THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. April 17, 2006: Around Education House and 255 Main Street, the “A” word for “assessments” is said in whispers.  The school district wants to know when the city development is going to pay off in more property taxes and assessments. The city says give it time.

 

WPCNR has learned that information on how assessments are determined particularly on PILOTS, those incentives to build that are dispensed with largesse by city after city, including White Plains,  is hard to pin down. There is no set formula.  I have been told it is both an art and a science, depending on whom I talk to. When I talked to the New York State  Office of Real Property Services press office, the spokesperson told me it is up to the individual communities to determine the financial bases for assessments.

 

The White Plains Common Council, and previously  the City Budget and Management Committee that the drop in city assessed property value to $298.3 Million and a cumulative nose dive of $20.5 Million the last three years  is caused by lowering of Special Properties assessments (utilities had their assessments lowered over the last 12 years). 

 

The Council and the Budget  and Management Committee   has also been told that the White Plains PILOTS granted to developers in recent years, ( contributing $2.6 Million to the city and $8.3 Million to the School District in 2006-2007) will be increasing as the properties become “fully occupied.”

 

WPCNR has learned through our inquiries that “fully occupied” is a very loose definition (up to individual assessors to determine in any way they see fit),  based on interviews with Westchester County’s tax man, David Jackson, and a spokesperson for the New York City Department of Finance, Owen Stone.

 

David Jackson, Executive Director of the Westchester County Tax Commission  answered WPCNR’s questions about what “fully occupied” means in March:

 

WPCNR: What is the definition of fully occupied for upgrading a condominium assessment for tax purposes in the county?

 

Jackson: There is no property assessment definition for this purpose. If the condominium is fully constructed as of the last taxable status date, December 1 in White Plains, the assessment is based on the condominium’s Full Market Value, based on the income approach, as of that Taxable Status Date.

 

Unless a community is conducting a reassessment, the assessment determined on the last taxable status date, when fully constructed, does not typically change unless there is new construction, a Board of Assessment Review Change, or a Court Ordered Change.

 

WPCNR:  Does fully occupied occur when a condominium development is “sold out”, but not fully occupied?

 

Jackson: For assessment purposes, condition and ownership on the taxable status date is what is important. There is typically no difference in the determination of the assessment for a condominium unit that you own and a  (condominium unit) you choose not to use.

 

WPCNR: Does the owner (developer) of the condos pay taxes on a “fully occupied” basis when A.) He is sold out, but not fully closed, or B.) when he is sold and taxes are increased with each contract closing or C.) Only when all (condominim) contracts have been closed?

 

Jackson: The assessment is based on the condition and ownership on the taxable status date.

 

WPCNR: Does the purchaser (of each individual condo unit) pay taxes on the property (the individual unit) when he has A.) purchased the contract or B.) Closed on the contract or C.) Is actually living in the unit, or is subletting the unit?

 

Jackson: Taxes are the responsibility of whoever owns the property on the Taxable Status Date, December 1^st in the City of White Plains. Typically, proration of the taxes for sales occurring during the year are handled at the closing.

 

WPCNR: In the cases of residential condominiums on PILOTs, are the PILOTS generally upgraded on an “as-closed” or “as occupied” basis or “only after fully occupied basis.” What is the general accepted practice among assessors in the county?

 

Jackson:  There is no generally accepted practice by assessors on PILOTS, some are involved with them, some are not, and some are involved in various ways.

 

WPCNR: Can a municipality inact a surcharge on air rights (since White Plains has set a value on air rights)? I know according to the New York State Comptroller’s office, air rights are not considered real property (for purposes of assessment), but the comptroller’s office said that individual municipalities could construct a legislative mechanism to reflect this increased (air right) value if they wanted to do so. What are your feelings on that? How do you think it could be done?

 

Jackson:  To the best of my knowledge, air rights are real property. I’m not aware of any Municipality exacting a surcharge on air rights. This is a Tax Policy matter for the City of White Plains to address.

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. April 14, 2006: Police Chief James Bradley, with Commissioners Straub, Jennings and Jackson absent, introduced Lieutenant Kevin Christopher, Commander of the Department of Public Safety North Area, Lieutenant Elizabeth Seit, Commander of the South Area and Captain Paul Lundin, Commander of the Central Business District to the Council of Neighborhood Associations Tuesday evening at the CAN monthly meeting.

 

 

Chief James  Bradley, foreground with Assistant Chief Anne FitzSimmons, to his right said reorganization of the Police Department into three distinct areas of responsibility with officers Lt. Kevin Christopher, (far left,) Lt. Elizabeth Seit(second from left) and Captain Paul Lundin (far right), with Sergeant Wade Hardy (his Executive Officer) directly accountable for dealing with situations in their three “precincts” was an effort to bring the concept of “community policing” to White Plains. Bradley encouraged Neighborhood organizations and residents to contact the three “Commanders” directly with any matters of concern. “There is nothing you can’t tell us that we are not interested in,” Bradley assured  some 15 Neighborhood association representatives. Photo, WPCNR News.

Bradley explained that Christopher, Seit and Lundin would, using intelligence communicated from the neighborhoods would be responsible for addressing concerns in their areas, and ordering in the Public Safety “assets” they feel best suited to address and neutralize any threats, conditions, or concerns of the neighborhoods. “They would be coordinating all efforts of the department (in their areas),” Bradley said.

 

From Bradley’s remarks it became clear that the  Detectives, Patrol, Traffic, the Neighborhood Crime Unit, Narcotics would remain as independent teams of specialists, much as they are now, not under direct control of the Commanders, but to be called in by the Commanders as needed and operate at their direction. There would be at this time no dividing up force assets evenly among the three districts.

 

To Come to Neighborhood Associations 

 

Chief Bradley said the three commanders would be attending neighborhood association meetings regularly to increase police availability and two-way communication between neighborhoods and the police. Bradley said crime was down an additional 20%, and by developing a more two-way communication between residents and police, the department’s new organization would reduce crime stats even more.

 

“They (the commanders) are all respeonsible to know what’s going on in their area and how we can bring our resources to bare (on the problems),” Chief Bradley explained. He said they would be at all neighborhood association meetings (“They’ll always be there, hearing what’s going on. Each part of the city will have its own advocate (Commander).”)

 

The Chief noted that the Commanders will now be able to address problems in their areas faster. “We have a lot of trust in our commanders, and now (they can act) without having to run to my office all the time. They will know the resources available to you and plug it in.”

 

The Commanders were introduced, but did not address the Council of Neighborhood Associations on the state of their districts as they perceived them at the present time, or  any situations presently affecting the North Area, South Area and Central Business District.

 

The Three Precincts. Photo, WPCNR News.

 

Who Ya Gonna Call?

 

 

South Area constituents living in neighborhoods South of Maple Avenue, West of Bank Street and South of the Bronx River Parkway  may contact Lieutenant Elizabeth Seit, Commander of the South Area at 914-422-6258, or by e-mail via [email protected].

 

Central Business District residents and business owners ( South of Hamilton Avenue, East of Bank Street, North of Maple Avenue and West of Broadway, and East along Westchester Avenue to the NY Hospital property), may contact the CBD Commander, Captain Paul Lundin at 914-422-6220, or via e-mail, [email protected]. Lundin’s executive officer,Sergeant Wade Hardy may also be reached at 422-6220, or by e-mail at [email protected].

 

North Area residents and businesses, including neighborhoods North of Hamilton Avenue, the Bronx River Parkway and North-Northeast of Broadway,  may reach their area Commander, Lieutenant Kevin Christopher at 914-422-6258 (a temporary number), or on e-mail at [email protected].

 

Assistant Chief Anne FitzSimmons who supervises the three Commanders, may be reached at  914-422-6258, or by e-mail at [email protected].

 

 Commissioner of Public Safety Dr. Frank Straub, First Deputy Commissioner Dr. Charles Jennings, and Deputy Commissioner Daniel Jackson, did not attend the meeting, though they were expected to be in attendance by the CNA.

 

Scanner Chatter

 

The neighborhood association representatives in attendance did not express any crime concerns, but did raise these questions

 

Bradley, taking general questions from the audience noted that shoplifting was the number one crime in the city, primarily due to the fact that the city has 2 million square feet of retail space.

 

He said in response to a question on teen drinking that the police periodically conduct sting operations at stores suspected of selling alcoholic beverages

to teens, and cooperate with the District Attorney’s Office on joint operations of that kind. He also said the police make “plainclothes” visits to establishments on a random and targeted basis. The Chief did not address police response to teenage drinking parties in residences.