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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey, March 8, 2007 UPDATED WITH CURRENT INFLATION RATES: The Board of Education presented their almost-final budget  of $173.9 Million for 2007-2008 to the last meeting of the Annual Budget Committee Wednesday evening, reporting that thanks to a “hefty increase” in revenue from PILOTs (Up $1.6 Million), and a savings of $365,000 in retirement and federal programs they were able to cut the year to year budget increase to 4.82% — still more than double the 2% inflation from Jan 2006 to January 2007, current inflation as of January 2007 is 2.75%) and the lowest year to year budget hike since 1998-99 (when the budget was $79 Million and went up 3.43%).

The tax increase, despite the cuts will be 8.35% more than last year’s 8.1% when the budget increase was 7.1%.

The cut has not prevented the tax rate increase from going to 8.35%  compared to this budget year rate of 8.12%. This means if your house assessable value is $18,500 you pay $8,895  in school taxes in 2007-2008. Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors said the administration would be looking to cut more before the public hearing on the budget March 19. The Board is scheduled to adopt the budget March 26.

The Band Must Look Good.

The latest budget is sitting on $173.9 Million, down from the $174.5 Million on the table one week ago.

Fred Seiler, background, and Superintendent of Schools Tim Connors present the bottom line: a 4.82% cut.

The reason it has not declined more is that the Board has included $180,000 to renovate the Church Street School playground and $96,000 for new White Plains High School Band Uniforms while devoting the 2006-2007 $2 Million surplus to paying the $2.8 Million settlement with Travelers Guaranty and Surety Company revealed by WPCNR last week.

LESLEY TOMPKINS and a contingent from the White Plains High School Band “lobbied” the ABC Committee with a rendition of EYE OF THE TIGER to make a pitch for new uniforms. It worked!

The Superintendent and the Assistant Superintendent for Business Fred Seiler blamed the uptick in taxes on the decline in the assessment roll for the fifth year in succession, showing a chart documenting the decline from $450 Million in 1988-89 to $292 Million in 2007-2008.

The Superintendent was called on by several members of the committee to involve the city to stop the assessment drain. The Superintendent said they had tried, that it was up to members of the public to put pressure on city and state representatives to address the problem. 

A few Explanations  

Seiler explained in response to previous ABC Committee questions that New Rochelle (with a higher budget) has a lower cost per student than White Plains because it has 4,000 more students, its employees pay more their share of health insurance; more elementary class size (23 compared to White Plains’ 20 students per class), and lower teachers’ salaries.

Seiler said that the district currently pays health insurance for 700 retired employees at a cost of $4.8 Million. At the close of the meeting, two members of the committee suggested the district negotiate hard for a more equitable health plan for the district teachers and employees where the employees paid more of the cost. Connors said the Teachers Union has asked to work with the district to examine the cost benefits of other health plans.

A New Playground

Pictures were shown of the Church Street playground demonstrating how the concrete has deteriorated, and a parent and an employee of the school explained how the equipment was dangerous and antiquated and that the school had no field for the children to play on. (However, this reporter recalls that when his daughter attended Church Street School, Gardella Park was used by the school. Apparently the school no longer uses those facilities, but we will check as to why.)

 One parent protested that the district should work with the city to find funding to pay for the $180,000 cost to improve the playground, rather than pay the entire cost itself in a tough budget year. Another parent, said “we shouldn’t have to pay for all of it because we missed the city’s capital project deadline.”  In the end, in the face of little opposition, the district opted apparently to keep the playground in as well as pay for all the band uniforms and new band instruments this year, since both those items were already included in the slides shown on the screen.

Capital Project Impacts Next Year

Seiler gave a preview of the impact the Capital Project would have on 2008-2009 budget, saying it would increase the budget $1.8 Million for the debt service, increasing the tax rate 1%. No one asked why the Church Street playground could not be included in the Church Street school renovations called for in the Capital Project.

Next Seiler took up the certiorari effects, but gave no long term view of what certiorari impacts were coming down the pike. The district has already agreed with the city to pay current certiorari settlements on an installment basis over the next three years. Marc Pollitzer the perpetual activist hammered the district on the need to get the city to pay attention to the certiorari problem. “The answer is not in this room,” Pollitzer said, “The answer is in City Hall.”

Conners said to expect more certioraris in the future: “The train keeps going and each year the assessments keep going down.”

Donna McLaughlin of the School Board defended the city, saying it was not just the city to blame, but the equalization rate. At that point Connors moved the conversation on to the next topic, cutting off any rebuttal. Connors said, “We need you (the people) to help us take care of that. You must talk to your representatives and tell them what you think.”

Assemblyman Adam Bradley introduced a bill to equalize the rates at which commercial and residential properties are assessed last year, but it has never gotten out of committee in the legislature. WPCNR will check on how that bill is doing shortly.

After going over expenditures, state aid and revenues, Seiler saved the bad news until last:

 The $2.8 high school overrun settlement combined with the sickening freefall in the assessment roll, mean Mr. and Mrs. White Plains will face a 8.35% school tax increase in a budget only slightly ahead of the year-to-year inflation rate.

At the close of the meeting, the Superintendent asked each member of the Committee to tell what they felt about the budget. Not all spoke, but here is a sampling of attitudes:

“Talk with the city and fight some of their certs.”

“Prudent budget.”

“Work on Health Costs.”

“I’d vote against it (the budget).”

“Work with other districts to consolidate costs.”

“Really good (budget).”

“Be more critical of what’s going in (budget).”

“Something has to change.”

“The problem is on Main Street.”

“We had last year’s assessor doubletalk us (on assessments and PILOTS). We need to talk to the new (acting) assessor (Lloyd Tash) because what he does gets reflected in the tax rate.”

“We need to talk to the assessor about the commercial tax rate and what he has to say.”

Class Notes

Superintendent Connors told WPCNR he has not formed the Action Plan Committees yet to begin implementing the Strategic Objectives of the new District Strategic Plan. He hoped to finalize some of them Thursday…

Charlie Norris, an active member of the high school PTA announced to WPCNR he was running for one of the two seats on the Board of Education.

Michelle Tratoros, President of the School Board, whose term is expiring told WPCNR she has not made up her mind whether to run for reelection

The $1.6 Million increase in PILOTS comes from the coming on stream of Kensico Terrace (Bill Brown’s affordable housing senior apartments), and 1133 Westchester Avenue.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. March 7, 2007: Scofflaw limousine owners will be booted if they are not registered with the  Westchester County Taxi and Limousine Commission.

           Officers with the Westchester County Department of Public Safety were out Wednesday morning booting the cars of scofflaw limousine owners who have ignored a county law requiring cars for hire to be registered with the county’s TLC.

            In December, a new county law went into effect allowing the TLC to boot limousines that failed to register. Since that time, the county TLC has collected $14,075 in fines. There are 40 companies and individuals in Westchester County, owing approximately $62,750, that are eligible to have their vehicles immobilized.

          “Before the law took effect there were many companies running for-hire vehicles without the proper licenses that simply ignored the summonses and fines and continued to operate,’’ said County Executive Andy Spano. “Operating without a license threatens the safety of passengers because many of these vehicles lack adequate insurance coverage, are mechanically unsafe or are not driven by responsible drivers. Now the commission has the clout to find these people and make them comply with the law.’’

       The Vehicle Immobilization Law, which took effect December 31, 2006, gives county police the authority to boot vehicles belonging to scofflaws that owe the WCTLC $1,000 or more in unpaid fines or who have five or more unpaid summonses.  WCTLC must give scofflaws 30 days notice before immobilizing a vehicle.
      Four companies, owing a total of $5,100, paid their fines after being notified that their vehicles would be booted. Another three companies paid a total of $8,975 after being booted.

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WPCNR SPORTS. March 7, 2007: With Junior Juggernaut combination of fiery Paige Spreewell  and the “Avenging Angel of the Glass,” Angelei Aguirre, teaming with Liz Flooks pouring 45 of the Tigers 53 points, White Plains notched their first Regional State basketball win over Union-Endicott, 53-35 Tuesday evening.  The game was marred by  a shoulder separation injury to forward Kim Adams in the second quarter, which forced her to leave the game and go to the hospital. Ms. Adams’ status for the Tiger next tilt is uncertain. The Tigers are scheduled to play Kingston Saturday morning at New Paltz at 10 A.M.

Adams injured herself in the second quarter after White Plains had built a 12-4 lead in the opening stanza. Endicott, meanwhile could not put the ball in the basket and was beaten to the ball off the boards possession after possession.  White Plains owned glass despite Adams going down, building the opening quarter breakout advantage to a 30-16 lead at the half behind a take charge effort by Spreewell, Aguirre and Flooks. Endicott connected on only 30% of their shots all game long,  and was outrebounded 38-17 by the Tigers who were at a height disadvantage to U-E.   

Juniors Spreewell and Aguirre gave Tiger fans a glimpse into the future with their performances Sunday when Aguirre poured in the breakaway points after Liz Flooks and Adams jumpstarted the Tigers in their decisive third quarter run against Mount Vernon.

The Tigers will play Kingston, which defeated Minisink Valley, 48-44, in the Section 9 Class AA Title game last night behind an outstanding defensive effort. Kingston appears as good defensively as the Tigers, forcing Minisink Valley into 26 turnovers. The tall dominating forward Rachel Williams controlled MV’s leading scorer, Stef Dolson to 17 points,  and Kingston’s all-time, whirling dervishette of a guard and Lyndsey Timbrouck (1,363 points) scored 17 for Kingston.

Kingston has big time heart. They fell behind Minisink by 11 points in the first quarter and came back to win. 

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. March 6, 2007: Council President Rita Malmud introduced a surprise resolution that the Council voted to replace Mayor Joseph Delfino’s resolution calling upon the controversial 85 Court Street Drop-In Shelter to be closed — and approved it unanimously last night.

Ms. Malmud read the new resolution which the Mayor was unaware until she introduced it. The Democrat-inspired resolution replaced Mayor Delfino’s resolution which had been tabled since last fall. At that time,  the Mayor, Councilman Arnold Bernstein and Councilman Glen Hockley introduced a resolution asking the Council to adopt a sense of the Council statement that the Court Street Shelter should be closed. Democrats Boykin, Malmud, Power and Roach refused to go along with the resolution, and instead, Ms. Malmud was asked by the Mayor to negotiate with the County on the possibilities of closing the shelter.

Ms. Malmud has sent WPCNR the text of that resolution which calls upon the county to relocate the shelter. According to Ms. Malmud, a letter from County Executive Andrew Spano dated March 2, had advised Ms. Malmud that the county had come up with another location for the shelter different from the Westchester County Police Headquarters site that the County Executive originally had suggested, but withdrew under pressure from the Valhalla town government. Ms. Malmud said the new location was not in White Plains, but did not know where the new location was.

The new resolution passed last night reads as follows:

WHEREAS the sheltering of homeless individuals is the social and moral responsibility of the greater community and must be addressed on a county wide basis; and

WHEREAS, the present location of the Drop-In Shelter at 85 Court Street places additional strains on valuable City resources and personnel services; and

WHEREAS, relocating the Drop-In Shelter from its present location at 85 Court Street to another location in the County of Westchester would be in the best interests of the citizens of the City of White Plains, and

WHEREAS, the burden of placing homeless shelters and the services concomitant with same must be shared by municipalities throughout the County of Westchester on an equitable and fair basis,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED for all of the foregoing reasons, that the Common Council strongly urges the County of Westchester, effective immediately, to relocate the ‘Drop-In Shelter’   from 85 Court Street to another location in the County of Westchester outside of White Plains.

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WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By New York State Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley. 89th District. March 5, 2007:  March is here and as we continue budget negotiations, my colleagues and I are working with Governor Spitzer to produce a budget that is fair, balanced and on-time.  My focus is on making sure Westchester families receive meaningful tax relief and schools and health care facilities are sufficiently funded.  In addition to budget discussions, the legislature and governor also reached a significant agreement on worker’s compensation reform. 

After years of failing to improve a worker’s compensation system that was the most expensive and inefficient in the country, an agreement was reached that increases benefits for injured workers while reducing premiums for businesses.  Worker’s comp reform had languished for years and everyone had to bite the bullet to reach a reasonable and fair compromise.  All sides from labor to business came to the table and reached an agreement that will dramatically improve the business climate in New York State by reducing premiums and increasing the benefits for injured workers.

However, there are other areas that we need to be cognizant of and ensure that residents are protected.  One such area is in consumer protection.  This week the Assembly passed legislation I authored which prevents commercial entities from penalizing a person just for seeking competitive interest rates for mortgages or auto loans (A.1416).  Lenders use various models to determine a person’s credit score; these models incorporate searching for competitive interest rates as an indication of assuming greater debt.  What is worse, the individual shopping around has no idea that their credit score is being negatively affected!  Once consumers discover that their actions have lowered their credit scores, they either stop seeking the best rate for their investment and/or accept a higher rate of interest because of this often unknown and hidden penalty.

Consumers should be free to shop around when looking to purchase a home or a vehicle; these are important and expensive investments and it is in the person’s best interest to find the best deal.  Nevertheless, they are being penalized by lenders.  Consumers should not be penalized for doing what is in their best interests – shopping around for the best deal.  Models should accurately reflect your financial situation rather than make assumptions that end up hurting a credit score.  This matter was brought to my attention by a constituent a few years ago and I am proud to say this legislation has passed the Assembly for a third year in a row and again the vote was unanimous.  Unfortunately, it has yet to be taken up by the State Senate.