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 ALBANY ROUNDS. By John F. Bailey, and The New York State Office of the Comptroller Press Office. September 22, 2009 UPDATED 6:10 P.M. E.D.T.:  The City of White Plains faces a WPCNR-estimated $2.5 Million increase, (a 7% increase in property taxes)  to $10.6 Million in the city contribution to the New York State Employee Retirement System and the state Police and Fire Retirement System payable in part in 2011-2012, according to new rates issued by the State Office of the Comptroller Tuesday.  The announcement of the new rates was long expected and warned of by the Comptroller’s Office previously.

The White Plains City School District will face a projected payment of $12,138,000, an increase of $4.5 Million in Retirement Benefit contributions, if its pension contribution increases at the same rate as the rates applied to municipalities. Those payments from the School District would come due to the state in 2011-2012, and based on present numbers would require a 3% property tax increase. Fred Seiler of the school district said, though the percentages for the school district have not been issued yet by the Comptroller’s Office, the increase would be budgeted for in the 2010-11 budget year.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli held out the possibility of cities and municipalities “amortizing” the 11.9% increase in the Employee Retirement System (for Civil Service Employee Association members)and the 18.2% increase in police and fire contribution. The Comptroller’s news release did not provide an indication of how much relief in postponed payments cities could expect.

The White Plains City School District pays into the Employee Retirement System and the Teachers Retirement Fund, and those percentages have not been calculated yet by the Comptroller’s Office.  The district is paying 7.63% and 7.90% of its $102 Million in salaries into the Employees Retirement System and the Teachers Retirement System in the current 2009-10 school budget.

The news release from the Comptroller’s Office stated the increase in pension fund contributions is required because state retirement fund assets declined in value 26.3% at the end of the state fiscal year, 2008-2009.

What this may mean to White Plains.

Assuming union increases of 4% retroactive  to this year and in effect next year as a result of voluntary binding arbitration talks, total salaries will top $36.2 Million for the police and fire services at the close of 2010-11, and salaries for the Civil Service Employees Assocation and Sanitation workers, $27.1 Million.

Applying the 11.9% increase to the Employee Retirement System contributions from the CSEA and Sanitation union projected salaries, the city would owe about $3.2 Million to the state in 2011-12 .

Taking the police and fire handle which by 2011-12 will, based on local average wage settlements approach $36.2 Million (up from $33.5 Million in 2009-10) and figuring 18.2% of that WPCNR comes up with a ballpark figure of $6.6 Million contributed on behalf of the police and fire employees.

This creates a total pension fund contribution based on union salaries of about $9.8 Million.

 Assuming no increases in Commissioner, elected officers, and managerial salaries, the pension contribution bubbles up to $10.6  Million, $2.4 million more than the city is paying this year. That is equivalent to a 7%  property tax increase in 2011-12 alone, unless the city is able to amortize a portion of it, as Comptroller DiNapoli suggests.

Meanwhile, at 5 Homeside Lane

Meanwhile over on the other side of town, where the school district has a payroll now of $102 Million that will go up to approximately $105 Million by the end of 2011, assuming the pension fund contributions increase is 12%, the district will face about a $12.6 Million pension fund contribution, up $4.5 Million from the present annual contribution of approximately $8 Million. (In the 2009-2010 current school budget, there is no isolated line stating the current actual contribution,only the percentage of contributions to the State Employees System and the Teachers Retirement System. )

The school district would face a 3% property tax increase, assuming property assessments stay the same, if pension contributions in 2011-12 were pegged at 12%– the same as the Employee Retirement System.

The State Numbers.(From Comptroller’s News Release)

The New York State Comptroller’s office  announced Tuesday that the employer contribution rates for the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) and the Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS) will increase in 2011. The impact of the global recession on the $116.5 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund) will drive the average ERS rate up to 11.9 percent (up from 7.4 percent in 2010). The average PFRS rate will be 18.2 percent (up from 15.1 percent in 2010).

Despite the Fund’s negative 26.3 percent return for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009, the Fund remains one of the strongest, most secure public pension plans in the United States, the comptroller’s office said.

“While the pension fund has handled the market collapse better than most other public funds, there is no question that it’s been hit by the crumbling economy,” State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said. “The Retirement System’s Actuary has determined that employer contribution rates have to increase. In the past, when the market performed well, the rates decreased. Similarly, when the markets perform poorly, the rates have to increase.

Amortization Suggested to Ease the Pain. No details.

“We must give local governments the tools they need to manage through these tough times, and we must enact reforms that will give taxpayers a break. For the short term, I’ve offered a proposal to mitigate the impact of higher contribution rates on state and local governments by allowing employers to amortize a portion of the increased costs over time, which will provide government employers with tens of millions of dollars of budget relief while ensuring the Fund remains strong. I will work with the Governor and the Legislature to address the challenges facing local governments.

“The more difficult challenge is to address the long-term costs. One positive sign is the agreement reached between Governor Paterson, the Civil Service Employees Association and the Public Employees Federation earlier this year. Once this agreement is enacted, it could save state and local governments an estimated 19 percent in future contributions for each new employee. These pension reform discussions need to continue with all parties to help protect taxpayers and the Fund for years to come.”

The Comptroller’s office mailed letters to State and local government employers yesterday, informing them of the contribution rate increase for 2011.

Click here to view the Fund’s historical employer contribution rates.

Mayor’s reaction to rate increase.

Mayor Joseph Delfino was reported by  Aman Ali of The Journal News this morning as having this to say about the Comptroller’s Office pension increases:

“I’m hoping more revenue will begin coming into our communities between now and next year. I’m not saying the recession is anywhere near over. But the trends are looking good, and the comments from Washington are saying that it’s getting better…There’s ways to find money,and people just have to look harder.”

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. September 21, 2009: Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Daniel Jackson has announced that  that Madeline Cano has been promoted from detective to Sergeant and is the first female hispanic sergeant in the history of the Department.

Additionally Luis Muniz was promoted to Detective 3rd grade. He is the current president of the Westchester Hispanic Law Enforcement Officers Assn.  j

Matthew Kittelstad was promoted to detective, second grade.

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WPCNR THE COLLECTION NEWS.  September 21, 2009: The Mayor’s Office informed WPCNR today  that the city has received between 50 and 100 telephone calls in the last three weeks, demanding the city return to its policy of the past: picking up fall leaves at the curb and reinstate the so-called “backyard pickup,” where sanitation workers enter the homeowners’ property and transport the garbage containers to their trucks.

Melissa Lopez, of the Mayor’s Office announced today  that Joseph Nicoletti, Commissioner of Public Works,  architect of the new leaf-bag and no backyard pickup policy, is devising an alternative plan and the cost of returning to the former practice of  sending crews to sweep up the leaves and retrieving garbage receptacles from backyards. Lopez said the other changes of separate day pickup for recyclable paper and recyclable containers was not being reviewed and would remain in effect.

Lopez said if leaf-bagging is eliminated and backyard pickup is reinstated, some other service or services would have to be eliminated. Lopez said the Mayor said, “this is a policy decision,” implying this was in the purview of the CommonCouncil.

“The Nicoletti Alternatives” will be presented Thursday at a Common Council Work Session, a meeting where the current state of the White Plains City Budget will be presented. Presently the budget is running a deficit of 12-1/2% in sales tax collections alone, which if reversed will result in a $6 Million deficit in sales collections this year.

The city budgeted that it would collect $47.3 Million in sales taxes in 2009-10, and are on a pace to collect only $41.5 Million with ten months to go. A record holiday season is needed for the city to get back on track.

It should be noted that not all neighborhoods in the city, especially in the southend of town  with big property do not enjoy “backyard pickup.” In Haviland Manor, there has not been a sanitation worker seen in a backyard in years. Somehow the backyard pickup policy appeared to have been conveniently forgotten a number of years ago. If backyard pickup is resumed, perhaps the Department of Public Works will refresh sanitation crews that they need to conduct full backyard pickups for all the neighborhoods in the city.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. September 17, 2009: The triple threats, Doug Sewitch,Daryl Schuler and Anthony Cardon sliced up Lincoln swiftly in White Plains first series Thursday evening when Sewitch took-in a 12 yard swing pass from the effortlessly smooth QB Mike Trapp  for one first down at the Tiger 43, Number 23 Daryl Schuler took a hand off  and slipped off tackle and thundered, spun and deked 13 yards to the Lancer 43. That worked so well Trapp gave the ball to Schuler again, who swept around left end to the Lincoln 32.  On the next play with 3rd and 2 at the 32, the third member of the TD team, Anthony Cardon cruised around left end down the sideline for 32 yards and 6 points. Three minutes had gone by. That’s the kind of night it was.

Daryl Schuler (23) headed to the Lincoln 32 on WP’s opening 5 play 67 yard drive to open their 41-14 win over Lincoln Thursday night. Doug Sewitch (3) escorts him.

White Plains moved the ball at will, cruising to a 41-6 lead at half-time.Two long pass plays from Lincolin’s Anthony Phynn to Keven Perez for a first down on the Tiger 35, and a 19 yarder to Brian Collado gave Lincoln a 7-6 deficit, after White Plains opening touchdown. But then the Tigers turned on the Sewitch and Schuler switch.

Doug Sewitch the Man in Black makes  an over-the-shoulder, in-full-stride catch of a 39-yard perfectly thrown pass from Mike Trapp at the Lincoln 20, setting up the Tigers fourth touchdown (lugged in by who else, his law partner, Mr. Schuler), with 8 minutes to go in the first half for a 28-6 lead.

Earlier in the first quarter Sewitch  leapt high in the air to catch a halfback option pass from Schuler, for a 36 yard completion  giving WP a first down on the Lincoln 4 and  Schuler completed the legwork for his first touchdown of the night, make it 14-6 WP at the 6 minute mark of the first quarter. 

After the Tiger second TD  in six minutes in the Opening Quarter, White Plains forced Lincoln to punt from their own goal line in the last minute of the First Quarter. A bad snap forced the Lincoln punter to bobble and drop the ball. Justin Lamply pounced on the fumble at the Lincoln 4. Mr. Schuler filed a 4 yard touchdown brief in the opening minute of the second quarter and the score was 20-6.

Schuler scored his third touchdown of the first half on a 35 yard run around right end with 4 minutes to go in the half and it was 34-6 with 4:40 left in the half. Joe Sperduto threw an 11-yard Touchdown pass to Anwar Barrett-Bell in the closing minutes of the first half. The score was 41-6 at the half.

The Tigers second team contained Lincoln in the second half and controlled the ball, holding Lincoln to 3 first downs in the second half. A pass in the final minute produced Lincoln’s final score.

Coach Skip Stevens attributed the team’s crisp play to his depth of the squad, which has produced, he said realistic practices, resulting in the almost penalty free first two games of the season, and blocking that has made Schuler and Sewitch  and Cardon look on occassion like Doc Blanchard, Glenn Davis and Jim Brown. Mike Trapp has not had one mix-up on a hand-off in two games, and has poise and accuracy in getting the ball downfield.

It was a Tiger night.

WhitePlains Public Access Television Televised Thursday’s football game on tape delay for telecast on Channels 76/77 (45/46) possibly next Wednesday evening. That’s White Plains Public Access’ John Vorperian and 1995-1996 Tiger great, Jaquai Ganson at the microphone.

The Cheerleaders were airborne.

The White Plains High School Band looked positively collegiate with an elaborate half-time performance.

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. September 17, 2009 UPDATED WITH OFFICIAL STATE STATISTICS: White Plains based on present sales tax collection trends the first two months of its fiscal year,  faces a $6 Million gap in sales tax collections in the current city budget, meaning the city will finish the current year in the red unless retail sales pick up sharply in the holiday quarter coming up.

Westchester County and its legislators can look forward to  a $60 Million Sales Tax gap alone when they take up preparation the 2010 budget.

White Plains has experienced its fourth consecutive month of sales tax receipts decline. The County has experienced seven consective months of decline.

The figures were furnished WPCNR by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

Total  Sales Tax Receipts for the first seven months show White Plains receipts have declined 12-1/4%, falling behind the first half of 2008 in 5 of the 7 months.

Westchester County has failed to match 2008 cumulative sales tax collections figures in each of the last seven months, creating a $38.6 Million deficit in sales tax collections, which if the present rate of decline  continues, creates a $60 Million sales tax gap the county would have to make up.

Official figures from the Department of Taxation and Finance released to WPCNR show White Plains collections have declined for four consecutive months, with the first two months of the new fiscal year that began in July showing a 12.87% decline in July and an 11.6% decline in August (the back-to-school shopping month).

The city is off $963,951.53 in sales tax the first two months of its fiscal year. If the 12.5% decline in retail sales tax collections sustains itself, the city will face a sales tax shortfall planned in this year’s budget of $6 Million, and in planning for the 2010-11 budget, a similar $6 Million less in sales tax that they cannot budget for 2010

Westchester County, which has a calendar year fiscal year(January to December), is off 12-1/2% in sales tax collections the first 7 months of the year, creating a shortfall in the sales tax monies anticipated of $38.6 Million.

In the first seven months of 2008, Westchester County collected $307.8 Million. In the first seven months of 2009, the county has collected $269.2 Million, $38.6 Million behind the pace of last year.  

The county expected to receive $478.2 Million in sales tax in budget year 2009. At the present pace the county can expect a  $60 Million sales tax shortfall before taking into account mortgage tax, increased expenses, wages, pension fund contributions and other impacts on the budget, unless of course, the holiday season in October, November, December is spectacular beyond retailers’ wildest dreams.

First Seven Months 2009 Sales Tax Receipts

Furnished by the New York State Department of Taxation & Finance