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)

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.

Spears Jury Verdict: Guilty of Depraved Murder in the Second Degree.

Posted on March 2, 2015 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. From the Office of the District Attorney. March 2, 2015:

Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Lacey Spears (DOB 10/16/87) of 247 Travis Road, Scottsville, Kentucky was convicted after a jury trial to the count in the indictment charging her with:

one count of Depraved Murder in the Second Degree, a class “A” Felony,

relating to the death of her 5 year old son, Garnett-Paul Spears, who was declared dead at Westchester Medical Center on January 23, 2014.

“Throughout his five years, Garnett Spears was forced to suffer through repeated hospitalizations, unneeded surgical procedures and ultimately poisoning with salt, all at the hands of the one person who should have been his ultimate protector: his mother. Using the child’s “illnesses” to self aggrandize herself, her actions directly lead to her son’s tortured death. We will continue to ensure that his mother is held accountable and that justice for Garnett Spears will be served in his memory,” said District Attorney Janet DiFiore.

On January 19^th 2014, Garnett Spears was transferred to WMC from NyackHospital in RocklandCounty by Medivac helicopter when without any medical explanation his sodium level rose from 144 to 182 meq/L, – milliequivalents per liter – an extremely dangerous level of sodium.

The normal range of serum sodium in the blood is 135-145 meq/L.

The child’s diagnosis was acute hypernatremia.

The defendant provided the medical staff with a medical history for her son, including extensive medical visits, hospitalizations and invasive surgical procedures. This history coupled with an unexplained rise in his sodium levels at NyackHospital prompted the doctors at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the WMC to suspect Lacey Spears of harming her son prompting their call to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

Based on the CPS call and referral to law enforcement, an investigation immediately commenced.

Investigators focused on the child’s recent history and actions of the defendant:

Friday, January 17th, 2014, the defendant brought the victim to NyackHospital reporting seizure activity and he is admitted to rule out seizures.

Sunday January 19^th 2014 at 10:08 p.m. the victim is airlifted to WestchesterMedicalCenter and admitted.

Tuesday January 21^st2014, at 7:15 a.m. the code bell goes off. Medical staff respond. The child is on his back, unresponsive, and barely breathing, both pupils were blown, he was pale gray in color.

At 11:57 a.m. the head of the Hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit calls in a Child Protective Services report to the State Central Register.

At 12:00 p.m. an EEG showed electro cerebral silence.

Thursday, January 23, 2014, Garnett Spears is declared deceased.

Search warrants were executed on the Spears’ residence. During the case evidence relating to the child’s condition was recovered including feeding bags containing extraordinary amounts of sodium.

On June 17th, 2014 the defendant has an indictment against her unsealed charging her with the murder.

Sentencing will be on April 8th, 2015.

The defendant faces a maximum sentence of twenty five years to life in prison.

Second Deputy District Attorney Patricia Murphy, Chief of the Superior Court Trial Division, Assistant District Attorney Doreen Lloyd, Chief of the Child Abuse Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Christine Hatfield, Deputy Chief of the Child Abuse Bureau are prosecuting the case.