WHITE PLAINS WESTCHESTER DAILY NEWS SERVICE VISITS SINCE 2000 A.D. 25TH YEARl REPORTING THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW News Service Since 2000 A.D. 2026 WILL BE OUR 26TH YEAR OF COVERING WHITE PLAINS NEW YORK USA . John F. Bailey, Editor (914) 997-1607 wpcnr@aol.com Cell: 914-673-4054. News Politics Personalities Neighborhoods Schools Finance Real Estate Commentary Reviews Policy Correspondence Poetry Philosophy Photojournalism Arts. The WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER. TELEVISION: "White Plains Week" News Roundup, 7:30 EDT FRI, 7 EDT MON & the incisive "People to Be Heard" Interview Program 8PM EDT THURS, 7 PM EDT SAT on FIOS CH 45 THROUGHOUT WESTCHESTER AND, ALTICE OPTIMUM WHITE PLAINS CH 1300 Fighting for Truth, Justice and the American Way. TOP 10 VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD :1. USA. 2.BRAZIL3.VIET NAM 4. CHINA 5. JAPAN 6.UK. 7.CANADA. 8.INDIA. 9.AUSTRALIA 10.IRELAND 11.GERMANY 12..ARGENTINA 13.BANGLADESH 14.RUSSIA. 15.NEWZEALAND. 16. FRANCE. 17.MEXICO. 18.UKRAINE. 19.SOUTH AFVRICA. 20. IRAQ.
WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. April 15, 2008: The State Legislature vote to approve the state budget last week created a 15% increase in state education aid to White Plains. This is the most aid ($15.3 Million) the district has received ever and represents 8.3% of the budget. The increase in aid has enabled the district to raise the school budget, while reducing the tax rate, Assistant Superintendent for Business, Fred Seiler explained to the School Board last night.
The budget with the new state aid increases $400,000 from the previous Preliminary Budget ($184 Million) to $184,420,859 – a year to year increase of 5.95% (about double the inflation rate of 3.3%). This results in a new tax rate of $503 per $1,000 of assessed valuation (down from $506.61 two weeks ago). This results in a $54 saving to the taxpayer. The median home in White Plains will pay $12,580 in taxes to the schools, city and county as a result.
Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors thanked State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer, and Assemblypersons Adam Bradley and Amy Paulin for their roles in “lowering our tax rate,” and restoring cuts in state aid previously removed from the budget. Seiler noted that the increased aid was a result of the White Plains representatives and the legislature voting to return the fourth and highest level of state aid formulas which resulted in the most favorable apportionment of state aid to White Plains. Previously White Plains stood to receive $13.9 Million in state aid. The new formula delivers $15.3 Million.
The effect of the new budget on the median White Plains home saves the owner of a home assessed at $15,000, a total of $24 in taxes. The tax increase in the new budget is $425.85— for a total school tax of $7,501 for the $15,000 assessed home.
Here is how the taxes shape up for various home values in the White Plains market. The assessments are the average assessments supplied by the City Assessor.
WPCNR WHITE PLAINS TAX LADDER — 2008-2009
Taxes — $2 Million Home Assessed at $42,200
School District —$21,227
City Tax — $6,279
County Tax — $5,492
Estimated 2008-2009 Total Taxes on $2 Million Home: $32,998
Taxes– $1.5 Million Home Assessed at $31,650
School District — $15,920
City Tax — $4,709
County Tax –$4,119
Taxes — $1.5 Million Home:$24,748
$1 Million Home Assessed at $ 21,100
School Tax: $10,613
City Tax: $3,139
County Tax: $2,746
2008-2009 Estimated Total Tax: $16,498
$700,000 Home with STAR ($14,775 Assessed Value)
School District — $7,431
City Tax — $2,750
County Tax –$2,400
Estimated TOTAL TAX BILL for a $700,000 Home: $12,581
Taxes – $400,000 Home Assessed at $8500
School District– $4,275
City Tax–$1,265
County Tax$1,021
Estimated TOTAL TAX BILL for a $400,000 Home:$6,561*
*Note: These are estimates only and assessments vary on the amenities of individual properties, and these estimates are only meant to give an idea of the impact of the 2008-2009 round of tax increases of school district, city and county tax rates.
Aid Must Be Spent Does Not Result in “Savings”
The school budget has gone up because the state aid is mandated to be spent by the district. Because it is an injection of revenue, the tax rate goes down. Seiler noted that $396,403 of this year’s state aid can be spent on maintenance of the present school district programs. The district is restricted to spending 50% of the remaining $1.1 Million on present programs, and 50% on new programs. The district plans on funding a new science teacher and a coordinator of Special Education programs as part of the new programs, and is looking for other programs (considered new) to spend an additional $359,000 in aid.
The Board voted unanimously to approve the $484.4 Million Budget, and to also include $90,000 in improvements to the baseball field facilities at White Plains High School and Eastview Scbool for safety reasons.
Worry over how hard the state budget revenues are
Fred Seiler, speaking with WPCNR afterward expressed worry that he did not know how “hard” the state’s numbers were. He recalled 1992 when state aid was $6.2 Million. That year he said, the state budget revenues did not match expectations and hundreds of school districts across the state had to make cuts in mid-year, because the individual districts were heavily dependent on the state aid. Seiler said White Plains receives 8.3% of its budget revenues from the state, and is somewhat insulated from the effects of state budget shortfalls.
WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. April 14, 2008: Suprintendent of Schools Timothy Connors, citing a report by Anne Lillis, Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services, announced the School District investigated 93 cases of alleged illegal students not official residents of White Plains in 2006-2007 and found 16 to be Non-Residents.
In the current 2007-2008 school year, Connors said 89 alleged illegal students claiming to be White Plains residents have been investigated, and 12 have been found to be non-residents, with 36 found to be legal residents of the city.
Connors said the district employs a private investigator to look into students who have been reported as being possible attendees of White Plains schools illegally. The report notes that such residency cases are brought to the district attention by five means:
1. Returned mail.
2. Suspicion by school persoinnel.
3. Anonymous calls from the public.
4. Through checking of “Residency Affidavits.” For example, if a family moves to White Plains and resides with another family, they must complete a “Residency Affidavit.” Each of these affidavits are investigated before we (the district before we (the district) will register the children. If it is not clear-cut that the family resides here, a residency case is opened and an investigation conducted to determine residency.
5. Through the checking of “Care, Custody and Control Affidavits”. If a family is surrendering the care, custody and control of their child(ren) to another person residing in White Plains, and it is not court-ordered, a “Care, Custody and Control Affidavit” must be completed. These affidavits are subject to district approval based on State Education Laws.
Connors noted that the exclusion of the 28 students would result in considerable savings to the district.
At $26,000 per student to educate an individual in the White Plains schools, the exclusion of the 28 students should result in a savings to the district of approximately $728,000.
WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT . April 14, 2008: The Mayor’s Office announced a news conference toward the end of the week in which Mayor Delfino will, with the help of Westchester Residential Opportunies and financial institutions in the area will begin an initiative to help White Plains homeownersfaced with the possibility of foreclosures. The Mayor also questions figures released earlier this month by the County Clerk’s Office on the number of foreclosure actions initiated in White Plains.
Mayor Joseph Delfino, last week at the Common Council Meeting.
Mayor Joseph Delfino, noting the County Clerk’s Office figures on White Plains foreclosures, reported in a news release from the County Clerk at the beginning of April, disagrees with the figures issued on the number of homes where foreclosure proceedings have begun, (54 in the first quarter of this year, according to the County Clerk).
Paul Wood, the Mayor’s Executive Officer, said Mayor Delfino had contacted County Clerk Timothy Idoni to discuss how the figure for White Plains was compiled. Wood said Mr. Idoni was looking into how the foreclosure report for White Plains was put together.
Wood said that the city feels that the inclusion of zip codes 10603 (North White Plains) , 10604 (West Harrison), and 10607(portions of Greeburgh) might have lead to the so-called inflated figure on White Plains foreclosures. The County Clerk news release reported that in the first quarter of 2008 there were 54 foreclosure actions begun in White Plainsand 10 Foreclosure Judgments.
Wood said there were 28 foreclosure actions in the last quarter of 2007, and 23 in the first quarter of 2008 according to White Plains figures.
The County Clerk’s office spokesman said she would check into how the figures were compiled by Zip Code, and would attempt to get a response from County Clerk Idoni.
WPCNR THE REALTY REPORT. From the Westchester County Clerk’s Office. April 13, 2008: At the beginning of April, Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni released figures showing a “significant increase in foreclosure filings” in the county. The County Clerk urges Westchester residents who may be at risk of foreclosure, to seek help immediately.
“We want Westchester residents to be able to live comfortably in our county, but the first quarter of 2008, which ended on March 31st, brought with it another significant increase in foreclosure filings,” the release quotes Idoni.
“And more disturbing than the increase in foreclosure filings is the increase in the number of actions resulting in a judgment of foreclosure,” said Idoni.“Comparing judgments from the first quarters of 2007 and 2008, shows an increase of 80 percent,” continued Idoni.“Westchester residents need our help.”
Locally in White Plains forclosure actions statistics begun in the first quarter of 2008, jumped 54%.
Idoni urged residents facing foreclosure or having problems meeting their mortgage obligations to consider investigating the following steps and to avoid “foreclosure rescuers”:
·Don’t wait until legal papers are filed in the Office of the WestchesterCounty Clerk.Residents who have received warning letters from their bank or lender, or who have fallen behind on their payments, must seek help now:
Attend Operation Protect Your Home:The New York State Senate Westchester Delegation is sponsoring “Operation Protect Your Home” on Saturday, April 5th from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at RooseveltHigh School, 631 Tuckahoe Road in Yonkers.There will be various educational seminars throughout the day as well as opportunities to meet with mortgage counselors.
Contact Westchester Residential Opportunities (WRO):WRO is a non-profit housing agency with offices in White Plains and Mount Vernon.Call one of their trained counselors at 428-4507 or visit their website at www.wroinc.org to see how they can help you.
Contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):Contact HUD to obtain the name of a reputable counseling agency by visiting www.hud.gov or calling 1-800-569-4287.
·If you have been served with foreclosure papers, understand that you can still get help.The commencement of a foreclosure action does not mean that a Westchester home will be lost to foreclosure.Many homeowners enter into a repayment plan, secure a modified loan, refinance with another lender or sell their home on their own to avoid foreclosure.Do not give up.Instead, take advantage of the resources outlined above.
·Beware of foreclosure rescue scams.Unfortunately the current foreclosure climate brings with it a new set of con artists just waiting to take advantage of residents who are under the stress of foreclosure action.Making a bad situation worse can be avoided by relying on a reputable counseling agency or a trusted attorney to guide you through the process.
Foreclosure Actions Commenced and Judged — Last four Years.
2005
2006
2007
2008
% increase 2005-2008
% increase 2007-2008
Actions Commenced through 3/31
244
378
530
759
211%
43%
Judgments of Foreclosure through 3/31
76
82
135
243
220%
80%
1st Quarter Foreclosure Statistics for 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008
Filings
Jan
Feb
Mar
TOTALS
2005
83
64
97
244
2006
100
119
159
378
2007
146
132
252
530
2008
243
231
285
759
Judgments
Jan
Feb
Mar
TOTALS
2005
20
19
37
76
2006
29
25
28
82
2007
55
33
47
135
2008
83
84
76
243
Annual Foreclosures Month by Month In Westchester County for 2005, 2006 and 2007
WPCNR View from the Upper Deck. April 13, 2008: White Plains Varsity Softball Coach Ted O’Donnell took a busman’s holiday Friday to see one of his former players, Kelly O’Neil, a first sacker for Holy Cross, play against Army at West Point. Here is his report on Ms. O’Neill’s afternoon:
Once Upon a Time on O’Donnell’s Bluff: On the sunsplashed diamond, Kelly O’Neil held down first for the great Tiger “Three-Peat” softball teams of the early 2000s. Five years ago, this week, it is April 16, 2003: Kelly O’Neil crouches at first, Kim Wood at third, as Tara Pollard pitches a no-hit, no run perfect game at Yorktown. Yorktown sent 21 batters up and 21 went down. Photo by WPCNR Sports
Kelly O’Neil Batting for the Holy Cross Crusaders
Kelly O’Neil, Holy Cross First Sacker
I went to West Point today to watch Holy Cross play Army in a Patriot League doubleheader. Kelly O’Neil (WPHS ’04, captain 2-time Journal News 1st Team All-County All-Star) is in her senior year at Holy Cross and a 2 year captain.
She is the starting 1st baseman and bats 4th in the order. Army and Holy Cross split with Army taking the 1st game 4-2 and HC the 2nd 11-4. Kelly went 2 for 3 in the 1st game with a single and a stand-up double that hit the top of the fence in CF (210ft) and bounced back into play.
In the 2nd game, she went 3 for 3 with a walk and HBP. She had another double and also whacked a tremendous 2-run HR that bounced off the light pole in LF. It broke a 4-4 tie giving HC the lead for good. It also tied Kelly for the HC career record for home runs. The game ended with Kelly making a great catch on a line drive by Army’s clean-up hitter. Kelly is well and really enjoying her final season. She has been a starter since freshman year. Nice job Kelly O.
It should be noted that Coach O’Donnell’s ‘2008 White Plains Softball Team, edged Yonkers 1-0 Friday and are 2-1 on the new season. Lauren Sputo pitched the shutout and fanned 10. The 2008 Tigers play North Rockland Tuesday afternoon at White Plains at 4:30.
WPCNR CITY HALL TICKER. From The Mayor’s Office. April 11, 2008: White Plains-based Preferred Services Group and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company are awarding the White Plains Fire Department a $19,000 grant, earmarked for use by the White Plains Public Safety Bureau of Fire. The Bureau of Fire will use these funds to purchase seven Panasonic Toughbook® latop computers and six portable printers to conduct building inspections, create fire pre-plans and improve the record keeping capabilities of the department. In 2006, the two companies awarded a $9,000 grant to the Department for the “Jaws of Life” rescue tool and smoke detectors to strengthen their Residential Public Education/Smoke Detector Program.
“One of the most important services this department provides citizens and business owners of White Plains is the fire safety inspections we conduct on all properties,” stated Richard Lyman, White Plains Fire Chief. “Unfortunately, as the city continues to grow, it becomes much harder for our inspection crews to handle their full workload. These laptops and printers will greatly enhance our crews’ capabilities, allowing them to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. This, ultimately, will help make White Plains safer.”
“I’m very grateful to Preferred Services Group and the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company for awarding our outstanding Public Safety Bureau of Fire with this much needed equipment,” said White Plains Mayor Joseph M. Delfino. “These two generous companies demonstrate the best of corporate responsibility and community relations.”
Executives from Preferred Services Group and Fireman’s Fund will formally present the grant to Mayor Delfino, Public Safety Commissioner Frank G. Straub, PhD., Chief Lyman and other local officials at a City Hall ceremony April 30.
The Toughbook computers as well as the printers will enable the department to: track inspections more efficiently, obtain on-site access of inspection history of various properties, print forms at the inspection site, and transfer data immediately to the office. In addition, the computers can store critical data used during emergency response operations, including street and hydrant locations, incident management reports and the location of hazardous materials.
“Just like having high-level emergency response to fires is critical for safety, so is having a true focus on fire prevention,” said Ken Murray, vice president of sales & marketing for Preferred Services Group. “The White Plains Public Safety Bureau of Fire has a true commitment to fire prevention and this grant will support their field workers efforts.”
The grant package is part of a nationwide program called Fireman’s Fund Heritage® which is funded by Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company. Since 2004, Fireman’s Fund has issued over 900 grants totaling more than $17 million to fire departments across the country for needed equipment, training and educational tools. Independent insurance agencies/brokers that sell Fireman’s Fund products, like Preferred Services Group, are able to direct these grants to support fire stations in their communities.
WPCNR LAURELS & LEGENDS. April 13, 2008: The White Plains Historical Society cordially invites all members of the community to their 19th Annual Dinner on May 1 (Reception 6pm; Dinner 6:30pm) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 60 Hale Avenue in White Plains.Dr. Judith Higgins will be honored as the society’s Citizen Extraordinaire.Guest Speaker Roger Panetta, Visiting Professor of History at FordhamUniversity and Curator of Fordham University Libraries’ Hudson River Collection, will discuss the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Tercentennial Celebration.
The White Plains Historical Society cordially invites all members of the community to their 19th Annual Dinner on May 1 (Reception 6pm; Dinner 6:30pm) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 60 Hale Avenue in White Plains.Dr. Judith Higgins will be honored as the society’s Citizen Extraordinaire.Guest Speaker Roger Panetta, Visiting Professor of History at FordhamUniversity and Curator of Fordham University Libraries’ Hudson River Collection, will discuss the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Tercentennial Celebration.
The White Plains Historical Society was founded in 1983 as the successor to the Battle of White Plains Monument Committee, the White Plains Historical Society promotes the discovery, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge about history, past and present, of the City of White Plains.It particularly focuses on the preservation of historic buildings, sites, monuments, and cemeteries; and to promote public interest, awareness and to generate pride in our historic heritage.
Roger Panetta is a Visiting Professor of History at Fordham University, Curator of Fordham University Libraries’ Hudson River Collection, and an Adjunct Curator for History at the Hudson River Museum.Prior to that, Dr. Panetta was Professor and Chair of History at MarymountCollege.
In addition to his university appointments he is an affiliated faculty with The Beacon Institute for the Study of Rivers and Estuaries and a Visiting Fellow in a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Center for Humanities.Dr. Panetta’s publications have focused on the history and culture of the Hudson RiverValley, including his co-authorship of the 1996 book The Hudson: An Illustrated Guide to the LivingRiver.He also was the contributing editor for Westchester: The American Suburb, the 2006 companion to the exhibit of the same name, which he curated at the Hudson RiverMuseum.
Dr. Panetta appeared in Bill Moyer’s TV documentary, America‘s FirstRiver as a feature narrator in 1999.He has published articles on the history of Sing Sing, and curated several exhibits at the Hudson RiverMuseum including The Croton Aqueduct, The Railroad in the Making of Westchester, Boats of the Hudson, and Black Migration to Westchester.
Tickets are $40+ per person.Please RSVP by April 26.Call 914-328-1776 or 914-287-0772 or visit http://www.whiteplainshistory.org/
WPCNR DOWNTOWN DAILY. From Cushman & Wakefield. April 11, 2008: Vacancy rates in the White Plains CBD registered at 11.9%, up a full percentage point in the first quarter year over year. Much of the increase was a result of vacancies at Westchester One at 44 S. Broadway, which accounts for 50 percent of the vacancies in the city’s business district. Direct average rents last quarter in the White Plains CBD were $34.57 per square foot (psf), significantly higher than $30.29 psf reported a year ago, due to some office properties that are commanding in excess of $40 psf.
The news comes in a report released by Cushman & Wakefield Friday in its first quarter 2008 report for the Westchester County commercial real estate market indicating the market remained stable but slowed in terms of leasing activity, with a slight rise in vacancy rates and negative absorption. Direct average rents were up countywide.
Overall county vacancy rates totaled more than 4.3 million square feet (msf) or a 15.3% rate, which was up from 14.4% at year-end 2007 and down from 15.6% one year ago.Class-A overall vacancy rates registered at 17.6%, up from 16.6% at year-end 2007 and down from 17.8% one year ago.
Leasing activity totaled 348,074 sf, down from 507,574 sf last quarter and 395,995 sf same time last year.
Major deals that closed during the first quarter included APS Healthcare which leased 44,082 sf at Westchester One in White Plains; SAC Capital which leased 30,406 sf at 5 International Drive in Rye Brook; and Merrill Lynch which leased 26,131 sf at 2 International Drive in Rye Brook.
Overall absorption totaled negative 399,947 sf, down from positive 66,822 sf last quarter and 44,787 sf same time last year.
“Unlike certain markets across the country that are home to a high percentage of companies in the financial services sector, Westchester County will remain stable due to the assorted mix of businesses based here ,” said Jim Fagan, senior managing director and branch manager for Cushman & Wakefield’s Westchester and Fairfield County region.
Direct average rent countywide was up 4.6% year over year in the first quarter, to $31.40 psf, up from $31.38 psf last quarter and $30.02 psf one year ago.Class-A rents registered at $31.92 psf, down slightly from $31.96 psf last quarter and up from $31.19 psf one year ago.
Rents are predicted to remain stable throughout the year, but tenant concessions are likely to increase as landlords recognize that opportunities to lease space will be flat. Countywide, the commercial leasing market is expected to slow in comparison to recent years, but activity will remain steady. The national credit crunch significantly slowed the investment sales market in the first quarter, with the number of buildings traded off from a year ago.
“Despite a national office market slowdown, we see stable pricing for both rental rates and building pricing over the next quarter or so before they start to escalate again,” Mr. Fagan said.“There has been some cooling off, so are now in a mode of sustainable and more moderate growth
WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. April 10, 2008: County Executive Andy Spano, pointing to the challenging economic times ahead for individuals, families, businesses and governments, promised that county government would continue to tighten its own belt to control taxes and would provide even more opportunities for shared services so local governments and school districts would also save.
“Our nation’s economic problems are hurting our residents,” Spano said, as he delivered his annual State of the CountyAddress Thursday. “I see the high price of milk in supermarkets and the increased costs of eating out – even at pizzerias. Rising utility rates and gas prices, mortgage issues and home foreclosures, college debt, the tightening of credit and the slow-down of the housing market. All these things weigh heavily on my mind and on the minds of the public.”
And so does the burden of high property taxes on Westchester residents, Spano said. While county taxes comprise less than 20 percent of a property owner’s bill, taxpayers care only about the bottom line.
“We all pay school taxes, town, village or city taxes, some pay special district taxes for fire protection, and of course there are county taxes,” he said. “When you put it all together, it’s one big tax bill. And all of us need to work in unison to reduce it.”
The county executive detailed a long list of efficiencies that the county has implemented and new cost-saving measures for the future. Some of these would help local governments and school districts by providing them with additional opportunities for shared services with the county.
But, he warned, “The only way there will be real property tax relief for our residents is if Albany declares a moratorium on unfunded and under-funded mandates imposed, not only on the county, but on our school districts and local governments as well.”
Such action, he said, would help not only the county, but local governments and school districts.
“There must be no new mandates, no expansion of current mandates and no cuts in state aid for mandated programs. State government must change the way it relates to the counties, municipalities and school districts,” he said.
The speech, delivered to the Board of Legislators in the Legislative Chamber at the County Office Building, White Plains, was Spano’s 11thsuch speech as county executive and included an overview of county programs, goals for the future and a commitment to maintain the quality of life for which Westchester is renown.
While his priority remains“to make sure our residents are safe, secure and healthy,” Spano vowed to continue to do this in the most cost-effective way. “I want to be able to stand here each year and assure you that you are getting the best value for your tax dollar.”
COST EFFICIENCIES/SHARED SERVICES
The county government has been an active participant in the Westchester County Association’s Property Tax Reform Alliance, a network of school, business and government officials who are working locally on ways to reduce property taxes.
Building on existing shared services initiatives that have helped municipalities and school districts to add programs and reduce costs, the county executive listed various new ways they could benefit.
The county will create a new shared procurement service that will save governments, schools and special districts some of the expenses of preparing bid documents as well as provide cost savings on actual purchases due to economies of scale.
A new section of the countyWeb site will be added to help encourage this sharing. County data will be on the web to help school and municipal officials select from already vetted lists of professionals like architects and engineers. There will also be information to help them purchase various items from green cleaning materials tohybrid cars. The county will provide at no cost, or at its cost, traffic engineering studies, highway signage and the shared use of various facilities.
The county wants to create a Local Government Investment Pool that could consolidate the investments of these different taxing jurisdictions to generate additional revenue for all by aggregating funds to get a better rate of return.
The county will continue to implement new cost-saving measures, large and small, in its departments. For example, the Department of Correction, to save stafftime and inmate transportation costs, has begun a telemedicine program with WestchesterMedicalCenter, and video court conferencing with the Mount Pleasant Town Court. The Department of Finance is using electronic bidding and paperless checks and more electronic transfers, reducing the costs of supplies, postage, labor and bank fees. At Playland, by purchasing eight leased or revenue-shared rides and reducing expenses, the county has cut the tax levy contribution by half in two years.
A large-scale performance management initiative continues. Each department will be continually assessed to see how it is doing and what it can be doing better, more cheaply or differently. These assessments will show how the department is meeting the needs of the public – and this will be an important factor in future budgeting decisions.
“We face very challenging economic times. … It is a fact that when the economy is struggling more people rely on county government. Both residents and even businesses tend to count more on the services and information we provide – many without even realizing that it’s county government that’s providing them,” Spano said.
For example, the departments of Emergency Services and Public Safety, respectively,train firefighters and police officers for local municipalities. The Department of Environmental Facilities has been at the forefront of the county’s enhanced recycling efforts and the global warming campaign. And the Planning Department has led the way to tackle the issue of flooding and how Westchester should look in the year 2025.
Additionally, the Consumer Office has ongoing programs to assist homeowners facing foreclosure or massive credit card debt or dealing with an unsatisfactory home improvement contractor; the Health Department
launched a patient education program so people can get the best possible health care; and the Department of Social Services continues to collect record amounts of child support payments from “deadbeat” parents.
He noted that there was a 6.3 percent increase in Bee-Line passengers last year, with more than 50,000 county residents relying on these buses. And more than 75 percent of Westchester’s residents use one or more of the county’s parks each year.
“ I am proud of what we have accomplished and what we will accomplish in the years ahead. We have a government that is honest, forward-thinking and cost-effective,” he said.
Spano said the county would pursue new initiatives to meet changing needs of the public. For example:
The county, through the Department of Consumer Protection, will institute a new personal financial education program. “I have spoken to seniors who have been targeted in financial scams. I have spoken to college kids, even teenagers, who are deep in credit card debt and can’t get out. I know that homeowners, having been enticed by exotic lending schemes, are now looking at the horror of foreclosure. And, I am aware that many low-income individuals find opening bank accounts intimidating. Personal financial education is a necessity in today’s world, and the absence of coordinated efforts to provide it is glaring,” he said.
The county is launching Project Lifesaver, a partnership with county police, the Department of Senior Programs and Services and the Hebrew Home for the Aged, to help the families of patients with Alzheimer’s. Patients will be given a wristband that emits an automatic tracking signal; with the help of the Department of Public Safety, these patients may then be easily located should they wander off.
The county will soon convene the first meeting of Spano’s Autism Advisory Council, that will work with the Department of Community Mental Health. Comprised of parents, professionals and educators, the council will make recommendations on how to correct gaps in services. “Parents of autistic children spend a lifetime of energy and effort, not counting the emotional and financial toll, trying to find the right programs, guidance and support to help their youngsters to be educated and their older children to be independent,” Spano said.
To follow up on the county’s efforts to reduce health disparities of minorities, the county in the fall will sponsor Westchester’s first minority health career conference, designed to encourage young minority students to become doctors or pursue another career in the health field.
This summer the county will launch Second Chances, a program designed to convince young people of the dangers of driving drunk or drugged. Using a little encouragement and a healthy dose of fear, the county’s Probation, Public Safety and Labs and Research departments have created a reality experience at the morgue.
Spano paused during the speech to recognize the members of the family of the late Staff Sgt. Courtney Hollinsworth of Yonkers, who was killed last September in Iraq.
“Each year, it has been my sad duty to remind our residents that the war in Iraq continues to touch families here at home in the most grievous and personal way,” he said.
WPCNR FOR THE RECORD. . April 9, 2008: At the Monday evening Common Council meeting, Council President Benjamin Boykin delivered a Democratic response to Mayor Joseph Delfino’s State of the City message. Here are Mr. Boykin’s remarks:
Common Council President Benjamin Boykin delivering the Democrat response to the State of the City Address Monday Evening. The text follows
Council President Ben Boykin
State of City Response – 2008
City of White Plains
The People’s Agenda
To our fellow residents.I am pleased to provide Comments on the State of the City and discuss our People’s Agenda. White Plains is a great place to live, work and enjoy. We are committed to maintaining our suburban feel in our vibrant and growing city.
At our March 2008 Common Council meeting, we passed legislation to update our affordable housing policies to increase the set aside percentage and increase the developers’ contribution into the affordable housing fund for housing that is not included within the project. This legislation provides flexibility to ensure that we meet the needs of those at lower incomes and those whose income exceed 100% of the County Median. One of the highest priorities of this Common Council is to increase the stock of new affordable housing. We will also ensure that commitments agreed to through legislation to build new affordable housing are adhered to in a timely manner.
We believe that open government and improved communications with our residents is important.We recommend that all Common Council Meetings including work sessions be held in the Common Council Chamber. All voting meetings of the Common Council should be broadcast live or be taped and aired at a later date. The Common Council Chambers are in desperate need of upgrade with new technology such as flat screen tvs and interactive programming including webcasting of Council Meetings. The technology upgrades to our Common Council Chambers should be part of this year’s budget process.
An electronic message board should be installed at a strategic location in downtown to publicize special civic events or items of public safety and information. In addition, we should evaluate and, if feasible, implement a system similar to the 311 that has been highly successful in New York City. This non emergency system could be another way to increase communications with our residents. The city’s website must be constantly updated to provide our residents with timely and pertinent information.
We plan to continue to reinvest in our city. All development proposals must be consistent with the needs of our residents and reflect the vision of our city. We will carefully analyze all facets of development proposals including infrastructure needs, environmental issues, open space issues and impacts on our neighborhoods. We realize that the economic slowdown may have significant adverse impact on approved and new projects.
We must maintain our fiscal integrity and strength. The reinvestment in our downtown has provided nearly $14.0 million in property taxes and PILOT payments. Of this amount, approximately 61% has gone to our school district, 18% to Westchester County and 22% is included in the city’s budget. We have seen a significant increase in sales tax collections over the last several years. Our property taxes are among the lowest in Westchester County.
Our city has an outstanding workforce and we thank them for their service to our residents and visitors to White Plains. Personnel costs is our largest budget item – approximately 75% of the general fund expenditures. The key to our city’s long term financial health will be the management of personnel costs including the ever increasing health insurance costs.
We are pleased that the Open Space Acquisition Committee has been restarted. We expect that this committee will identify properties for acquisition as well as city owned property that should be returned to the tax rolls. At this time we strongly recommend the Committee’s immediate consideration of a privately held parcel at Orchard, Chadwick, and Bernard streets. This unique location near our reservoir and watershed area is inconsistent with development. The Common Council needs to add to our open space inventory.
We believe that quality of life issues must highlight our People’s Agenda. Overcrowding and illegal housing are health and safety issues that must be constantly monitored and addressed to protect our neighborhoods. With the growth of our city, pedestrian safety, traffic and excessive noise have become issues that we must address even more vigorously than in the past. We recommend that these issues, which are inter-related, be given a high priority on the Administration’s agenda.
There are several projects that have been discussed but do not appear to be moving forward. We want Veterans Park to become a priority and completed. In addition, we need to move forward to redevelop the Lexington Avenue Corridor, one of our important gateways.
We have an aggressive agenda for the people of White Plains. We are willing to work with the Administration in a collaborative manner to enhance the quality of life for our residents.
