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 SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. March 31, 2008: The White Plains Board of Education adopted the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget of $184 Million Monday night, holding out the possibility that it might dip slightly lower pending increased state aid resulting from the final State Legislature budget. The average White Plains home will pay $12,420 in county, city and school taxes in 2008-2009. The $184 Million budget is $1.4 Million higher  than the Contingency Budget the state would impose, if the voters voted tonight’s budget down May 20.

The Deed Is Done: School Board within seconds after voting to approve the Superintendent of Schools Proposed $184 Million School Budget last night. Left to Right,Sheryl Brady, Rosemarie Eller, Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors, Donna McLaughlin, Terence McGuire, Peter Bassano, Charles Norris, and Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the Board of Education. 

The budget adopted is $1,389, 042 higher  than would go into affect if  a state-mandated Contingency Budget  had to be adopted if the voters of White Plains vote down the school budget.  The adopted budget which will be presented to voters May 20.

$12,420 in School, City, County Taxes

The adopted school budget will result in a $479 Tax increase for the average White Plains home assessed at $15,000 (a $700,000 home), creating total school taxes of $7,599. Add to this a city property tax of $2,600 (if there is no city tax increase) and $2,200 in County property taxes and  the total taxes paid by the owner of that $700,000 home in White Plains will be $12,420 breaking White Plains taxpayers into the 5-figure tax club.

Tax Rate Descended $1 in one week to $506.61 per assessed $1,000 in Value an increase of $32 over last year.

Monday morning, Mayor Delfino told WPCNR  city property taxes would indeed rise, and noted that had Assemblyman Adam Bradley put in for the 1/2% increase as Mayor Delfino had requested in the fall, there would not be any tax increase in city taxes.

Technology Overhaul for $500,000 Plus

In the budget, the school board provided for hiring a new Director of Management Information Systems for $150,000, a new Database Manager for $100,000, a new Special Education Consultant Teacher for $70,000 and a Special Education Private Schools Placement director partime for $41,000 by adding to the duties of a person on staff. Classified staff was cut by $180,000 to allow for the new data hires.

The new data management and database manager positions are part of an effort by the district to upgrade their technology, last updated in 1996. Over the last eight years, present data management persons have been unable to meet the Board of Education’s annual demands for longitudinal data studies that would demonstrate the success or lack of success of  student performances by group through each grade.  Commissioning BOCES to execute such studies, according to Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors in a meeting last week has not delivered the data the district had hoped for when the contract for BOCES to analyze district data was signed last year.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Fred Seiler reported at the Board of Education meeting last week that the new database persons would be hired after the new software has been purchased to upgrade the school data system. That software (one of two education-oriented softwares available) would be purchased for an additional $300,000 as the district begain its district data overhaul. Present data managers previously charged with supplying the performance data to the district, but who could not provide the detail with the present system due to input problems in the past, will remain on the staff. Their inability to provide the data the Board requested was why BOCES was tried last year as a solution.

Grousing About Baseball Field Cosmetics

In another matter last night,  Board of Education President Donna McLaughlin and Peter Bassano complained about a surprise item: $90,000 to renovate the backstop and dugouts for the varsity baseball field. It was said that the baseball field at the high school had not been renovated in 17 years. However, this reporter remembers the field being completed resodded, dugouts being put in (privately) and temporary fences.

It was speculated by some in the audience privately, this was just the baseball-oriented contingent attempting to keep up with the softball contingent which is getting new dugouts this spring. Superintendent Connors could not explain to the Board  why the baseball field improvements were needed, and suggested the Board could take the $90,000 out of the budget if they wished.

Mr. Bassano and Ms. McLaughlin declined to do so, and the board adopted the budget with the proviso that the $90,000 would remain in the budget, to be looked at.

WPCNR notes that had baseball or softball field markings or markings for both of those sports been incorporated into the Loucks Field synthetic surface, (with portable dugouts), there would have been no need to resurface or build dugouts on either the softball or baseball diamonds.

Winners and losers

A total of $237,575 in expenditures was cut, including $60,000 for bleachers in the high school south gym, which does not have any; deleting refurbishing of a science lab and a locker room at Eastview saved $105,000; and $191,541 was saved due to retirements. A total of $500,000 in additional revenue is expected from restoration of tuition in private schools ($100,000) and $310,000 in BOCES Aid and $90,000 in Foundation Aid.

The Assistant Superintendent for Business, Fred Seiler said this was the the lowest tax increase in 9 years. The tax increase in 1999-2000 was 6.72%. Since that year, the tax increases have run as follows:

2000-01 – —7.64%

2001-02 ——7.94%

2002-03 ——8.59%

2003-04——-6.89%

2004-05——-7.53%

2005-06——-9.36%

2006-07——-8.12%

2007-08 ——6.95%

2008-09—— 6.74% (proposed )

$200 Million Here We Come!

Should the budget continue on its present course, with a similar 5.72% increase next year (2009-2010) and no decrease in the assessment roll, the school budget will be $194.5 Million. 

However, it should be remembered that the school district takes on much larger debt in 2009-2010, perhaps another new contract with the teachers (depending on the length of the new one now being negotiated), plus a round of new certioraris that were postponed from 2008-09 into 2009-10. The odds are good next year’s budget will hit $200 Million.

Peter Bassano, a member of the Board of Education asked Mr. Seiler why the budget went up 5,72%, and the tax increase was a full percentage point above that. Mr. Seiler explained when state aid goes down ½%, ($150,000),  the property tax has to make up that revenue.

$50 Million in Financing Going to Market in June

Mr. Seiler told WPCNR that the district would be going into the markets for financing of $50 Million for Post Road School and the Mamaroneck Avenue School in June. He said the district underwriting specialist predicted that due to the district bond rating, financing of 5% could be obtained.

Loucks Rounds the Far Turn and Down the Stretch It Comes

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors announced a lacrosse game May 2 would dedicate the new Loucks Field.  He also said a community ceremony May 8 at the start of the Loucks Games at White Plains High School there would be a community ceremony, too, thanking the community.

Fred Seiler said the district contractor expects to begin installing the Mondo track (needed for the Loucks Games) beginning Wednesday. He said it would take three weeks to install it and that in order for it to be a successful installation, the district needed temperatures in the 50s and 60s and dry weather, though once rain stopped, the surface did not need to have drying time before the rubberized track surface had to be installed. The district has 39 days before the Loucks Games begin.

In another Loucks Field matter, the Board approved $375,000 in contingency funds (previously budgeted for the job) to pay for additional rock-clearing (found under the surface) of the south end of the new field, leaving $11,000 in contingency funds available. Asked if the contractor had not done rock borings which should have revealed the subsurface, Seiler said they had done such borings, that was why they included contingency for it.

Contract Complaint

The district approved a contract for the Heating and Air Conditioning at Post Road School against the protest of Patrick McVeigh, Jr., Director of Labor Management for Mengler Mechanical, Inc., a competing local contractor located in Brewster, NY.

McVeigh, in the public session said he had pointed out to the school board that the contractor chosen,  JNS had been cited by the Attorney General for falsification of business records, false filings and perjury in efforts to obtain construction contracts on Long Island. McVeigh said the contractor had subsequently been cleared of those charges.

McVeigh told WPCNR that the Board of Educationhad advised him they had decided to award the contract on the advice of the White Plains district lawyers. JNS was the low bidder on the $4 Million heating and air conditioning contract on Post Road School by 1/3 of 1%. McVeigh made the point that the school district, according to its own contracts,  “reserves the right to reject any bid.” Superintendent of Schools Connors said the Board had gone over the contracts, done its due diligence and selected the contractor accordingly.

Post Road Poised

The Board voted to approve all the contracts for construction of Post Road School which Fred Seiler said he expected would begin in approximately 3 weeks. He said they were behind, but still on target to complete the new school in September 2008.

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WPCNR Press Box. March 31, 2008: On Monday, the Bronx Bombers return to Yankee Stadium. In their honor, WPCNR brings back this original celebration of the best day of the year.

                         WRIGLEY fIELD CHICAGO 1975 PHOTO WPCNR SPORTS

In decades past, Opening Day was for fanatics starved,
Eager for the sharp crack of ash on horsehide carved;
The flutter of pennants snapping in northwest winds
Atop ramparts of inviting arches of walls, and sculpted friezes wistfully escarped.

Fans lucky to get away with ducats
Marveled at grown men in boys’ flannels and sharp whites pristeen,
Back to play in April’s warm zephers in NY blazened caps,
Dashing specks of white warming up on the sprawl of the greenest green.

Motor cars panting in good-natured traffic jams on Major Deegan,
Or down Yawkey Way, on 35th and Shields or Waveland’s jam.
Through your windows you see the first glimpse of the storied Park,
The place where ball is played, where ghosts of Ted, Babe, Duke
Mel, Spahnie, Whitey, Mickey, Willie, Yaz, Minnie and Sandy lark.

Paying a White Plains fine to park, passing stogie smoking old men
at the same gates for a hundred years,

Now out into the street
You go, aroma of roasting chestnuts, pungent cigars sweet,
Cries of “scorecard heah” “programs,heah”  shout out, neath light towers to heaven.

Fans in cap and uniform, little boys and girls gawk in awe hoping to make the Anthem
Never seeing such sheer walls, topped with the legend “GameToday 1:30 PM.”
Clutching slim cardboard tix to Section 14 Upper Deck up to the turnstiles
Festooned with souvenirs more dear as diamonds, beyond, the lure  of endless aisles.

Into the press of crowd, the grizzled usher, RIPS YOUR TICKET.
Turnstile turns, clicks,  and into the castle of ball you go
Into the rotunda greeted with magic signs dazzling the senses —
UPPER LEVELS SECTIONS 1 to 39, 2 to 40

Hawkers shout –Voices of Flatbush — colorful books in hand

“Yearbook heah,” “Dodger Yearbook here,” “Hot dog, heah,” 
Assail your ears up the ramps you walk to the sign “NEXT HOMESTAND”
Out the suspended catwalk where sliver of blue is  your first glimpse of the magic sphere
Into the sunlight splaying the vast rake down of the mighty suspended grand stand.

Spread out below are knights of the diamond in white hues
Cavorting, snapping throws across immaculate red clay
As majestic fungo bats CRACK!  sending spheres soaring towards filling bleachers a mile away,
Bunting flutters from the deck’s rails red, white and true blues.

Old glory unfurls on the highest pole in center field
Colorful signs deliver the manly flavor of the only real game,
GILLETTE To Look Sharp, The Red Sox use Lifeboy, Schaefer It’s A Hit
Hey, Neighbor Have a Gansett, White Owl Cigars, Hit Sign Win Suit

From old familiar walls, to Gladys Gooding on the organ
Friendly old green scoreboard displaying
Today’s games around the big leagues BETTER THAN CNN
CHI CLE BOS DET, CHI STL, NY WAS make you king for a day.
Two Bits for a scorecard, usher wipes your seat, ballpark fills your heart.

Penciling in the lineup 42 2B, 1 SS, 14 1B, 4 CF, 39 C, 6 RF, 23 LF 19 3B 36 P
Smell of beer, peanuts and warm salty pretzels entice
The air is nippy, warm rays sink into your face feels nice,
starting pitchers wheel and deal, kicking high on sidelines fueling expectancy

Men in blue, arms folded solemnly conduct the home plate regimen
Casey, Ralph , Walter, Joe and Sparky exchange lineup cards and knowing
Ground rules by heart they go over them for ritual’s sake.
Announcer entones “Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to Yankee Stadium.”

“Please rise for the playing of our national anthem,”
The stadium organ note by note  peels  baseball’s theme
Rising on the breeze, uniting do-rag and ball cap,
Fedora, ponytail and bouffant  in the spirit of the great game.

Grass is never greener than on opening days
 Strikes are louder, the long drives electrify in the alleys
The beers with THICK hig creamy heads, taste crisp cold and mellow the best all year
 Smashes laser through short and in the gap in raucous rallies

Magicians without wands start 6-4-3s,

Backhand sure hits losing their caps

“Oh what a play’s” crackle on WGN with  “CUBS WIN’S”

Jack and Mel, Vince, Red, Curt and Murph are back at the mike to turn mundane days Into joy with a ninth inning elixir and “happy recaps”

Thunderous ROARS accolades the 2-out winner again creating big kids’ grins.

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WPCNR MR. & MRS. & MS. White Plains Poll. March 29, 2008: In a humanitarian gesture, apparently quietly done because of the prolonged March “cold snap,”  the Mayor and the White Plains Common Council have scheduled an early morning vote on Monday to keep the extra capacity of the Open Arms Shelter and Samaritan House  in effect through April, to house the 25 or so “independent” homeless. City officials were not available Friday afternoon to indicate whether this “open arms humanitarian” attitude would be continued indefinitely. How do Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. White Plains feel? Should the extra capacity be maintained indefinitely  at the two shelters in White Plains to provide overnight shelter for the “independent homeless” who refuse to register with the Westchester County Department of Social Services?

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         WPCNR County Clarion-Ledger. From Westchester County Department of Communications. (EDITED) March 29, 2008: County Executive Andy Spano Friday joined county executives across the state in denouncing the state’s latest budget proposal. He said that the decisions now on the table as the State hastens to adopt an on-time budget will cause local property taxes to rise. 

           During a press conference call in which more than 100 people participated, including 11 county executives and their representatives, county leaders from Albany to Westchester today spoke about how the state’s latest budget would force them to raise local property taxes. Under the plan proposed by Gov. Patterson, counties across the state would suffer a 2 percent across the board cut in funding and at the same time be expected to pick up more of the cost of state-mandated programs like child welfare and caring for juvenile delinquents.                                                     

“Governor Spitzer’s proposed budget was bad enough causing Westchester to pay $6 million more for various state-mandated services,” said Spano.  “Now on top of this, Governor Paterson’s budget calls for a 2 percent decrease in state funding across the board. For us, that means an additional hit of over $2.8 million. Taken together, the state is imposing a property tax increase of almost 2 percent on our residents. It is unconscionable.”

Spano continued, “I know that the state has severe problems in this economy. But no one is hurting more than our local property taxpayers. Breakfast, lunch and dinner conversations are all about the price of gas, the cost to heat our homes, and worry over dwindling retirement funds. Our residents must not be asked to take on this additional burden. In crisis times like these, belts have to be tightened everywhere, not shifted. The State must reduce its own spending. There must be no more mandates, no expansion of current mandates and no cuts in state aid.”

            Spano said he and the other county executives are ready to stand with the governor and state legislature if they make hard choices to reduce spending.

“In times like this, Westchester County government makes it own hard choices and finds ways to reduce costs, and trim expenses,” he said.  “But what we don’t do is shift county costs down to our localities.  On the other hand, if the answer is state cost shifts and funding cuts, our residents will need to know that  future property tax increases are the result of the decisions Albany makes now.”

No cuts made, though.

Despite Mr. Spano’s statement issued today, to the contrary, Mr. Spano, did not lower the County Budget when county sales taxes totaled higher than expected at the end of 2007.  Instead, he raised it. Spano increased the budget to cover an expected $6 Million sales tax shortfall. However when the actual shortfall was just $1 Million no budget cuts were made by the county.

 It would appear the county could cover the expected $2.8 Million Governor Patterson’s budget now demands of the county with the unexpected sales tax money.

 The demands on the county budget made by Governor Patterson’s cuts  may, though,  hamper the county ability to increase salaries of County Legislators who have been lobbying hard for increased remuneration, which is now being studied by a citizen committee, appointed by Chairman Bill Ryan of the County Board of Legislators. That committee expects to deliver a report April 30 on the worthiness of the county legislators’ requests for pay increases and committee chair stipends.

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WPCNR Quill & Eyeshade. By John F. Bailey March 27, 2008: The  White Plains Commissioner of Finance reported to WPNCR Wednesday that the city 2008-2009 Budget will be delivered to the Common Council April 7. However, the budget has not been prepared with any input from the Budget & Management Committee, the group of citizens and councilpersons who in previous years used to suggest areas of concern and constructive criticism and warnings on city spending. That committee is chaired by  Councilman Benjamin Boykin. Mr. Boykin told WPCNR yesterday:

In previous years,  Boykin recalled, prior to the departure of former Budget Director Eileen Earl, the Budget & Management Committee received detailed forecasts of the budget, making the Budget committee aware of the changing complexion of the city finances. This year the Budget committee did not receive any information on wage increases which they had requested, but were told could not be put together before mid-February. Boykin said he was given no reasons why the Budget Committee could not be convened.

 Capital spending for 08-09 was gone over with Common Council observers, and the Council was informed of certain spending plans that were postponed and those that were kept in the capital plan.

The 2007-2008 budget stands at $154.5 Million with the city tax rate at $141.93 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Last year the city raised the budget 5.1%, resulting in a 7% property tax increase. The median White Plains home valued at $700,000 on the market, paid $2,622 in city property taxes in 2007-2008.

The city expects a quarter per cent increase in the sales tax expected to bring in approximately $5.5 Million. The quarter per cent is expected to be approved by the State Legislature.  On the strength of the quarter per cent tax increase alone the city can fund most likely a 4% to 5% increase in the police, fire, teamsters, and CSEA contracts. A raise of 4% across the board was granted three years ago, and to solidify union happiness with elected officials, and to make union leaders look very good, a 5% increase (in a time of approximately 3% plus inflation), is attractive to a politically sensitive labor-appreciative Common Council. But, you never can tell perhaps the union heads will be conservative, show restraint and in the best interest of the city, accept a 4% raise.

Escalating electric rates will raise the budget. Rising health benefits of 5%, possible further demands from the state in pension fund contributions, and pay back of previous pension fund bonds, and pension fund shortfalls  due to Wall Street woes, and a steady but not overwhelming increase in the present sales tax would seem to indicate budget pressures not present last year.

What could the budget be? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the inflation rate from February of 2007 to February of 2008 was 3.5%. That would take the budget increase automatically to $159 Million. Add to that a 5% increase in salaries ($3.5 Millon added to current $70.7 Million) and a 5% increase in health care benefits (the increase projected by the White Plains Schools) $1.7 Million added to $33,312,043  and that takes the budget to $167 Million.  If the city grants 4%-ters across the board, it will be about $166 Million.

The present Sales Tax surplus should deliver a $3 Million surplus to feed into the budget, and add this to the $6 Million quarter per cent tax increase, and the city will have an additional $9 Million in revenue to defray effects of inflation and the salary increases. There is the mortgage tax that could put the city over the top to a balanced budget, barring substantial softening of the condominium market, allowing the possibility that White Plains could keep the property tax where it is – if it were not for certiorari settlements that continue to plague the city to the tune of $200,000 to $500,000 a month in tax refunds.

A third payment from LCOR for the Bank Street property  could be set aside for the certiorari refunds –  and the city keep the property tax increase to only a few pennies.

But this is contingent on the city’s commitments coming up for infrastructure, capital improvements, and open space acquisition.

Last year the city increased the property tax 7%  ($9.28 – to $141.93) without any wage increases or the inflationary pressures now affecting the area.  

Will the city keep property tax increase flat – no increase, which seems possible – based on just rough numbers? Or will they raise it as insurance – against more certiorari refunds?

If Mayor Joseph Delfino can persuade Assemblyman Adam Bradley to increase the sales tax another quarter per cent, bringing in another $6 Million, as Delfino had originally requested this would deliver insurance against more city budget surprises. The $10 Million a full ½% sales tax increase would have brought in would have easily stopped any need for a property tax increase this year.