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THIS IS JOHN BAILEY
ON PEOPLE TO BE HEARD,
WESTCHESTER’S MOST RELEVANT INTERVIEW PROGRAM
I TAKE UP A VERY PERSONAL MATTER THAT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER AUDIENCES AND IS RECOMMENDED VIEWING FOR WOMEN AND PARENTS EXPECTING A BABY.
I INTERVIEW
GEORGANNE CHAPIN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INTACT AMERICA,
A TARRYTOWN ORGANIZATION
WORKING TO ENLIGHTEN EXPECTANT PARENTS ON
CIRCUMCISION
THIS SERIOUS INTERVIEW
MAY BE SEEN SATURDAY NIGHT
AND ON THE INTERNET AT
www.whiteplainsweek.com
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WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. Special to WPCNR from Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. March 24, 2016:
5 YEAR PHASE IN OF REASSESSMENT –ONE MITIGATION MEASURE THAT THE TOWN BOARD WILL DISCUSS ON TUESDAY TO HELP THOSE WHOSE TAXES WILL GO UP
GREENBURGH WOULD BE FIRST IN NYS TO IMPLEMENT THIS OPTION AFTER REASSESSMENT
Last week property owners received from Tyler Technologies a letter with new assessed values. We have about 18,000 parcels of property in the town. Approximately 12,000 of the properties will see no tax increase or a decrease.
But we anticipate that about 6000 of the properties will see a tax hike. Some of the hikes are significant –40, 50%.
Some of the hikes could be higher –closer to 100%.
Most of the property owners who received the bad news from Tyler have scheduled appointments and are challenging the new assessments. And, Tyler is expected to make some adjustments.
A significant hike could force many people out of their homes—and all the members of the Town Board don’t want that to happen.
At last night’s Town Board meeting Bob Bernstein, head of the Edgemont Community Council encouraged the Town Board to enact a local law that is authorized by the New York State Legislature. Section 1904 of RTPL authorizes a 5 year phase in of the impacts of the assessment. This could make the transition smoother. The Town Board will discuss this matter on Tuesday at our work session and could schedule a public hearing for our first meeting in April–, Wednesday April 13th.
If the Town Board adopts Section 1904 of the RTPL we believe we will be the first local government in New York State that has reassessed to implement this phase in option. Members of the Town Board- Francis Sheehan, Diana Juettner Kevin Morgan, and Ken Jones all believe that reassessment is necessary for the long term health of the town. But, we also want to look for other ways to mitigate the impacts some residents will have. We are also appreciative that Bob Bernstein of the ECC is working with us on a common goal—to help property owners reduce the stresses if they are going to see their taxes go up.W
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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti. March 23, 2016:
Assemblyman Abinanti, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Libraries & Education Technology, was appointed as one of the Assembly’s representatives to the Education General Budget Conference Committee where the Assembly and Senate negotiate their differences in education.
Click the image below to view Assemblyman Abinanti’s comments at the 11:15 mark:
Here are some of the Assembly’s changes:
Education
The Assembly provides an increase of $2.13 billion in education aid over last year’s funding levels, an increase of $1.2 billion over the Governor’s proposal. The Assembly budget:
Higher Education
The Assembly invests an additional $1.7 billion in higher education, providing for a two-year tuition freeze for CUNY and SUNY students in addition to a 20% increase for opportunity programs. The Assembly proposal also increases the base operating aid for community colleges by $100 per full-time equivalent and raises the maximum TAP award by $100 to $5,265 per student.
Libraries
The Assembly provides $96.6 million in aid to public libraries – a 5.5% increase of $5 million over the Governor’s proposal and $24 million in the Public Library Construction Aid Program – a 70% increase of $10 million over the Governor’s proposal.
People with Special Needs
The Assembly rejects the Governor’s proposed changes to early intervention which would have impeded access to services. The Assembly proposal commits $200 million to cover the costs of a minimum wage increase for direct care workers who provide services to people with special needs. In addition, the Assembly proposal invests $100 million over five years for additional housing opportunities for people with special needs.
Ethics
While passing the budget, the Assembly also passed an ethics reform proposal to increase transparency in government and to limit the influence of special interests. The Assembly bill:
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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Business Council of Westchester. March 22, 2016:
The Business Council of Westchester (BCW) today announced its strong opposition to Governor Cuomo’s proposed increase in the State Minimum Wage to $15 an hour and called on the members of Westchester’s State Legislative delegation to reject the increase.
The Council’s decision was reached following the results of an in-depth survey of chief executive officers and senior executives of BCW member businesses and organizations. Nearly two thirds opposed the increase with a significant number stating that the increase would result in reduced hiring, curtailed expansion plans and possible layoffs.
John Ravitz, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Westchester’s largest business membership organization, said that “rather than having a knee-jerk reaction to the proposed increase, we asked our members to examine the consequences to their businesses including payroll taxes, benefits, overtime and hiring of seasonal employees and Workforce Development youth. We created a detailed member-survey. The results clearly demonstrate that the downsides to the increase far outweigh any gains and, in fact, could have unintended negative impacts on the low wage earners that it is intended to help.”
BCW President and Chief Executive Officer Marsha Gordon said that “while some of our members expressed support for the increase, the results and particularly the comments offered by many of those responding, demonstrated that however well-intended, the increase will damage New York’s competitive position and encourage some businesses to leave the state or cease operations entirely. Obviously that is not acceptable and the legislature should not enact the increase. We are sharing the survey findings with our Westchester state legislative delegation so that the members can understand the concerns of businesses and non-profits in their districts.”
Mount Kisco-based DataKey Consulting conducted the survey over a period of three weeks in February. Of those responding, 77 percent were for profit businesses and the balance non-profits, with 96 percent of the respondents being CEOs or executive managers able to speak for their respective organizations. The respondents employ from 10 to more than 100 employees representing 30 different industries and organizations.
Among the key conclusions of those who expressed opposition to the $15 wage:
Ravitz said the BCW was particularly concerned about the potential impact on hiring young people who are in job training programs such as the Westchester-Putnam Youth Workforce Development Board that is managed by the BCW. “We place 225 young people in summer jobs each year and these positions could be eliminated as a result of having a $15 minimum wage. If the higher wage means fewer job opportunities, especially for young people, then it is self-defeating.”
The comments offered by many of the survey respondents about the impact of a 50 precent hike in the minimum wage were revealing. Here are several:
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WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. From Town of Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner, March 22, 2016:
(Editor’s Note: The controversy among Greenburgh homeowners unhappy with their reassessments by Tyler Technologies and the company methods is abating somewhat. Supervisor Feiner tells us the situation as of Monday:)
REASSESSMENT UPDATE–A REQUEST BY ARDSLEY VETERANS FOR STATE TO PICK UP COSTS OF TAX BREAKS
Have spent some time today (Monday) discussing Reassessment concerns with Assessor Edye McCarthy.
Most of the people who contacted me over the weekend- highlighted the difficulty they had getting an appointment with Tyler Technologies.
The good news: Not as big a problem Monday.
Most were able to reach Tyler today. Meetings have been scheduled with Tyler & taxpayers beginning this week. There still were a few people who have tried calling and haven’t been able to get through. Hopefully, Tyler will be able to handle the call volume and schedule appointments with everyone who believes that their projected assessments need to be corrected.
A number of people have question about the assessment process. Edye McCarthy will be taping a short info-mercial today that I will post a link to (by Wednesday) answering the questions that have been raised by taxpayers regarding the reassessment. Hopefully this will help.
I spoke with State Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins and Assemblyman Tom Abinanti.
I suggested that they consider introducing legislation that would increase the amount of income senior citizens can earn to be eligible for senior citizen tax breaks. The current dollar amount, according to the Assessor, is $37,000–which is not practical for seniors living in Westchester. Trying to think of other initiatives that could be taken to help those who will be facing tax hikes as a result of reassessment.
PAUL FEINER
(Editor’s Note: a short history of the attempt to ease the burden on veterans is noted by a letter Mr. Feiner included in his update:)
From: Frank Pagani
Subject: Veterans Urge Action to Pass A 966 to Reform Property Tax Exemption.
The members of the Ardsley American Legion Post 458 urge the NY State Legislature to pass A 966 that was introduced recently by Assemblyman Tom Abinanti and which Senator Carlucci has sponsored in the Senate. It would reimburse school districts that adopt the veterans alternative property tax exemption so that veterans everywhere throughout the state enjoy the benefit, not just some of us.
As you well know, the alternative veterans property tax exemption is not the first time a well-intended piece of legislation missed the mark, either at the local, town, county, state or federal level. By leaving it to the school districts to pass the measure, the result was a “Tale of 2 Cities” in which about 50% of the school districts signed on and 50% did not, most citing that the state should pick up the cost instead of the taxpayers. That is what Assemblyman Abinanti’s legislation will do, ending once and for all this glaring and unfair disparity.
Frank Pagani
Ardsley American Legion Post 458
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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the office of District 37 State Senator George Latimer. March 22, 2016:
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WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. From Town of Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner. March 21, 2016:
TOWN BOARD TO DISCUSS MAKING APPOINTMENTS WITH TYLER LESS STRESSFUL AND EASIER IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT REASSESSMENT
Most people in the town who received their tax information got good news: no tax hike or a tax decrease. For those who received bad news (a tax hike) it’s very stressful. Scheduling an appointment with Tyler Technologies should be easy.
The Town Board and Assessor will discuss ways to address this on Tuesday. It’s unacceptable for people to be having problems connecting with Tyler.
My suggestion: Since thousands of people are going to try to reach Tyler to schedule an appointment at the same time- they should let people request appointments by e mail–and promise to get back to residents promptly. This way no one has to be put on hold for 30 minutes or hear busy signals when calling.
Tyler has agreed to meet with residents during normal business hours with limited evening and weekend appointments as well. You DO NOT have to hire an attorney or a tax representative.
The process is easy and free – no need to pay a representative at this point., If you are dissatisfied with the result from Tyler Technologies you still have a right to file a formal grievance (between June 1st – June 21ST). So the numbers you received in the mail are tentative, subject to change.
When you have your meeting with Tyler provide them with information. For example, photos, appraisal, market analysis from a realtor, if just purchased, a copy of your contract/closing statement/sales listing sheet, just to name a few.
If you have been trying to get through to Tyler and haven’t had success- please e mail the Town Board at townboard@greenburghny.com. If you have had a positive experience we’d like to know that too. I have only heard from a half dozen people (out of 30,000 parcels) so I may be over- reacting. But–in the past I have found that when six people complain about the same thing they usually represent a lot more people who don’t bother contacting me.
The last time the town conducted a reassessment was 60 years ago (that won’t happen again—the Town Board passed a law requiring assessment rolls to be updated regularly). Reassessment will create fairness.
It’s not fair for residents living in the exact kind of home in the same neighborhood to be paying thousands of dollars more or less than their neighbors. in addition, the town, county, school and fire districts have been paying up to $10 million a year in certiorari refunds because of the failure to reassess.
Once our rolls are updated the certiorari refunds will dramatically be reduced–there will be more stability and predictability regarding your taxes. Prior to the decision of the Town Board to commence reassessment we reached out to school districts, village governments and civic leaders.
We were encouraged to initiate the reassessment. An October 11, 2011 statement from the Edgemont Community Council was critical of the town for not reassessing properties around town: “The town’s 56 year failure to conduct a town-wide reassessment is costing the Edgemont School district millions of dollars.”
It’s aggravating to hear from people whose taxes will go up. But, the entire Town Board is trying to do what is right for the town long term.
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Swingin’ Sunday on April 10, 2016 Will Support Enrichment Programs in White Plains Public Schools
Fred Seiler, retiring after ten years as White Plains School District budget crafter, presenting the proposed 2016-17 budget this week. The Friends of White Plains Public Schools will honor him in a fundraiser April 10.
WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Friends of White Plains Public Schools. March 19, 2016:
The Friends of White Plains Public Schools is proud to announce that we will host Swingin’ Sunday, an evening of dining, music and dance, on Sunday, April 10, 2016, from 5 to 8 pm at Westchester Hills Golf Club in White Plains.
Entertainment will be provided by students in the White Plains public schools. The evening will also include a Special Tribute to Fred Seiler, Assistant Superintendent for Business, who will be retiring at the end of the year.
The evening features a buffet dinner with wine, and a “Rockin’ Raffle”, with dozens of prizes from a 40” Smart TV to a weekend in Manhattan. Sponsorships and ads in the Event Journal are also available. More information about the event can be found at http://www.nycharities.org/Events/EventLevels.aspx?ETID=8875, where event tickets, sponsorships, journal advertisements, and raffle tickets, can be purchased.
Through the generosity of the White Plains community, the Friends of White Plains Public Schools has provided more than $300,000 in grants to the District for enrichment programs led by poets, playwrights, historians, dancers and authors. These programs, recommended and directed by teachers in all White Plains schools, stimulate our students’ imaginations and encourage them to expand their horizons and their skills.
The Friends of White Plains Public Schools is an all-volunteer 501-c-3 non-profit. Learn more and join us at www.FriendsofWPPS.org.
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WPCNR WAS INFORMED EARLY THIS MORNING (1 A.M.) THAT CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF LEGISLATORS MIKE KAPLOWITZ WILL PRESENT A REVISED FINANCIAL PLAN HE SAID WILL BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE BOARD OF LEGISLATORS TO THE EXTENT THEY WILL APPROVE GOING AHEAD WITH STANDARD AMUSEMENTS TAKING OVER PLAYLAND. IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE ASTORINO ADMINISTRATION HAS BOUGHT INTO THE KAPLOWITZ PLAN, OR IF STANDARD AMUSEMENTS IS AGREEABLE TO THE PROPOSAL.
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WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. By Town of Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner. CORRECTED BY TOWN OF GREENBURGH DUE TO TOWN ERROR. March 16, 2016:
Editor’s Note: The Town of Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner sent out an e-mail Wednesday afternoon to property owners in Greenburgh announcing the new reassessments are in the mail,
THIS EVENING HE SENT OUT ANOTHER E MAIL CORRECTING THE FIRST, REPORTING THAT INSTEAD OF 42% OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES INCREASING IN ASSESSED VALUE, 40% OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES DECREASED.
He noted that the results of the reassessment were not in line with the traditional thought that the 1/3 rule often used by advocates of reassessment (i.e., 1/3 of properties increase, 1/3 decrease and 1/3 do not change in assessment) did not hold true.
In the reassessment statistics, Mr. Feiner reports that 40% of Commercial propeties DECREASED IN ASSESSED VALUE and 47% stayed the same, while 12% of Commercial properties INcreased. He also noted that 34% of residential properties increased, 42% remained the same and 24% decreased in value.
Here is Mr. Feiner’s message to property owners as the assessments fan out from the White Plains border to the banks of the Hudson River:
“This week residents of the town will receive a letter with the new assessed values. We are getting closer to finalizing our first town wide reassessment since 1956. The goal is for people to pay their fair share of taxes. At the present time two homeowners, living next door to each other, could be paying thousands of dollars more or less in property taxes even though their homes were built by the same developer and their homes are similar. Not fair!
Over the years the town has been issuing as much as $10 million dollars in refunds per year in Certiorari and Residential Small Claims proceedings. That money was / is coming from your property taxes. If a commercial property owner- for example – files a certiorari and receives a refund of $1,000,000 the town, school district, county and fire district have to find other means to make up this shortfall: eliminating programs or increasing taxes.
Until the State Legislature changes the Real Property Tax Law we will never totally eliminate these proceedings but by doing a reassessment, we will surely mitigate the dollar refunds we have been experiencing. Reassessment will result in more stability and predictability. Town, fire district and school officials will have a better idea how much revenue we will take in annually. We will also be able to save significant dollars by not having to defend as many certiorari claims in court.
A little about the revaluation project and statistics: as you may have heard in most cases, 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 property taxes increase, stay the same, decrease. Our analysis shows this was not quite the case in Greenburgh. The analysis showed the following:
PROPERTY TAX DISTRIBUTION (CORRECTED BY TOWN OF GREENBURGH DUE TO AN EARLIER ERROR)
Property Type Increase Stays the same Decrease
Residential 34% 42% 24%
Commercial 12% 47% 40%
Condo/Coop 14% 82% 3.4%
Vacant Land 3% 59% 38%
A lot of the properties in the Residential 24% increase range, is due to new construction and additions.
As you are aware, taxes in NY especially in our area of the state have imposed a burden that some can no longer bare. While your property may have been fairly assessed, there were many that were significantly under assessed and therefore, the reality is- you may have been subsidizing the under assessed property owners.
Again, we want to stop all the Certiorari’s and residential Small Claims refunds and only want everyone to pay their fair share of property taxes based on the market value of your home.
The notice you receive will come in a Town of Greenburgh envelope with IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT / TAX INFORMATION on the front, PLEASE do not throw it out.
There are two (2) pages; one is an explanation of your assessment notice and the other is your assessment notice. It will show your old and new assessed values, along with your 2015 property taxes and what your 2015 taxes would have been if the new assessments were in place.
If you feel your assessment represents the market value of your home as of July 1, 2015, there is nothing for you to do.
However, if you feel your assessment does not represent the market value as of the date above, Contact Tyler Technologies to set an appointment to discuss your new assessment. In the meantime, the more information you have, the better. For example, photos, appraisal, market analysis from a realtor, if just purchased, a copy of your contract/closing statement/sales listing sheet, just to name a few.
Anyone who requests an appointment will get the opportunity to be heard! DON’T BE INTIMIDATED! There will be some early evening hour appointments.
It’s an easy informal process. The phone lines will be busy – please be .patient Please call Tyler Technologies no later than April 8th, 2016 to make an appointment. Appointments will be scheduled during normal business hours with limited evening and weekend appointments as well. You DO NOT have to hire an attorney or a tax representative. The process is easy and free – no need to pay a representative at this point, as I am sure you have received several letters regarding challenging your assessment.
If you are dissatisfied with the result from Tyler Technologies you still have a right to file a formal grievance (between June 1st – June 21ST).
I hope you had a good experience when dealing with Tyler Technologies and feel we kept you abreast of the projects process and procedures. The Town Board approved legislation requiring that assessment rolls be maintained and updated.
I am available if you want to share your feelings about this topic or any other. Please e mail me at pfeiner@greenburghny.com. You can also call me at 989 1545 (office), 438 1343 (cell) or 478-1219 (home) anytime.
PAUL FEINER