THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR | 2,905,611 VISITORS VISIT 8,324,077 TIMES 3 TIMES EVERY DAY IN ONE YEAR. HIGHEST ACTIVITY IN WPCNR HISTORY.White PlainsCitizeNetReporter lifted its worldwide visits from unique visitors to wpcnr.com to 8,324,077,a 1,306,419 increase in visits in one year from 7,017,658 visits to the site last year which covers White Plains and Westchester County. The 8,324,077 visits were made by 2,005,611 unique visitors who visited wpcnr an average of 3 visits a day. ON JULY 20- -2026 visitors have accessed wpcnr and made 3,072 visits an average of 1.6 visits. In the last week 33,495 individual vistors made 54,458 visits, averaging 1.6 visits. In the last month, 152,940 visitors recorded 229,338 visits (1.5 visits)

Greeburgh Town Board to Take Up Communications Problem with Their Reassessment Firm. Reassessment Defended

Posted on March 21, 2016 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. From Town of Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner. March 21, 2016:

TOWN BOARD TO DISCUSS MAKING APPOINTMENTS WITH TYLER LESS STRESSFUL AND EASIER IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT REASSESSMENT

During the past few days I received a half a dozen complaints from residents who received their assessment/tax information from Tyler Technologies, the company that conducted the reassessment. Those who contacted me have questions or feel that the assessment numbers Tyler sent them are wrong.

They tried getting through to Tyler and couldn’t. Or were put on hold for long periods of time. That’s unacceptable. The Town Board will discuss difficulties residents are having getting appointments with Tyler this Tuesday morning at our work session.

Most people in the town who received their tax information got good news: no tax hike or a tax decrease. For those who received bad news (a tax hike) it’s very stressful. Scheduling an appointment with Tyler Technologies should be easy.

The Town Board and Assessor will discuss ways to address this on Tuesday. It’s unacceptable for people to be having problems connecting with Tyler.

My suggestion: Since thousands of people are going to try to reach Tyler to schedule an appointment at the same time- they should let people request appointments by e mail–and promise to get back to residents promptly. This way no one has to be put on hold for 30 minutes or hear busy signals when calling.

Tyler has agreed to meet with residents during normal business hours with limited evening and weekend appointments as well. You DO NOT have to hire an attorney or a tax representative.

The process is easy and free – no need to pay a representative at this point., If you are dissatisfied with the result from Tyler Technologies you still have a right to file a formal grievance (between June 1st – June 21ST). So the numbers you received in the mail are tentative, subject to change.

When you have your meeting with Tyler provide them with information. For example, photos, appraisal, market analysis from a realtor, if just purchased, a copy of your contract/closing statement/sales listing sheet, just to name a few.

If you have been trying to get through to Tyler and haven’t had success- please e mail the Town Board at [email protected]. If you have had a positive experience we’d like to know that too. I have only heard from a half dozen people (out of 30,000 parcels) so I may be over- reacting. But–in the past I have found that when six people complain about the same thing they usually represent a lot more people who don’t bother contacting me.

The last time the town conducted a reassessment was 60 years ago (that won’t happen again—the Town Board passed a law requiring assessment rolls to be updated regularly). Reassessment will create fairness.

It’s not fair for residents living in the exact kind of home in the same neighborhood to be paying thousands of dollars more or less than their neighbors. in addition, the town, county, school and fire districts have been paying up to $10 million a year in certiorari refunds because of the failure to reassess.

Once our rolls are updated the certiorari refunds will dramatically be reduced–there will be more stability and predictability regarding your taxes. Prior to the decision of the Town Board to commence reassessment we reached out to school districts, village governments and civic leaders.

We were encouraged to initiate the reassessment. An October 11, 2011 statement from the Edgemont Community Council was critical of the town for not reassessing properties around town: “The town’s 56 year failure to conduct a town-wide reassessment is costing the Edgemont School district millions of dollars.”

It’s aggravating to hear from people whose taxes will go up. But, the entire Town Board is trying to do what is right for the town long term.

Friends of White Plains Public Schools to Salute Fred Seiler, Assistant Superintendent for Business of White Plains Schools April 10 in annual Fund Raiser

Posted on March 19, 2016 by John Bailey

Swingin’ Sunday on April 10, 2016 Will Support Enrichment Programs in White Plains Public Schools

Fred Seiler, retiring after ten years as White Plains School District budget crafter, presenting the proposed 2016-17 budget this week. The Friends of White Plains Public Schools will honor him in a fundraiser April 10.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Friends of White Plains Public Schools. March 19, 2016:

The Friends of White Plains Public Schools is proud to announce that we will host Swingin’ Sunday, an evening of dining, music and dance, on Sunday, April 10, 2016, from 5 to 8 pm at Westchester Hills Golf Club in White Plains.

Entertainment will be provided by students in the White Plains public schools. The evening will also include a Special Tribute to Fred Seiler, Assistant Superintendent for Business, who will be retiring at the end of the year.

The evening features a buffet dinner with wine, and a “Rockin’ Raffle”, with dozens of prizes from a 40” Smart TV to a weekend in Manhattan. Sponsorships and ads in the Event Journal are also available. More information about the event can be found at http://www.nycharities.org/Events/EventLevels.aspx?ETID=8875, where event tickets, sponsorships, journal advertisements, and raffle tickets, can be purchased.

Through the generosity of the White Plains community, the Friends of White Plains Public Schools has provided more than $300,000 in grants to the District for enrichment programs led by poets, playwrights, historians, dancers and authors. These programs, recommended and directed by teachers in all White Plains schools, stimulate our students’ imaginations and encourage them to expand their horizons and their skills.

The Friends of White Plains Public Schools is an all-volunteer 501-c-3 non-profit. Learn more and join us at www.FriendsofWPPS.org.

Chairman Kaplowitz Has a Compromise Plan that May Overcome Board of Legislator Reluctance to Approve PLAYLAND-STANDARD AMUESEMENTS DEAL

Posted on March 18, 2016 by John Bailey

: Mike Kaplowitz, Chair of the Board of Legislators (second from left background), at a meeting of Board members at Playland after a walking tour where the alleged deteriooration of Playland buildings was viewed. At that meeting, Kaplowitz said, there were not enough votes on the Board to approve the 30 year, $58 Million dollars in new debt required by Standard Amusements to be invested by the County in Playland rehabilitation within three years.

WPCNR WAS INFORMED EARLY THIS MORNING (1 A.M.) THAT CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF LEGISLATORS MIKE KAPLOWITZ WILL PRESENT A REVISED FINANCIAL PLAN HE SAID WILL BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE BOARD OF LEGISLATORS TO THE EXTENT THEY WILL APPROVE GOING AHEAD WITH STANDARD AMUSEMENTS TAKING OVER PLAYLAND. IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE ASTORINO ADMINISTRATION HAS BOUGHT INTO THE KAPLOWITZ PLAN, OR IF STANDARD AMUSEMENTS IS AGREEABLE TO THE PROPOSAL.

Feiner–40% OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES ASSESSMENTS DECREASE; 34% OF HOMES INCREASE. 24%OF HOMES DECREASE AFTER REASSESSMENT. What to do if you disagree with your new evaluation

Posted on March 16, 2016 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. By Town of Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner. CORRECTED BY TOWN OF GREENBURGH DUE TO TOWN ERROR. March 16, 2016:

Editor’s Note: The Town of Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner sent out an e-mail Wednesday afternoon to property owners in Greenburgh announcing the new reassessments are in the mail,

THIS EVENING HE SENT OUT ANOTHER E MAIL CORRECTING THE FIRST, REPORTING THAT INSTEAD OF 42% OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES INCREASING IN ASSESSED VALUE, 40% OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES DECREASED.

He noted that the results of the reassessment were not in line with the traditional thought that the 1/3 rule often used by advocates of reassessment (i.e., 1/3 of properties increase, 1/3 decrease and 1/3 do not change in assessment) did not hold true.

In the reassessment statistics, Mr. Feiner reports that 40% of Commercial propeties DECREASED IN ASSESSED VALUE and 47% stayed the same, while 12% of Commercial properties INcreased. He also noted that 34% of residential properties increased, 42% remained the same and 24% decreased in value.

Here is Mr. Feiner’s message to property owners as the assessments fan out from the White Plains border to the banks of the Hudson River:

“This week residents of the town will receive a letter with the new assessed values. We are getting closer to finalizing our first town wide reassessment since 1956. The goal is for people to pay their fair share of taxes. At the present time two homeowners, living next door to each other, could be paying thousands of dollars more or less in property taxes even though their homes were built by the same developer and their homes are similar. Not fair!

Over the years the town has been issuing as much as $10 million dollars in refunds per year in Certiorari and Residential Small Claims proceedings. That money was / is coming from your property taxes. If a commercial property owner- for example – files a certiorari and receives a refund of $1,000,000 the town, school district, county and fire district have to find other means to make up this shortfall: eliminating programs or increasing taxes.

Until the State Legislature changes the Real Property Tax Law we will never totally eliminate these proceedings but by doing a reassessment, we will surely mitigate the dollar refunds we have been experiencing. Reassessment will result in more stability and predictability. Town, fire district and school officials will have a better idea how much revenue we will take in annually. We will also be able to save significant dollars by not having to defend as many certiorari claims in court.

A little about the revaluation project and statistics: as you may have heard in most cases, 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 property taxes increase, stay the same, decrease. Our analysis shows this was not quite the case in Greenburgh. The analysis showed the following:

PROPERTY TAX DISTRIBUTION (CORRECTED BY TOWN OF GREENBURGH DUE TO AN EARLIER ERROR)

Property Type Increase Stays the same Decrease

Residential 34% 42% 24%

Commercial 12% 47% 40%

Condo/Coop 14% 82% 3.4%

Vacant Land 3% 59% 38%

A lot of the properties in the Residential 24% increase range, is due to new construction and additions.

As you are aware, taxes in NY especially in our area of the state have imposed a burden that some can no longer bare. While your property may have been fairly assessed, there were many that were significantly under assessed and therefore, the reality is- you may have been subsidizing the under assessed property owners.

Again, we want to stop all the Certiorari’s and residential Small Claims refunds and only want everyone to pay their fair share of property taxes based on the market value of your home.

The notice you receive will come in a Town of Greenburgh envelope with IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT / TAX INFORMATION on the front, PLEASE do not throw it out.

There are two (2) pages; one is an explanation of your assessment notice and the other is your assessment notice. It will show your old and new assessed values, along with your 2015 property taxes and what your 2015 taxes would have been if the new assessments were in place.

If you feel your assessment represents the market value of your home as of July 1, 2015, there is nothing for you to do.

However, if you feel your assessment does not represent the market value as of the date above, Contact Tyler Technologies to set an appointment to discuss your new assessment. In the meantime, the more information you have, the better. For example, photos, appraisal, market analysis from a realtor, if just purchased, a copy of your contract/closing statement/sales listing sheet, just to name a few.

Anyone who requests an appointment will get the opportunity to be heard! DON’T BE INTIMIDATED! There will be some early evening hour appointments.

It’s an easy informal process. The phone lines will be busy – please be .patient Please call Tyler Technologies no later than April 8th, 2016 to make an appointment. Appointments will be scheduled during normal business hours with limited evening and weekend appointments as well. You DO NOT have to hire an attorney or a tax representative. The process is easy and free – no need to pay a representative at this point, as I am sure you have received several letters regarding challenging your assessment.

If you are dissatisfied with the result from Tyler Technologies you still have a right to file a formal grievance (between June 1st – June 21ST).

I hope you had a good experience when dealing with Tyler Technologies and feel we kept you abreast of the projects process and procedures. The Town Board approved legislation requiring that assessment rolls be maintained and updated.

I am available if you want to share your feelings about this topic or any other. Please e mail me at [email protected]. You can also call me at 989 1545 (office), 438 1343 (cell) or 478-1219 (home) anytime.

PAUL FEINER