hall made a whistle stop at the White Plains Transit Center Tuesday (both arriving by car)and reported at a news conference  that a new $20 Billion Obama Administration Economic Recovery Package dedicated to Mass Transit was all but certain to be signed into law by President Barack Obama January 21. Schumer expected this to provide millions  for local Metro North improvements that would lead to local economic spending by construction companies and  workers employed on those projects.

Senator Charles Schumer arrives at the White Plains Metro North Railroad Station Tuesday

The  Obama Mass Transit stimulus, Schumer said was expected to allocate $4 Billion to New York State, most of which would be used by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to upgrade aesthetics, parking, trackage, and substations on the Harlem, Hudson  and Port Jervis rail lines. The funds would furnish dollars for what Schumer described as projects delayed because of the MTA budget crunch. In addition, he and Congressman Hall were working on a national $2 Billion stimulus for Mass Transit Operations relief, a portion of which New York might receive  about $400 Million to lower the MTA-propoed 23% fare increases scheduled to hit in June.

                Congressman John Hall, left, and Senator Charles Schumer taking questions at the news conference.

The relief to reduce MTA fare hikes would not be addressed until the fall, Schumer thought, saying it would probably be included in the congressional transit bill that is renewed every five years. The Senator said he and Congressman Hall are working towards the new administration supplying an this $2 Billion stimulus nationally dedicated to operations costs that could be applied to reducing fares.

Schumer estimated New York would receive about $400 Million of that stimulus if the Obama Administration and congress pass it.

MTA Proposes Budget Cuts, Fare Increases, Service Cuts.

The MTA has a $1.2 Billion deficit and proposed two weeks ago for commuters on rail, bus and auto to pay $670 Million of the $1.2 Million gap with the balance to come from the MTA’s own cost-cutting. Schumer said the possible $400 Million from the $2 Billion operations stimulus would not cover all the fare increases proposed, but would ease the pain. The fares introduced two weeks ago would not go into effect until June. About $300 Million more in savings would be achieved by the MTA eliminating 3,200 positions and the rest in service cuts.

Nowhere in the official MTA release on meeting the budget does it say that they have cut out planned projects along the three lines mentioned by the congressmen today.

Track Improvements, Station Amenities, Parking Projects to be Funded if…

The projects covered by today’s announcement of the $4 Billion New York stimulus pacakage include the upgrading of interiors, track design, additional parking facilities along the three lines in addition to purchase of new railroad cars, locomotives and hybrid buses that have simply been not been executed by the MTA because they have not been considered a priority, though that is not clear at this time.

 Schumer, told the media these are projects the MTA has put on hold due to their present $1.2 Billion budget shortfall. Two weeks ago, the MTA announced a series of fare hikes of 23% to wipe out half that $1.2 Billion deficit, with service cuts and 3,200 layoffs taking care of the rest of it.

The MTA apparently did not feel capital for capital  projects was a problem nine months ago.  

At that time, MTA announced a massive expansion plan going out to 2050, with no indication of any capital projects left unfunded. Since that time according to The Daily News, the MTA revenues from transit-dedicated taxes on property sales and corporate profits have declined dramatically.

How the Stimulus Works: Construction Workers to Get Westchester Rolling Again.

“We are fighting to make sure Westchester and the lower part of the Hudson Valley get a big slice of that ($4 Billion Mass Transit stimulus)funding,” Schumer said. ” Funds could be released immediately for improvements at stations across Westchester County and the lower Hudson Valley and as we know it’s a very perilous time for the MTA. The agency faces a budget gap that threatens to cripple the entire system. The financial crisis has forced the entire MTA to cut back and take draconian steps across the board. So to try and close the budget gap the MTA this month approved a budget that had all kinds of bad things and one of the things they did was to delay all kinds of capital projects. The budget has Metro North rail and busriders in its crosshairs.”

Schumer said that President-Elect Obama has “wisely said we’ve got to get this economy going. We’re in a recession and we have to pump money into the economy. He’s also said that the first place we should put money into the economy is infrastructure. That makes sense. If you just put money into the economy, then thank God the economy recovers, you don’t have anything to show for it. If you put it into infrastructure at the end of the day, and let’s hope the economy recovers quickly, you’ll have something a lot of good to show . Congressman Hall and I are among the leaders, talking regularly to the Obama Transition Team.

‘I’ve been talking regularly as has the congressman that mass transit be included. That we not only do the traditional infrastructure such as roads, bridges and sewers, which are very much needed in Westchester County, but we also include mass transit in terms of infrastructure. I’ve been largely successful in persuading them that mass transit should be a part of the package and it looks like the number will be $20 Billion around the country for mass transit. Now when that happens New York does very well. We have more mass transit riders than any other state. Usually we get a fifth of the money….The mass transit stimulus is not a done deal, but it’s looking very good. New York State should get around $4 Billion, and Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley will get a big chunk of that money as well.”

Helps Build Strong Recovery 3 Ways

Schumer said this would benefit the MTA and the area three ways: increasing  quality and efficiency of service; help the MTA cope with its budget problems and the money would “prime the pump, with thousands of construction workers putting their money into stores, restaurants and getting the economy going at a difficult time. So it’s a win-win-win.”

Schumer noted that  the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials reports that for every $1 Billion invested in federal highway and transit infrastructure, an estimated 47,000 jobs are created and an estimated $5.7 Billion in economic activity is generated.

Schumer and the Governor Cherry Picking Projects

Schumer’s news release said he was working closely with Governor Patterson’s office to determine these projects. The North White Plains railroad station is included, but no projects at this time take place within the White Plains city limits.

Schumer announced that projects that would be undertaken if the $4 Billion he envisioned for New York would come through are

·         Station improvements at Tarrytown, Croton-Harmon and Peekskill railroad stations.

·         Priority parking repairs at Metro-North stations in Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess Counties

·         Reconstruction of the Port Jervis station to crate a double-track.

·         Power and substation improvements on Harlem and Hudson lines to increase reliability of service.

·         Purchase of new railcars, built in upstate New York.

·         Improved Metro-North Station Facilities, including ticket offices, waiting areas, rest rooms, concessions, customer service.

Why not Done Before?

WPCNR asked Mr. Hall after the news conference about the necessity for such what appear to be at first glance on-the-surface cosmetic improvements with (the exceptions being  the double-tracking project and the rolling stock), Congressman Hall told WPCNR that the projects were needed to encourage the use of the facilities and move more persons to mass transit. He also said he supported construction of a tunnel under the Hudson for a direct rail link from Rockland County to Grand Central.

Reporters asked Senator Schumer whether the Tappan Zee Bridge would be included, and Schumer said that it was not “shovel-ready” and that the area had to decide what it wanted to do with the bridge. WPCNR notes the New York State Department of Transportation has decided in favor of building a new bridge with Bus Rapid Transit across Westchester and a rail link across the new bridge, connecting with the Hudson Metro North line. A public private partnership is now being explored by the Governor’s Office.

Schumer said he and Hall are working the Obama transition team to have projects which could be started in 180 days included on the Mass Transit stimulus menu.

No Separate Aid Package from Washington for Education at this time.

WPCNR asked Senator Schumer if he expected another effort of the government to steer education funds  to New York to  avert Governor Patterson’s cuts to education proposed two weeks ago, and avoid unprecedented property tax increases enacted by school districts.

Senator Schumer said, no, that  he anticipated increases in New York’s Medicaid reimbursements (currently 50% on the dollar), to  free up New York funds that then could be used by the Governor and the legislature to fund education, providing relief from the present budget crisis the state faces.

It is interesting to look back and remember Louis Cappelli’s Station Plaza project that proposed a 21^st Century railroad transit and bus complex, to replace the current, alleged delapidated Metro North White Plains Station, plus five 50 story buildings including a hotel which was rejected by the Common Council in 2007. This would have fit the bill nicely  and would have been ready to go by now possibly,  had the Common Council granted Mr. Cappelli the designated developer status he sought in 2007. Mr. Cappelli was a little too early apparently with his vision.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. December 29, 2008: The outgoing Superintendent of Schools, Timothy Connors, who will be leaving the district in six months, has sent a letter to neighborhood associations in White Plains inviting them to participate in the January 15 first Community Forum on the 2009-2010 school budget, predicted by WPNCR to exceed $200 Million, if the present rate of spending is maintained. 

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors invites Neighborhood Associations to craft the School Budget. Here is the Text of the Superintendent’s message:

December 23, 2008

Dear Neighborhood Association President:

We are writing to you, as a community leader, to tell you of our plans for development of the 2009-10 budget and to invite your participation in the process.

Due to the unprecedented economic situation we feel this year calls for a new approach. We hope to involve the broader community and solicit their input, in order to enable us to develop an effective, responsible budget for the 2009-10 school year, which the public will support in the May 19^th vote.

We plan to hold two Communitywide Forums, inviting all residents to participate in roundtable discussions, in small groups, which we hope will result in creative suggestions to realize savings and increase revenues.  It is clear that we need to explore all options. 

Please plan to join us at the first Forum on Thursday, January 15^th, in the B-1 Room at White Plains High School.  We hope you will also encourage friends, neighbors and constituents to come out on the 15^th as well.  We’d like to hear as many voices as possible.

Thank you for your interest in the past and we hope you will continue to participate in school district affairs.

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WPCNR VOICE OF MR. AND MRS. AND MS. WHITE PLAINS. December 27, 2008: In the interest in focusing on issues as the city enters 2008, the economy and the alarming increase in property taxes that city residents face in the coming year, have created some issues that the city and the school district leaders perhaps should be paying more than lip service.

I have isolated a few of them at the right, and offer them up to get the public take on them. Simply vote in terms of priority in your mind. The issues should purely be considered from what would White Plains benefit the most from to keep the city “moving forward” as our officials love to say as an excuse for not doing anything about disturbing trends.  You may vote for more than one issue, voting once each day.

Here they are:

REMOVE THE GEDNEY DUMP CANCER-CAUSING TOXINS NO MATTER WHAT– According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, the DEC has determined that White Plains is going to have to remediate the TCE carcinogens leaking into the Mamaroneck River.

The form of that remediation has not been decided yet, but the key decision has been made, it has to be cleaned up. City officials have ignored this problem since 1976 when first discovered. Should the TCE’s be removed anyway, regardless of whether the DEC is lenient in determining the scope of their remediation?

Cut the City Budget 5% ($8 Million) — As pointed out exclusively by WPCNR in the last week, the city, school and county property taxes are escalating to where persons living on incomes not pacing the 4% city tax increase of last year, are rapidly having their taxes outpace their growth in income. If they are on fixed incomes and own homes, more could be at risk of defaulting on their mortgages. 

The rate of tax increase for a median home in White Plains for city and schools approaching $2,000 to $2,500 increased taxes a year in 2008-2009  (In five years this will amount to your paying $10,000 more in taxes over what you pay now if the present budgets kept on their meandering 4%, 7% a year increases.

Should the city cut its budget by 5%  ($8 Million)? A former Executive Officer of the City of White Plains estimated that for every $1 Million in expenses the tax rate would have to go up 3%. An $8 Million cut  would result in an 25% reduction in city taxes.

Cut the School Budget 5% ($9.2 Million)– It is intriguing that the School District is eliminating the Annual Budget Committee review of their budget this year and calling just two public forums to have the public participate in forming the budget. This is like having callers to WFAN manage the New York sports teams. This should be an interesting exercise. 

As a target, would the city citizens want a 5% budget cut (a mere $9.2 Million), which would enable the district to keep the budget under $190 Million? That would cut the school tax increase (at the current rate of spending to less than a $100, instead of the $500 increase you received this year if you owned a $700,000 home. It is a target.

Lower Parking Rates. Extend Meter Time Limits. Lower Fines — We, those trapped in White Plains, are used to the Draconian conversion of the Department of Parking into a profit center. Should the rates lower a little to 50 cents an hour instead of a dollar an hour? With higher ticket rates? Should it all be reexamined in light of a shrinking economy? Would lower parking keep White Plainsians shopping in White Plains instead of going to Port Chester where my wife is now, shopping with her daughter? Would citizens respond to lower rates? Or should we keep them where they are? Raising them is another possibility to lower taxes. But the question here is, should they be lowered. If you agree vote in poll at the right.

City Takeover of Illegal Housing Sites — The city has paid lip service to the illegal, overcrowded tenement houses owned by modern day Uriah Heeps, Dickensian  flouters of zoning laws, apparently allowed to exist because many of them may be major political contributors to both parties.

Should the city, when a landlord’s property is found to be in violation of housing standards, initiate a takeover of the property, compensating the landlord for the property but taking it over and becoming the landlord? The landlord of course, being paid the assessed value of the house? It would assure that residents would not be gouged and landlords be deprived of their ill-gotten profits off the poor. What does Mr. and Mrs. White Plains think? Of course, political contributions would decline.

EXAMINE OVERCROWDING OF WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM, Bring in Greenwich Hospital Expertise, New Facility.— Due to obviously misguided efforts by the health officials, allowing  the closing of  United Hospital in Port Chester and St. Agnes Hospital as losing money, White Plains Hospital Medical Center has been embarking on a never-ending expansion program to handle the health load.

This has been good for White Plains Hospital but possibly not so good for sick persons. 

 This has created perpetual crowding at the E.R., plus longer ambulance runs from surrounding communities. Should the city work to involve Greenwich Hospital in splitting the emergency room load or establishing a Westchester satellite Emergency room closer to White Plains?  Many White Plains and surrounding communities choose Greenwich Hospital for ambulatory and elective procedures. Why not ease the White Plains Hospital Medical Center crowding with a plan instead of an expansion into a mega-emergency room that will probably not be able to handle the patient load when completed?

Establish City Commuter Tax — The city is desperate for revenue with sales taxes softening perhaps due to the economy.  There is also a definite possibility that the assessments will be down this year causing a catastrophic loss in assessed property. Last year it was even, thanks to the last gasp of the housing market boom.

Real estate is down 10% in White Plains this year. IF assessments decline10%,  this will be a disaster from a property tax standpoint. The last time the city assessments dropped approximating 10% was in 1994-1995 when assessments dropped 8.1% from $390 Million to $359 Million.

Last year the city assessments were $290.2 Million. A  10% drop with mean a $30 Million drop in assessments  to $260 Million. 

This would cause the school district to raise their tax rate to $560/ $1,000 of Assessed Value, from $503/$1,000 of Assessed Value this year to generate the same $145 Million in property taxes they’re receiving this year on their $184.4 Million Budget. They raise that one dime, and the increase per thousand will be more. This would mean that Lloyd Tasch, the city assessor becomes the most important man in White Plains over the next 35 days.  (All the more reason to cut the rate of growth dramatically in the 2009-2010 School Budget.) 

As a perpetual revenue shot, should the city install a commuter surcharge payable to the city by persons working in White Plains who are not residents? With a population we are told that swells by several hundred thousand during the workday a $100 a year Commuter Tax on 150,000 workers living outside of White Plains would generate  $15,000,000. A $200 Year Commuter Tax, $30 Million. This could be split with the School District. Should this be explored?

Establish Commercial Services Tax to Penalize Certiorari Filings — Because a separate Commerical Tax Rate legislation proposed by Assemblyman Adam Bradley has been stalled in Albany, because the senate will not pass it, according to Mr. Bradley and State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer. 

The city might consider, as Polk County Tennessee has done in dealing with unfairly low assessed properties on government lands, imposing a Commercial Services Surcharge across all businesses and business loaners in the city, with the option of increasing it to deal with new certirorari settlements affecting the tax rate.

Should the city examine this as a remedy to pay for services that are provided the business community with revenues from property taxes, when property taxes are artificially lowered by equalization rates.  The first CSS (Commercial Services Surcharge) could be imposed in 2009-2010 to counteract the certiorari excesses of previous years — the vast amount of which have been reaped by some of the largest most successful properties in the city.

Increase City Sales Tax Another 1/4% — The Mayor has said he plans to ask Albany for the extra 1/4% in sales tax that Assemblyman Adam Bradley refused to go for in the legislature last year. Mr. Bradley balked at going for a full 1/2% as the Mayor had asked.  Should the city go for this, it would mean about $6 Million for the city. The Mayor estimates it as $10 Million, but WPCNR sees that as over optimistic. Still $6 Million is not small change. Shall we tell Mr. Bradley to go for it for White Plains?

Televise All Common Council Meetings/ Special Meetings and Work Sessions — Should the Common Council introduce a resolution to assure that all their meetings are televised or electronically available on the internet  (as they are in progressive cities like Fort Lauderdale, Florida)? (And of course provide the technology upgrades to do so?

Establish Fines for Political Action Committees’ Failure to Disclose the candidates campaigns that benefited from PAC-raised money — the Democratic Party suit agains the Year 2001 Committee to get them to disclose what candidates received their funds in the past years  is coming to a head with Judge Francis Nicolai ordering the committee to open their books (whatever that means). Should the Common Council introduce City Charter Legislation fining political action committees restrictive penalties for failure to disclose recipients  and accounts of how their money was spent for candidates up for city election — prior to election day?

Establish Relief, Marketing Plan, Credit Loosening for City Real Estate Market — Though White Plains realtors say the White Plains market is holding its own, the advantages of White Plains are now more critical than ever to point out to homebuyers. Should the city embark on a monetary relief plan to aid realtors hurt by the real estate market downturn, apply pressure on banks in the city to star credit moving out to White Plains homebuyers, and start a publicity campaign touting White Plains real estate value?

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. From the Mayor’s Office. December 26, 2008: City Hall released a statement from Mayor Joseph Delfino this afternoon responding to  and denouncing a letter signed by Council President Benjamin Boykin and Councilman Dennis Power (picked by pundits as the Mayor’s main political rivals for Mayor next fall) and published in the Gannett chain’s Journal News this week. He dismissed their comments as playing politics and as misleading and disingenuous. The Mayor’s statement:

A Statement from Mayor Joseph Delfino.

Setting the Record Straight

A Letter written by White Plains Council President Benjamin Boykin and Councilman Dennis Power that appeared in the Journal News on December 12 attempting to justify their rejection of the Police and Fire contracts which I negotiated was misleading and disingenuous.

(More)

To say the contracts were negotiated without their consultation is misleading. By the City’s Charter, the Mayor is responsible for all negotiations with all unions representing City workers. In fact, The Council’s refrain from the beginning of time (particularly when they are lobbied by unions) has always been, “the Mayor negotiates contracts.”

Upon completion of the negotiations, the full Council was briefed on the specifics of the agreements by me, Finance Commissioner Gina Harwood, Public Safety Commissioner Frank Straub along with his two deputies, and my staff members. They were given comparables from other communities and details of how the new work schedules for Fire and Police benefit the City and the considerable concessions both unions gave which would have saved the City tens of thousands of dollars in training overtime, regular overtime and comp days. Additionally, the new contract would cost out at between two to three percent less than the current contract over its lifetime.

In addition, the new schedules would have provided between two to three extra police officers per shift and nearly two additional firemen – more police and firemen on the street.

To say that I rejected meeting with them subsequent to that briefing is downright dishonest. Council President Boykin and Councilwoman Rita Malmud requested a meeting with just the two of them to discuss issues with the contract. In return, I offered to meet in another work session with the full seven members Council so that all on the Council could be advised and informed of the issues. They declined this request.

In hindsight, it’s no mystery as to why they did. It’s a pattern that has become all too familiar over the past couple of years – they continue to put politics before people.

They site economic conditions, which they claim they have been warning about since our budget was adopted last May. At budget adoption, the Council chose – without consulting me or anyone in my administration – to reduce the proposed budget by one percent including a devastating cut to the reserve for financing. The reserve for financing line is the City’s contingency fund in times of emergencies. I said at the time that it might be the politically expedient thing to do, but that it would hurt the City. Only now are we seeing just how desperately it has.

They also dealt a crushing blow to the City’s finances by refusing to adopt, again for political reasons, my proposal to increase the City’s sales tax by one half percent. This increase, 90% of which would have come from people who live outside White Plains, would have only made us equal to the sales tax charged in other large cities in Westchester such as Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Yonkers and would have relieved the burden on our City’s property tax payers. It would have provided approximately $5.6 million more in revenue each year. By stalling my original proposal for months and delaying its implementation, while they played politics, and then by cutting the increase by a quarter percent, they cost the City an estimated $9 million in a year of unprecedented financial turmoil.

Our police and fire fighters are extremely professional and well trained. Without increasing head count they now serve an additional 7,000 residents, the size of a village in Westchester County, deal with much taller and complex buildings and much more activity (thank God) in the downtown area both night and day. They must work harder and do more with less.

The recent fire in a condominium on North Broadway that was well documented in your paper showed just how professional they are. Their rapid response time and tireless effort kept what could have been a devastating disaster to a minimum of damage.

They deserve raises that keep pace with the rate of inflation. The proposal the Council rejected, a 3.75% increase this year and two 4% increases the following years are well below the current rate of inflation for the New York/New Region put out by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of 4.72%. Council President Boykin frequently cites the national average which is much lower. But our police and firefighters live here, in this region, not North Dakota or Tennessee. These increases are in line with those recently given in other municipalities and the County.

We’re entering another election year, the next 10 months will be a very telling time of whether this Council will reverse itself and put the people of White Plains ahead of their political ambitions.