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)

District Begins Mondo Track Installation at Loucks Field

Posted on April 3, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR TRACKSIDE. April 3, 2008: The school district began installation of the Mondo “Olympic Standard” track at the new Loucks Field Wednesday with workmen beginning the process. The district has 34 days to install the track before the Loucks Games begin May 8. Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors said Monday evening the contractor needs warm (temperatures in the high 40s and 50s) weather to install the track and little rain. Work can proceed as long as there is no rain, he said, and surfaces need not be dry to resume installation after any rain has stopped. The track portion of the new stadium renovation is the final phase in the $5 Million field project, which is said to be on budget, despite most of the money built into the budget for contingency expenses.

Installation of Mondo Track Begins at Loucks Field, Wednesday.

BID Annexation of E.Post Road/ Bloomingdale Rd Awaits Dunphy Call on Stalemate

Posted on April 2, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR’S DOWNTOWNER. By John F. Bailey. April 2, 2008: The Executive Director of the White Plains Downtown Business Improvement Association, said today a decision from the City’s Corporation Counsel Edward Dunphy on whether the retail strips of West Post Road and East Post would be included in the taxing jurisdiction of the BID would be made by the end of the month.

BID Expansion Behind Closed Doors: Dunphy Considers Mixed Opt-In Results.

Rick Ammirato the Executive Director told WPCNR “We are waiting for a decision from the city on our number of “opt-outs,”

He said that to expand the bid there were two standards, 51% of major property owners with the largest assessed values had to approve it, or 51% of all property owners had to approve.

Ammirato said that the major property owners voted overwhelmingly for it, but among all the property owners the vote was very close, almost “even”. but he would not disclose the actual spread.

WPCNR called Mr. Dunphy, to check what the legal issues were involved, and I await the barrister’s explanation.

Asked what individual businesses would pay should the Corporation Counsel decide the mixed votes would allow the expansion, Ammirato said it varied between 2 cents per square foot and 20 cents per square foot, but “pennies on the dollar on an annual basis.”

The BID expects to gain about $1 Million more in taxes from the new businesses that would be included in the BID expansion if the Corporation Counsel writes a favorable opinion.

Stage Set for $15,000 AND UP in Property Taxes on Half WP Homes in 2009-10.

Posted on April 2, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. April 2, 2008: April Fools Day arrived Tuesday and with it came the Westchester County Tax Bill that amounted to $2,400 (including sewage and refuse disposal). The typical median White Plains home on the market for $700,000 and assessed at $18,475 ($14,775 with STAR exemption) now awaits White Plains Mayor Joseph Delfino’s promised tax increase April 7.

Should the city raise taxes 7% — roughly the amount the school district voted to raise school taxes Monday evening, (6.75%) half the typical White Plains homeowners will pay $2,800 this year, and can look forward to paying over $3,000 in city taxes this year – and a goodly amount over $3,000 next year. We suspect the increase will be around 5% but since no one is leaking the figure to us, we cannot really say.

Looking at the county, school and city bills for 2008-2009, the conclusion can be drawn that half of White Plains homeowners can look forward next year 2009-2010 to paying just about $15,000 in property taxes and substantially more in taxes on homes marketed over $700,000. If your home is a million dollar home you’ll be paying $20,000 plus in taxes; $1.5 Million, $30,000 plus in taxes. But the inexorably, unstoppable spending of the schools, the city and the county compounds the property tax felony across all housing values.

The school district as WPCNR pointed out, if assessed values do not plummet over the next two years (due to the bottom falling out of the equalization rate in 2008 (2.75%), keeps its present conservative budget escalation rate the same 5.7% (a little less than double the inflation rate of 3.3% according to the way the state figures it) we can figure on another $35 being added to the tax rate, that will increase the tax rate to $540 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. But, the school district increase most likely will be more considering the certiorari time bombs and $50 Million in financing added to the budget. On the median home that means a tax of $8,000.

Throw in another county escalation of 10% in 09-10, with another county tax increase, and you’re up to $2,600, and a city tax in 2009-10 of say another 7% — and you’re at $3,000 – for a total tax bill next year from our three public servant agencies of $14,000 — if your home is on the market for $700,000.

If the school district inflates its spending to 7% for example – half the White Plains homeowners will be paying $15,000 in property taxes and the highest priced homes about double or more.

Ka BOOM! “Safe” Blasting of White Plains Begins April 14

Posted on April 1, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR BUMPER TO BUMPER. From New York State DOT Public Relations. April 1, 1008: The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) today announced that rock blasting along the I-287 corridor would resume on Monday, April 14, 2008 adhering to additional safety measures following an investigation of last October’s blasting incident that resulted in localized property damage.

Following an extensive evaluation of the incident, NYSDOT has implemented new safety
mandates, including limiting the length of drill holes, extent of the blasting, and the use of
modified drilling techniques in the setting of explosives to improve accuracy. In addition, both the
building of a rock and soil berm to absorb the energy of any flying debris and the presence of an
onsite NYSDOT geologist to ensure all blasts are made in a conservative fashion will be required.

NYSDOT contracts with expert, licensed blasters to conduct blasting on NYSDOT projects. It is
the responsibility of the licensed blaster to design all operations involving the use of explosives in
a way to prevent damage and impact on the surrounding area, whether it be people´s homes,
automobiles or individuals. No specific fault was found in the design of the October 3 blast.
Having traced the root cause of the incident to geologic factors in the rock, NYSDOT is
introducing specific, additional measures to improve safety and avoid future incidents.

“As a result of this incident, it is important to reassure both the residents of the affected area, as
well as all regional motorists who depend upon the Cross Westchester Expressway for their daily
travel,” said NYSDOT Region 8 Director Joan Dupont. “The improved safety measures will not
only serve to help protect the public´s safety, but will enable the project to advance in a more
efficient and productive manner, thereby contributing to its timely completion. In the meantime, we
would like to thank the public for their continued patience and cooperation as these necessary
roadway improvements are being made.”