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WPCNR’S THE VIEW FROM ALBANY By Assemblyman George Latimer. February 18, 2005:

Dear Neighbors,
This column begins a monthly commentary on events in Albany from the perspective of a new Assemblyman…I hope it engenders a dialogue in person and in print that will advance the changes needed in making New York State a better partner in solving the serious problems we face in the current day.

The VIEW FROM ALBANY

Dear Neighbors,
This column begins a monthly commentary on events in Albany from the
perspective of a new Assemblyman…I hope it engenders a dialogue in
person and in print that will advance the changes needed in making New
York State a better partner in solving the serious problems we face in
the current day.

REFORM SCHOOL

The case for reform in Albany has been made in great detail in the works
of the Brennan Center, the Citizens Budget Commission – based in NYC,
the League of Women Voters and so many other groups that have studied
and suggested changes to the way the State operates.

The most serious changes remain undone – but there has been a real first
step in the Assembly over the first two months of the year…and
importantly, the changes were done on a bi-partisan basis. We routinely
see two party cooperation in local governments, forgetting how partisan
Albany and Washington, D.C. have become. So it is important to note
Republicans and Democrats in the Assembly since January made progress
on: eliminating absentee legislative voting; joint conference
committees; opening up the Rules Committee to public scrutiny; improving
the rights of minority party members; advancing cable TV coverage of
meetings; and more. These were all legitimate critiques of the system,
and their reform is a good start.

It is, however, inside baseball. While attitudes are slowly adjusting,
the real battle remains over the State budget and its chronic lateness.
It’s too soon to say for sure, but the structural problems hide the real
problems – significant policy differences over spending cuts, program
changes, and legislation that pits the Governor against the legislature
and the Senate against the Assembly (and vice versa). There are
philosophical battles between environmentalists and soda bottlers over
expanding the bottle bill; between trial lawyers and insurance companies
over liability issues; and so on. The recent history of Albany is that
girdlock means the status quo. Whichever interest is most benefitted by
the status quo – avoiding an expansion of the bottle bill, or
maintenance of current tort laws and settlements – “gridlock” becomes a
successful result. “Change” or “reform” which you oppose doesn’t happen.
Reform means different things to different people.

New Assembly members and Senators are not locked into the old arguments,
and joining with existing members who seek a new framework for debate, I
work with hope and some optimism that the changes we need can come.
I have had that success as a Councilman and County Legislator – given
the time needed to change the system was measured in years, not days.

But for everybody who has been successful in their business life, and in
their family life, we know that positive change comes only with hard
work, with some pain, trial and error.

That’s the journey we’ve embarked on. Wish us luck.


George Latimer

Editor’s Note: State Assemblyman GEORGE LATIMER (D-91st A.D.) is continuing a tradition
started in his 13 years as a Westchester County Legislator – holding District Office Hours across the communities of the Sound Shore every month. Latimer will be available in six locations on various Thursdays and Fridays each month, with different communities each week.

On Thursday, February 24th, the Assemblyman will meet residents at:

9 a.m. – Rye City Hall, Mayor’s Conference Rm.
1051 Boston Post Rd., Rye

11 a.m. – Mamaroneck Town Center, Conf. Rm A, 740 W. Boston Post Rd.,
Mamaroneck

In upcoming weeks, Latimer will also hold office hours at:

* Rye Town Hall, 10 Pearl St., Port Chester
* Hugh Doyle Seniors Center, 94 Davis Ave., New Rochelle
* Rye Brook Village Hall, 938 King St., Rye Brook
* Larchmont Village Center, Larchmont Ave., Larchmont

No appointments are needed; individuals may stop by to discuss State
issues or personal constituent problems. Free literature will be
available on State programs and services.

Assemblyman Latimer will also be joined by County Legislator Martin
Rogowsky at the Port Chester and Rye Brook locations, and by new County
Legislator Judy Myers at the Rye, Larchmont and Mamaroneck locations, in
upcoming months. This is the first time State and County officials will
be jointly available to handle constituent needs.

For more information, contact Latimer at his Mamaroneck District Office,
777-3832.

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. February 18, 2005. CLARIFICATION, 11:25 A.M. E.S.T.: Mayor Joseph Delfino, taking a break at intermission of a performance of Bye Bye Birdie  Thursday night to talk with WPCNR and address a range of issues,  announced he was calling on the state to create two different Equalization Rates in response to the rising tide of huge tax certiorari settlements filed and won by city businesses.

He said the Westchester County Municipal Officers Association have created a bill with the Chairman of the County’s Assessors are to create two equalization rates, one for commerical property and one for residential property to protect tax payers from the impacts of  ever-growing certiorari (tax refunds to businesses who prove they have been overappraised).

Mayor Joseph Delfino of White Plains, center talking with Paul Wood, White Plains Executive Officer at right at Westchester Broadway Theatre peformance of Bye Bye Birdie Thursday evening. Photo by WPCNR StageCam.

Mayor Delfino said the bill has been created by the Westchester County Municipal Officers Association with the help of assessors in order to protect homeowners from bearing the brunt of certiorari settlements that drastically lower commericial owners who sue for refunds from inflated assessments.  The City of White Plains has settled three major certiorari suits in the last two months totaling $3.78 Million,  which may result in the raising of property taxes on White Plains residents to make up the shortfall, and increase substantially  the school tax levy because school taxes are based on total city assessed value.

The Mayor said the bill would raise the equalization rate for commerical property owners and lower it for residential property owners, to discourage commericial certiorari filings by not making them as attractive to file. He did not go into details.

The Mayor said he and the New York State Conference of Mayors, (he indicated were supportive of the bill), intended to present  the legislation to the legislature at their meeting in Albany February 25. Asked if he had a legislator to sponsor the bill in Albany, the Mayor said he hoped State Senator Nicholas Spano would sponsor it but had yet to discuss it with him. 

Mayor Delfino said he expected “a tough fight,” but that it was the best way to deal with certioraris. The Mayor said he was concerned about the certiorari situation as was the Westchester Municipal Officers Association, and that is why the officers have worked with assessors to create the new bill.

Commenting on the commercial certiorari tide in White Plains, he said “we’ve ridden on their backs (commercial owners) for years with over assessments, now it has come time to pay the piper. Nobody wants to reval (reassess all properties), so two different equalization rates seems a reasonable answer.”

The Mayor, stopping by WPCNR’s table at WBT addressed a range of issues, also mentioning that President George Bush’s new budget calling for deep cuts in Community Development Funds has caused him to advise White Plains City Departments they may have to cut programs using Community Development monies.