WHITE PLAINS SALES TAX REVENUES CLOSE CITY FISCAL YEAR JUST ENDED DOWN 2% FROM 2014-2015. City ECONOMIC ACTIVITY SLUGGISH. COUNTY UP 1.3% AFTER 6 MONTHS

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. BY JOHN F. BAILEY. July 26, 2016:

A $4,441,089 JUNE sales tax “handle,” 4.3% more than June, 2015 averted  a significant deficit as the City  of White Plains closed the books on 2015-16.

However the city closed the year $1,181,049 down from last year’s record sales tax revenues of $50,972,587, with the city generating $49,791,538 in sales taxes in 2015-16. This is a 2% decline.

This leaves the city with the decision whether to trim the adopted budget slightly or cross their fingers that revenues will rebound in back-to-school sales in August. The city earned $24,693,082 the second half of the fiscal year January to June, 2016, compared to $25,304,999, January to June, 2015, a decline of 2.4%.

Westchester County through the first six months of its fiscal year  generated 1.3% more sales tax revenues than the first half of 2015. In January to June of this year the county has earned $248,378,272 in sales tax revenues compared to $245,255,067 January to June 2015.

The Westchester County budgeteers predicted they would earn 14% more in sales revenues in 2016, which seems very unlikely to be met since they are only up 1.3%.

 

 

 

 

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Unemployment Rate for Hudson Valley Region, 4%–Lowest in 9 years.

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WPCNR ECONOMIC NOTES. From the New York State Department of Labor, White Plains. July 26, 2016
The June 2016 unemployment rate for the Hudson Valley Region is 4.0 percent (lowest June level since 2007).  That is up from 3.8 percent in May  2016 and down from 4.7 percent in June 2015.
In June 2016, there were 45,500 unemployed in the region, up from 43,600 in May 2016 and down from 54,000 in June 2015.  Year-over-year in June 2016, labor force increased by 8,100 or 0.7 percent, to 1,152,600.
Among the 7 counties in the region, Putnam County (3.7 percent) had the lowest unemployment rate.
  • Putnam County 3.7 percent
  • Rockland County 3.9 percent
  • Westchester County 3.9 percent
  • Dutchess County 4.0 percent
  • Orange County 4.0 percent
  • Ulster County 4.0 percent
  • Sullivan County 4.2 percent
Of the 10 Labor Market Regions in New York State, the Hudson Valley Region (4.0 percent) had the third lowest unemployment rate in June 2016, trailing only Capital Region and the Long Island Region which both came in at 3.8 percent.
  • Capital Region 3.8 percent
  • Long Island Region 3.8 percent
  • Hudson Valley Region 4.0 percent
  • Finger Lakes Region 4.3 percent
  • Central New York Region 4.5 percent
  • Mohawk Valley Region 4.5 percent
  • Western New York Region 4.6 percent
  • Southern Tier Region 4.8 percent
  • New York City Region 5.1 percent
  • North Country Region 5.1 percent
Feel free to call my office if you have any questions.
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IN THE HEIGHTS– LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA’S HIT BEFORE HAMILTON OPENS FRIDAY AT WHITE PLAINS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

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Opening Night This Friday

 IN THE HEIGHTS!

Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda | Book by Quiara Alegría Hudes

Conceived By Lin-Manuel Miranda

WINNER of the 2008 Tony Awards for 

Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations

Opens Friday July 29 through August 7th

www.wppac.com

The 2016-2017 Season is NOW ON SALE

SPOTLIGHT ON


September 24 at 7:00pm
Tickets: All Seats $29.00

  

 
A musical tribute to the great icons of Jazz, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.Featuring Trent Armand Kendall and Natasha Yvette Williams in the title roles. This musical celebration reunites THE ARCHITECT OF JAZZ and THE FIRST LADY OF SONG in heaven for one magical night.

These two friends and jazz pioneers rip through 24 of the most enduring standards of all time including: “Cheek to Cheek”, “Love Is Here To Stay”, “Stomping at the Savoy”, “Stardust”, “They All Laughed”, “Skylark”, “What a Wonderful World” and more…

The story is full of love, laughter and redemption as we learn about their parallel lives, the rise to fame and the fight to stay there. The irrepressible Armstrong (also surprisingly comedic) and the spellbinding Fitzgerald (with a voice as smooth as silk) were the biggest stars of their day who recorded three highly acclaimed albums featuring countless chart-topping hits.
LOUIS and ELLA! by Trent Armand Kendall
Music Direction by Darius Frowner | Book by Trent Armand Kendall 
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Hudson Valley Employment up 2.4% in Year. Record Number of Jobs in Private Sector (803,900)

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 WPCNR ECONOMIC NOTES. From the New York State Department of Labor. Jul 25, 2016:
For the 12-month period ending in June 2016, private sector employment in the Hudson Valley increased by 18,700 or 2.4 percent, to 803,900.
Jobs were added in educational and health services (+7,700), professional and business services (+2,800), leisure and hospitality (+2,700), trade, transportation and utilities (+2,700), natural resources, mining and construction (+2,200), and other services (+2,200).  Job losses were mostly centered in financial activities (-1,200).  The government sector added 1,200 jobs over the period.
The job numbers came in fairly strong in June 2016.  Private sector job count reached an all-time record high level at 803,900.
Year-over-year, educational and health services grew by 4.0 percent or 7,700 jobs – its fastest June growth since 1999.  Growth in that supersector is mostly attributed to a strong health care component.
After eight consecutive months of reporting year-to-year job losses, the region’s leisure and hospitality sector rebounded nicely with a gain of 2.9 percent or 2,700 jobs.
Private sector job growth was seen throughout the region.  Year-over-year, job growth was fastest in the Kingston MSA (+2.7 percent), followed by the Orange-Rockland-Westchester labor market (+2.5 percent), the Dutchess-Putnam MSA (+2.1 percent), and Sullivan County (+1.0 percent).
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