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Mayor Roach Will Address White Plains Rotary with Annual State of the City Address March 10

Posted on March 4, 2015 by John Bailey

Mayor Roach Addressing the Rotary of White Plains last March

WPCNR News and Comment. By John F. Bailey. March 4, 2015:

Mayor Thomas Roach will deliver his “annual” State of the City Address to the Rotary Club of White Plains next Tuesday, March 10.

It will be the second State of the City the Mayor has delivered to the Rotary Membership.

Among the topics the Mayor might be expected to address to the membership would be:

1. The state of future developments already approved in the city.

2. Property vacancies in the downtown and efforts to fill them.

3. State of the city economy; the plans to attract more investment in the city.

4. Status of the Winbrook “Revitalization,” and availability of financing for the continued development of a new Windbrook (the first building is now going up).

5. The revision of cabaret conditions of operation.

6. The timetable and status of a Common Council decision on the French American School of New York proposal for the former Ridgeway Country Club.

7. City approach to negotiations with all city union contracts which expire in June.

8. Analysis of city vulnerability to new tax refunds sought by business owners in the town due to the soft economy the last four years.

9. The city real estate market uptrend in prices while the assessment role grew by less than 1%;

10, Details on the new Westchester Avenue mall, hotel, and apartment complex introduced last week.

11. Status of the survey the city was funded $1 Million by the state to review possibilities for development of the White Plains Metro North Railroad Station. Perhaps his thoughts of what should go there besides the station.

12. Efforts of the areas Mass Transit Task Force to determine where a new Bus Rapid Transit hub would be in the White Plains area.

13. Status of zoning: Is White Plains entered into an era of “Flex-zoning?”

14. Efforts to preserve and promote development on Westmoreland Avenue.

15. The White Plains City approach to the Governor’s Tax Cap–What must the city do to allow White Plains Citizens to receive Governor Cuomo’s tax rebates if cities hold budgets under the property tax cap allowed increase? Is this possible? Can the City budget be cut?

16. Revision of the City Comprehensive Plan Timetable.

17. The Secret Ingredients of Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti’s “Nicoletti-tini” the magic cocktail that has kept White Plains moving during snow and ice storms all winter?

18. Parking Policy: Is it Working or Driving Consumers Away?

19. What does the BID Survey of the Down Business District Say about the Downtown?

Anyway, if I were the Mayor I would attempt to address these issues with the Club and repeat his State of the City at the next Common Council meeting because solving them all will definitely lead to an improved State of the City and renewed confidence in the citizens.

Perhaps the Mayor will visit every Neighborhood Association and deliver his State of the City, too, that would help get the message out how well the city is doing.

Or better yet, perhaps the Mayor’s public relations team can video the speech and post it on the city website for all to see.

White Plains January Sales Tax Receipts Soft–Down 1.2% –ON TARGET for $47 MILLION– $1.8 MILLION OFF LAST YEAR PACE

Posted on March 3, 2015 by John Bailey

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE Special to WPCNR From the New York State Department of Taxation & Finance with Reporting by John F. Bailey March 3, 2015:

January Sales Tax collections to the City of White Plains declined 1.2% from the January of 2014..leaving the city with $25.5 Million collected through the first seven months of the 1014-15 fiscal year.

If consumer buying picks up in White Plains matching the 2014 February through June figures through June 2015, the city will collect $46.9 Million in total sales taxes, leaving the city with a $1.8 Million shortfall in revenues from sales tax. $48,700,903 was collected in fiscal 2013-14 by the city. That projects as a 4% decline in sales tax receipts, pending of course a robust 4 months ahead.

A $2 Million decline in sales tax receipts would need a 6% tax increase to close the budget gap, since approximately $5 Million in sales tax receipts is needed to fund city payrolls as they now stand (pending any negotiated increases.

Westchester County January sales tax figures also declined but only by 1/2 % as the county started their fiscal year.

ASSESSMENT ROLL STAYS VIRTUALLY THE SAME. UPSHOT YOUR TAXES GO UP UNLESS CITY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT HOLD LINE. MIDDLE MARKET HOME TAX: $14,400

Posted on March 2, 2015 by John Bailey

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. March 2, 2015:

The White Plains City Assessment Roll for 2015, upon which property taxes are levied, was released today on the city website. The roll stayed virtually the same, gaining $75,915 to $277,055,010 compared to the 2014 Roll of $276,979095. A miniscule gain of .0002 %.

This is dissappointing in one respect since it shows continued softness in the real estate tax base. It means, too that the school district the city’s largest taxer will not have to automatically raise the tax rate to make up for a lowered roll. However the district is already talking about a 4% tax rate increase in preliminary numbers if they keep the present budget going and figure a 2% labor settlement in wages across the board (all city union contracts are up).

Last year with the city raising the tax rate to $196.14 with no wage increases across the unions, and the school district raising their tax rate to $600.22 (per $1,000 of evaluation, the $650,000 middle market home paid $3,200 to the city and about $10,000 to to the school district and $2,000 to Westchester County which did not raise taxes.

If the city and school district keep pace (a rollover in spending by the city and the district, a rollover of present spending levels you are looking at a $400 increase in property taxes which would mean an overall tax bill from the City, School and County of $16,000, up from $15,200. Deduct the STAR EXEMPTION of $1,585 if eligible, and the tax could be $14,415.

The White Plains middle market home ($650,000) is looking at another

Governor: Tax Cap is Working. Reveals How his Proposed Property Tax Credit Works: Westchesterites Get Back $1,210 if Passed.

Posted on March 2, 2015 by John Bailey

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. (EDITED) March 2, 2015:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today detailed projected savings for New York taxpayers as a result of the Property Tax Relief program, which provides 1.3 million homeowners significant financial relief. The $1.66 billion program, which also includes a renters’ credit, is part of the Governor’s 2015 Opportunity Agenda.

“We must ensure economic opportunity in New York – and that means putting money back in the pockets of hardworking homeowners who have been struggling under the crushing burden of property taxes for far too long,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo.

“During the last four years, we capped property taxes, and then we froze them. Now we are going to cut them. This program addresses the one of the most important challenges we face as a state – making New York affordable – by providing real, meaningful, significant tax relief that will make a difference in people’s lives.”

In Westchester County under the Governor’s proposal, 94,174 persons would qualify and receive an average $1,210 in refund on their property taxes.

In Rockland County, 37,551 would receive a $1,136 average refund, and in Dutchess, 36,088 would receive average refunds of $1,005.

A statewide county-by-county breakdown of 1.3 million homeowners can be viewed here. More details about the program can be viewed here.
Who Qualifies?

The property tax relief is available to homeowners with incomes below $250,000 whose property taxes exceed 6 percent of their income.

The credit is valued at up to 50 percent of the amount by which property taxes exceed the 6 percent burden threshold, depending on household income. The specific amount of the credit within that 50 percent is determined on a progressive income scale, so that New Yorkers with the highest tax burdens and lowest income levels will receive the greatest amount of relief.

How Does Property Tax Relief Work for New Yorkers?

The 2011 statewide property tax cap has been extraordinarily effective at lowering the tax burden for homeowners across the state.

Through the first three years of the cap, the average property tax payer will have saved more than $800 compared to if taxes had continued to grow at the previous average rate of growth.

Those savings will increase to $2,100 in local property taxes by 2017 if this trend continues.

The property tax freeze, which was enacted last year, provides direct relief to New York homeowners.

Over three years, the program will result in more than $1.5 billion in direct property tax relief, and the average New Yorker will receive approximately $656. The freeze also addresses one of the primary drivers of the State’s high property taxes by incentivizing local governments and school districts to seek efficiencies and share services.

The new Property Tax Credit strengthens the property tax cap because outside of New York City, only the taxes levied by a tax cap-compliant jurisdiction are included in the credit calculation.

All facets of the program will be phased in over four years, and only school taxes will apply in the first year. More than half of the full benefit will be phased-in by Tax Year 2016, and 81 percent will be phased-in by Tax Year 2017.

The Governor is calling on New Yorkers to get involved and help make his Opportunity Agenda, which includes the Property Tax Relief proposal, a reality by visiting www.NYGetInvolved.com.