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)

New CNA Co-President Thanks Associations

Posted on December 16, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR CNA NEWS. December 16, 2006: Charles Lederman, the new Co-President of the White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations, has released this statement to WPCNR:

December 16, 2006

John Bailey

BY EMAIL

Dear John:

I am overjoyed at my friends’ bolstering me to the co president’s position at the Council of Neighborhood Associations. I would like to thank you and the others who have listened to some of my issues in the past, and look forward to keeping the issues that effect our daily lives in the public eye.

What we really need, however, is even more participation by our neighbors and their associations throughout the city. My own neighborhood association, Gedney, can boast approximately 500 dues paying member households.

There are too many neighborhoods, however, that are under represented and unheard from . . . It is a shame, because we could use the input of all our neighbors and neighborhoods. Please come to our meetings and contact us if your neighborhood association wants to participate. And thanks again to those who have asked me to continue participating . . .at least you can all look forward to some interesting ABC meetings with the school district.

Yours,

Charles O. Lederman

([email protected])

Harrison Decries Tax Increase.

Posted on December 15, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Harrison Councilman Ron Paladino. December 14, 2006: In a 3-2 vote on Thursday, White Plains’ next door neighbor, the Town of Harrison approved a budget in excess of $47 million that will increase property taxes 7.4%. The tax increase comes on top of the Town’s recent bond downgrade. The 2007 budget marks the third straight year in which taxes have risen above 5% in Harrison.

Voting against the tax increase were Council members Robert Paladino and Pat Vetere. Paladino has long been critical of the practice of dipping into the Town’s fund balance for the purposes of covering additional spending. He noted that Standard & Poor’s recent downgrade of Harrison’s General Obligation (GO) bonds were proof that changes were necessary to improve its overall fiscal health.

“Our taxpayers are burdened year after year because of the current fiscal policies of this administration,” said Paladino. “The Town’s financial position has deteriorated, and the downgrading of our bond status is a sign that we need to rein in spending and stop spending our surplus to balance our budget.”

Paladino pointed out that the 7.4% tax increase Harrison residents will face in 2007 is out of step with communities throughout Westchester and is almost double the rate of many of the neighboring communities.

“In 2007, Mamaroneck Village will see a 3.97% increase and Rye Town – 3.3%,” said Paladino. “It’s time we take a different approach to budgeting and start exercising more financial discipline so that we’re not facing another large tax increase in 2008.”

As a first step toward getting the Town on better fiscal ground, Paladino suggested that the council focus on maintaining the fund balance at current levels so that monies are available for emergencies. He has called on his colleagues to stop relying on one-shot revenue streams when they budget and to get a handle on overtime expenditures for municipal employees, which is estimated at nearly $800,000 over budget in the 2006 fiscal year.

“The 2007 budget is a wake-up call,” Paladino continued. “We need to get serious about our budget, and we need to put mechanisms in place that will provide relief from these yearly tax increases. This is not a tax increase that the residents of Harrison deserve and certainly not one that I can support in its current form.”

White Plains Offers Assessor Job And Candidate Turns It Down

Posted on December 14, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. December 14, 2006: The Mayor and the Common Council had an Executive Session last night where the replacing of Edye McCarthy, the former City of White Plains Assessor was discussed. The meeting was characterized by loud shouting at times which could be heard outside the locked doors of the Mayor’s conference room, according to observing reporters.

This morning, WPCNR learned Mayor Delfino’s choice for the job turned down the position, indicating that the Council apparently had approved the hire. WPCNR awaits comment from the Mayor’s Office on the city’s next move in the search for Ms. McCarthy’s replacement, or whether there is a second candidate or if city assessing is currently being executed by the city’s Deputy Assessor, Lloyd Tasch.

The candidate offered the position told WPCNR in an interview that they were offered the position, but “That has changed, I will be staying here. I notified Mayor Delfino this morning.”

Council President Rita Malmud was contacted and left a message by WPCNR asking if the council was told of the candidate’s decision at last night’s meeting or if the Council had approved the Assessor candidate last night. Paul Wood, the Mayor’s Executive Officer contacted earlier for comment has not returned WPCNR’s call.

Councilman Benjamin Boykin last week refused to even tell WPCNR what the post being discussed at last night’s meeting was, using the “Executive Session” nature as the reason for not disclosing the position being discussed.

LCOR Offered Bank Street Parking Lot for $16 Million to Build 400 More Apts

Posted on December 14, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. December 14, 2006: The Mayor’s Office announced yesterday it is contemplating selling two acres of parking lot on Bank Street to LCOR developers of Bank Street Commons for development of two apartment towers of 400 rental units. Paul Wood, the Mayor’s Executive Officer, according to The Journal News Keith Eddings’ story, said the city was contemplating a $16 Million windfall from the sale of the land, with the city paying LCOR $5 Million for 300 parking spaces within the confines of the envisioned two tower development to replace the 300 spaces of commuter parking now on the site.

Bank Street Commons. The two new apartments quietly proposed by LCOR would be built on the present commuter municipal parking lot adjacent the MetroNorth Railroad tracks in Center of picture. A closer view is shown below. Photo, WPCNR News

Wood added that so far the city was negotiating only with LCOR for the sale of the land. However, there was other interest in the property on the part of another developer. WPCNR was contacted a month ago by another major national player in residential housing which said it was interested in the land. Apparently that firm has not contacted the city with their interest. Wood told The Journal News reporter that the city would not put the land out for public bid, that it did not have to because it was in an Urban Renewal Area.

LCOR’s for $16 Million: View of Bank Street Commuter Parking Lot filled with automobiles on a typical commuting day. Site would be turned into a dual tower, 400 apartment complex of market rate and upscale housing. Photo, WPCNR News

The $16 million dollar “net” selling price is the same price Louis Cappelli paid for the Macy’s property at Main and Mamaroneck seven years ago (April 2001) where the Super Developer built the City Center, One City Place and Trump Tower at City Center. The concept of the city paying $5 Million for 300 parking places is a new wrinkle in the proposed land sale. When the zoning change was approved it was with the understanding that any purchaser of the land would have to provide 300 spaces for municipal use — no mention was made of the city paying consideration for such spaces in the legislation — the 300 spaces went with the zoning changes.

LCOR is presenting their concept, according to The Journal News in a “closed” meeting with Mayor Delfino today. The Common Council would eventually have to approve the project.