WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld. January 6,2010 (Edited): The White Plains Board of Education has announced the district’s 2010-11 budget planning  process, combining the successful community-wide forums held last year with some new initiatives. President of the Board of Education, Donna McLaughlin, put the preliminary increase in expenses the district faces at $10 Million over the $185.7 Million 2009-10 budget.

White Plains Week, the WPCNR television program which closely follows the extraneous impacts on the school budget, estimates that the district is looking at a $17 Million budget increase that has to be raised through taxation, if preliminary assessment role estimates by the city assessor expected state aid cuts in next year’s state budget materialize.

            The district is seeking broad input from the community at various meetings scheduled for this purpose.  Two budget forums will take place at the High School, on January 13^th  and March 3^rd, at 7:30 P.M., in the B-1 Room. 

 

In addition, the Slater Center will host a meeting on January 20^th, at 7:30 P.M., Centro Hispano will be the host on February 24^th, at 7:30 P.M., and the White Plains Council of eighborhood Associations will host on February 9^th, 7:30 P.M., in the Assembly Room at Education House.

 

 

            Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher P. Clouet said, “We hope to work together with the community to develop a budget that maintains the high quality of education in White Plains and that is fiscally responsible and can be supported by the taxpayers in the May 18^th vote.”

(More)

 

 

           

Responding to the unprecedented economic situation, Board President Donna McLaughlin stated, “Next year’s budget will be even more difficult to develop than the current year’s, with cuts in State Aid, a decrease in the STAR exemption, salary increases and increases in employee benefits.  This adds up to a potential increase of almost $10 million in expenditures for next year, without considering tax certioraris.  It is clear that we need to consider all options in order to hold this budget to an acceptable level.”

 

Additional meetings will take place in the community and any group or organization wishing to host such a meeting may contact the  Superintendent’s Office at 422-2033.   Discussions have also been  held with staff in each school building in the district to encourage open communication and solicit input on the budget.

          

          All residents are invited to attend these sessions, to participate in focused dialogue on spending efficiencies, areas of concern, budget priorities and creative ways to increase revenues.  A review of the district’s financial situation, the state’s and city’s financial constraints, and other issues relating to development of the budget will be presented.

 

            The district will also hold two Public Hearings:  the first on March 22^nd, on the Preliminary Proposed Budget, and the second on May 10^th, on the Board of Education’s Adopted Proposed Budget.

 

 

            The community is encouraged to visit the district’s website, http://www.whiteplainspublicschools.org    for  information on the budget.

 

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 WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CRONICLE-EXAMINER. Special to WPCNR By Peter Katz. January 4, 2010 UPDATED January 5, 6:00 P.M. E.S.T.:  A standing-room-only crowd packed the Common Council Chambers and flowed onto the stairway landing at City Hall Monday night for what newly-elected Councilman David Buchwald, speaking after being sworn in, noted was an historic event: the first Common Council meeting in White Plains’ history in which the Mayor and all six councilmen were Democrats.

 

Adam  Bradley Arriving for “Citizens to be Heard” in his first ever gaveling together of the Common Council Monday evening. Photo, Peter Katz

 

     Induction ceremonies for council members and some high level management personnel drew enthusiastic applause, with a contingent of law enforcement men and women adding boisterous cheers to the mix for the swearing in of David Chong as Commissioner of Public Safety.

 

     Councilman Tom Roach, who was reelected in November to another four year term, was sworn in by City Court Judge JoAnn Friia, as were newcomers Buchwald and Beth Smayda. Council members Ben Boykin, Dennis Power, and Milagros Lecuona continue their existing terms. Council President Boykin nominated Roach to be the new Council President for a two year term. There were no other nominations, and the vote for Roach was unanimous. Mayor Bradley swore in Roach as Council President. Roach noted that it was Bradley who got him involved in White Plains politics.

    

 

     After the Common Council voted to approve their appointments, Bradley administered oaths of office to Michael Genito as Commissioner of Finance, John Steward as Director of Information Services, and John G. Callahan as Corporation Counsel. Callahan also will serve as Bradley’s Chief of Staff.

 

The Common Council Monday night eliminated the job of Executive Officer in the Mayor’s office. Callahan will not be paid a separate salary as Chief of Staff. The Council Monday night set the Corporation Counsel’s salary at $185,000 a year, the Chief of Staff salary at zero dollars a year, the Director of Information Services salary at $130,000 a year, and the Finance Commissioner’s salary at $150,000 a year.

 

 The supporting material for the Common Council agenda did not include mention that the new Commissioner of Finance actually would be paid $170,000 a year, consisting of the $150,000 Finance Commissioner’s salary and an additional $20,000 for handling the duties of Budget Director as “Chief Financial Officer.”] 

 

The Mayor Comments on Dismal State of City Finance

 

Mayor Bradley, in a brief speech, said that in the few days he has been in office, he has already made over $500,000 in administrative savings in areas under his control. Callahan serving as both Corporation Counsel and Chief of Staff was cited as an example. Others are eliminating or not filling commissionerships and deputy commissioner positions.

 

 “Many of these things should have and could have been accomplished long ago, but I must move forward and make the tough decisions to protect White Plains taxpayers and its [the city’s] long term future,” he said.

    

Bradley again said that the city has a budget deficit of approximately $18-million and has almost no fund balance. “To put this into perspective, our budget deficit as a percentage of budget is almost twice as large as New York State’s. New York State’s deficit is $9-billion out of $132-billion, and ours in White Plains is $18-million out of $158-million,”  Bradley said.

 

WPCNR did the math, and we find that the New York State deficit is 6.8 percent of its total budget of $132-billion, while the White Plains deficit is 11.4 percent of the city’s $158-million budget.

    

Bradley hinted that there will be more cuts to come in the weeks ahead, saying, “My children and your children, when they become young adults, will have a City that is even greater than the one that I was raised in because of the difficult fiscal decisions this administration will make. I know that the Common Council and this administration stand united in solving the city’s dire fiscal condition, but that is not all that we will be doing.

 

City, School District to Work to Consolidate Services

 

     “Today, I am announcing the formation of an Ad Hoc Committee chaired by Councilman Boykin, to evaluate City and School District shared services and cost savings. I have met with School Superintendent Clouet numerous times and I will be naming four additional members to this committee, and Superintendent Clouet will also be naming three members. I know that we as individuals, and the city and School District as a whole, are committed to working together to reduce expenses and mitigate taxpayer burdens,” Bradley added.

 

     Bradley also said that Councilman Power will be heading another Ad Hoc committee, this one dealing with ways to save energy and improve the city’s environmental footprint.

 

Appointments Approved

 

     The Council reappointed John Martin to the Board of Assessment Review. Reappointed to the Budget and Management Advisory Committee were Timothy Sheehan, Eleanor McDonald and Patrick Austin. New appointments were Council member Beth Smayda as Chair, Councilman Roach, and Richard Hecht as the replacement for David Corcoran who moved from White Plains.

 

     There were three quick public hearings on renewal of cabaret permits for The Porter House, The Brazen Fox and The Lazy Boy. Legislation for three-year renewals for those establishments will likely be on the February agenda.

 

Concern for Robert Ruger

 

 

     Mayor Bradley expressed concern about former Councilman Robert Ruger, who has been seriously ill. Bob’s 97^th birthday was on Christmas Eve. “Bob has devoted his entire life to helping make White Plains a better place to live and we are all thinking of him and his family and hoping that everything will turn out okay,” he said

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. January 4, 2010: The Board of Education approved financing $11 Million in energy improvements identified by the Honeywell Corporation, which would save the district $1 Million in energy usage annually. Construction and installation of the Honeywell-supplied equipment and modifications to buildings in the district is expected to begin in March or April.

 

Board of Education approving energy saving contract Monday night.

 

The board, in addition also approved expenditure of $57,000 in repairs to the unfortunate design of the electrical system at the new $38.5 Million Post Road School which keeps lights in halls and the cafeteria on 24 hours a day.

 

 

 

The contract with Honeywell guarantees  the district will save at least $1 Million in energy usage each year after the modifications are installed by  Honeywell, or Honeywell compensates the district for the difference below $1 Million.

 

According to WPCNR calculations the contract should break even in savings over five years. Seiler said the $11 Million will be financed, but did not at this time have a handle on what the debt service would be, and would pay out in fifteen years. The equipment had been identified as a result of an “Energy Audit” conducted by Honeywell and a performance contract evaluating firm, ECG, last year.

 

The Board also approved  a $57,000 contract with RLJ Electric Corporation to correct the electrical system installed at the new Post Road School which presently keeps too many lights perpetually “on” 24 hours a day, far beyond security needs. According to Fred Seiler, Assistant Superintendent for Business,

 

 Kaeyer Garment & Davidson has agreed to pay part of the $57,000 repair cost, Seiler said, but the reimbursement  has not been negotiated yet. Kaeyer Garment & Davidson designed and supervised the light system with the electrical contractors and the system wiring  installed has created a situation where too many lights have to be lit 24 hours a day in order to provide the minimum security lighting.

 

Seiler said he expected the work would begin in late February. He said  the work would consist of rewiring, an “improvement of energy efficiencies,” and”better use of lights.” The main problem that will be solved first Seiler said was the problem of the cafeteria lights which currently stay on all the time with the present electric configuration.

 

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. January 4, 2010 UPDATED 2;45 P.M. E.S.T. :  The day after Mayor Bradley concluded his Inauguration statements saying restructuring and consolidation of administrative staff was necessary in view of the city running an $18 Million deficit, a previous Deputy Commissioner let go by his administration it has been learned will be rehired for $48,404 less pay that the Deputy Commissioner was receiving in their previous position.

Personnel Officer for the City of White Plains, Elizabeth Wallace, reported to WPCNR today that Deborah Clay, the former Deputy Commissioner of Recreation and Parks who was told two weeks ago that she would not be a part of the new Bradley Administration, has been rehired beginning Tuesday as Deputy Personnel Officer replacing Kerry Oristano who left the city personnel Deputy Commissioner position to join the Rob Astorino County Executive staff as Human Resources Commissioner.

Oristano was being paid $108,446 as Deputy Personnel Officer according to the City of White Plains 2009-2010 budget. Clay before she was told she was being let was reportedly according to the budget earning $118,406 as Deputy Commissioner of Recreation and Parks. According to the backup material for this evening’s council the appointed position of Deputy Personnel Officer is to be reset at $70,000 effective today.

Clay is the second Mayor Delfino administration not expected to be part of the administration, to be rehired.The other was the Commmissioner of Building, Damen Amadio.

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WPCNR County Clarion-Ledger. By John F. Bailey. January 3, 2010: Over 1,300 persons, according to the Astorino administration news release attended the Inauguration of Hawthorne’s 42-year old Rob Astorino as 8^th County Executive of Westchester County Sunday at SUNY Performing Arts Center in Purchase. With Mr. Astorino marching in preceded by  the bagpipes of the Westchester County Police Ceremonial Unit and Police Emerald Society of Westchester County, a delighted, invitation-only crowd of dignitaries and friends ranging from Janet DiFiore to John Spencer  burst into loud applause on numerous occasions through Mr Astorino’s  20-minute Keynote address.

 

Astorino, promised to examine expenses and cut taxes, and eliminate the”nice to have” programs and keep only the “must haves” made the provocative statement “Westchester’s Medicaid costs are likely to skyrocket, under Washington’s proposed health reform legislation,” and he vowed, “In the days and weeks ahead, my inter-governmental relations team will be in contact with Westchester’s Congressional delegation and our state Legislators to do everything possible to keep additional costs from getting dumped on the backs of Westchester taxpayers.” (This brought loud applause.)

 

Senator Charles Schumer greeting overflow crowd in the rotunda at City Hall White Plains, a short time later.

 

A short time later at City Hall in White Plains, Senator Charles Schumer, principal architect and point man for the Obama Administration in developing the Senate  Health Care Reform bill, was asked by WPCNR as Schumer was leaving city hall in White Plains at Adam Bradley’s “People’s Inauguration”  if he (Schumer) knew what Mr.Astorino was referring to when Astorino said Medicaid costs would soar.

 

Schumer, walking to the City Hall parking lot,  told WPCNR, “No, he’s wrong. In fact, there’s legislation in the (Health Reform) bill that brings more money to Westchester (for Medicaid).”  

 

 

 

Mr. Astorino, portraying his government as “just a group of ordinary citizens,” who will ask the questions Astorino says he heard every day during his successful campaign, “They get asked every day, around every kitchen table in Westchester: What do we really need? And, how will we pay for it?”

 

Astorino  promised “Essential Services, Economic Growth and Tax Relief,” which he said his administration would achieve through “competence, collaboration (with politicians and community in a bipartisan manner) and communication (of the facts to the public).”

 

County Executive Astorino said he would “mobilize the county’s best and brightest business leaders” to “jump start” job creation  and promised to make Westchester more friendly to businesses to prevent a future losses of major businesses such as Starwood Hotels which recently announced their flight to Stamford.

 

It should be noted the Westchester County Association promised just such a coalition and effort last year, but as yet has failed to deliver specific programs developed by the coalition they had formed.

 

After New York Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan delivered the opening prayer, Honorable Daniel D. Angiolillo, Justice of the Supreme Court, Second Department administers oath of office to Mr. Astorino while his wife Shiela, and their three children looked on.  Children were very well behaved!

 

A very large crowd of well-wishers, by invitation only observed the ceremonies.

 

Here is the complete text of Mr. Astorino’s address:

 

Thank you for being here today.

 

I am honored and excited to stand before you as Westchester’s eighth County Executive.

 

In thinking about today, I have to admit that I was more than a little bit overwhelmed at first.

 

One of the realities of being the County Executive is that everything is magnified.

 

Whatever problems and issues you had before, multiply them by 10.

 

Whatever advice you had received before – good and bad – multiply by 20.

 

Whatever, close, personal, lifelong friends you had,

 

multiply by the biggest number you can think of …. and double it. 

 

Of course, once this speech is over, I am told I can start subtracting some of those friends.  

 

In other words, I stand before you today at the height of my popularity.

 

——

 

I ran for County Executive because I love Westchester.

 

I grew up here.

 

My first real job was working in sales and hosting a sports talk show on WFAS Radio in Hartsdale.

 

One day before my show, I went to Pete’s Saloon in Elmsford to get a bite to eat. 

 

And by luck – or fate – the most gorgeous waitress comes to my table. 

 

Black hair, blue eyes, and studying for her Masters degree in Special Education. 

 

She asked me “What’ll you have?”

 

10 years later, we have three children and a mortgage together!

 

Sheila and I decided right away to raise Sean, Kiley, and Ashlin here in Westchester.

 

There’s no place else in the world we’d rather live.

 

Our dreams are the dreams of every Westchester family.  

 

We want our children to grow up in a safe and caring environment. 

 

In a community where people look out for each other… 

 

…where you pick up your neighbor’s paper when they’re away,

 

and lend a hand shoveling when it snows.  

 

That’s the Westchester I know.

 

Westchester is home to extraordinary people, communities, schools, and natural beauty.

 

We have it all.

 

But it’s becoming tough to get by here.

 

For too many, thriving has been replaced by barely surviving.

 

Income is down.

 

Bills are up.

 

And taxes just keep coming and coming.

 

These are things I spoke about on the campaign trail.

 

And I spoke about them because I was hearing them from you, my neighbors.

 

We’ve all been asking the same question.

 

How can living in Westchester have become so expensive? 

 

For too long the question went unanswered.

 

No one in government seemed to hear.

 

Well I hear you.  I hear you loud and clear.

 

Now, the campaign is over.

 

The voters have spoken, and they want change.

 

They know the problems are real – and growing.

 

They know they won’t go away tomorrow.

 

But they won’t accept lip service anymore.

 

Neither will I.

 

It is time to govern.

 

—–

 

I began my career at the age of 15 as a sports reporter on public access television.

 

One thing I learned quickly was the importance of giving people the facts:

 

So in the next few minutes, I am going to take you through the

 

who, what, when, where,why and how of our administration,

 

and its governing philosophy for the next four years. 

 

First, let me start by thanking Andy Spano for making this a smooth

 

transition…and for his many years of service to our county. 

 

I’d also like to acknowledge two other former county executive’s in

 

attendance today:  Andy O’Rourke and Al DelBello.

 

 Also here with us today are Senator Schumer, Congresswoman Lowey, 

 

many members of our State and County Legislatures,

 

as well as numerous local representatives.

 

I also need to acknowledge the many campaign volunteers and supporters, whose

 

incredible dedication made both our election

 

and today’s wonderful inaugural celebration possible. Special thanks to all of you.

 

Finally, let me ask my deputy county executive – Kevin Plunkett to stand up. 

 

At 6 foot 5, obviously I needed a power forward for our 9^th floor basketball team.

 

—

 

So question Number One: Who are we?  

 

The Astorino administration is just a group of ordinary citizens.

 

We are people who live on your street,

 

shop in your grocery stores,

 

root for your high school teams.

 

We are from all walks of life, political persuasions and ethnic backgrounds. 

 

We see our job in very simple terms:

 

Act as temporary stewards of the public trust – your trust –

 

for the purpose of making Westchester a better place to live and work.

 

We  don’t have all the answers.

 

But we believe we know the right questions to ask.

 

We know them all too well because

 

They get asked every day, around every kitchen table in Westchester:

 

What do we really need?

 

And, how will we pay for it?

 

These are not grandiose transformational ideas.

 

But they do go to the core of how we all live our lives.

 

My philosophy is that if they are good enough for our families,

 

Then, they are more than good enough for our government.

 

So what do we need to focus on?

 

We have to have the discipline to focus on the things that matter most.

 

For my administration, that means three things:

 

Essential services, economic growth and tax relief.

 

Essential Services.

 

The first job here will be to decide:

 

What are the essential services that Westchester County government must deliver?

 

The economic reality is that we can no longer afford to pay for programs

 

that are just “nice to haves.” 

 

Our budget department and external auditors are forecasting

 

that Westchester County could face  severe cash flow problems

 

 as early as spring . . . and a 60 million dollar deficit in 2011.

 

So much for a honeymoon.

 

The way we will face this challenge is head-on.

 

An immediate priority for my commissioners and department heads

 

will be to question every line of spending…like never before;

 

strip out the “nice to haves,”  and come back to me with budgets

 

that limit spending to “must have” essential services.

 

Economic Growth:

 

The engine that keeps Westchester the place we love is economic growth.

 

To put it bluntly, business and commerce are what pay the bills.

 

Therefore, it is absolutely critical

 

that County government do everything in its power

 

to make Westchester an attractive place

 

for new businesses to locate

 

and for our current businesses to stay and prosper.

 

We cannot afford to see anymore companies like Starwood Hotels leave

 

Westchester for Connecticut or anywhere else.

 

But let’s be clear.

 

Large corporations are not the only contributor to Westchester‘s economy.

 

Small businesses are the number one source of jobs and job creation.

 

So companies large and small

 

– from IBM, Pepsico and MasterCard to