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. By John F. Bailey. July 20, 2009 UPDATED July 21, 2009: The Board of Education appointed Raymond A. Salvestrini, Jr., from the Danbury Connecticut school district,  as the new Coordinator, Athletics and Physical Education, replacing Nick Panaro, Director, Scholastic Athletics and Jody Cole, Director,  Health & Physical Education, both of whom retired at the end of the last school year.

The appointment consolidates control of scholastic athletic and health education curriculum under one individual, undoing the splitting of the positions four years ago based on the recommendation of former Athletic Director, Mario Scarano.

Ray Salvestrini, Jr. –New White Plains Coordinator of Athletics and Physical Education after his appointment by the Board of Education Monday Evening.

Photo, WPCNR SPORTS

Mr. Salvestrini was previously Athletic Director of Danbury School District ( home of recently retired Superintendent of Schools, Timothy Connors). In May he was named Connecticut High School Athletic Association “Athletic Director of the Year.” Salvestrini was appointed Athletic Director in Danbury, coming from Ridgefield High School, in 2001. Salvestrini resigned last Thursday to accept the White Plains position.

The following is a biography of Mr. Salvestrini, from Who’s Who in Ridgefield, detailing his early career

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE.  By John F. Bailey. July 17, 2009: For the first six months of 2009, the  Westchester County share of sales taxes it collects  is down $23.3 Million from the 2008 sales tax pace off 12%. If the trend continues, the cumulative effect of a 12% annual decline could mean the county faces a  $44 to $46 Million decline in sales tax for the year, and as high as $57 Million by rough WPCNR estimates of the present trend.

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. July 16,2009 Updated with County Statement: According to official figures from the State Department of Taxation and Finance,  two weeks into the new White Plains fiscal year, the city is running a $1 Million deficit.  The city for the first time in eight years,  failed to meet its own  new budget sales tax projection despite a ¼% increase in the sales tax.

The City projects $47.3 Million in their new 2009-10 Budget, and at the close of 2008-09 just ended they only collected $46.4 Million. It means the city is in a million dollar budget hole which would mean a 3% property tax increase in next year’s budget already.

The April May June Sales Tax collection declined by almost $1 Million over last year, despite having a sales tax that was ¼% higher than in 2007-2008. The $10,531,308.27 was $954,022.24 less than was collected in the 4^th quarter of last year. That leaves the city with total sales tax collections for 2008-2009 of $46,310,748 that is $1,039,252 LESS than is budget for anticipated sales tax collections in the Summary Adopted Budget approved by the Common Council in May.

The Commissioner of  Finance Gina Cuneo-Harwood had been very pessimistic about the 4^th quarter ability to sustain last year’s uptick which was a record. The softness of the city economy exceeded Ms. Harwood’s worst fears.

It is particularly noteworthy in that April May June was a shopping quarter, characterized by unusually rainy weather in the northeast, which results in more persons going to malls.

Sales tax collections declined in May $91,824 over last year, but took an astounding  $910,876 nosedive in June from last year’s record June sales tax collections of $4.8 Million.

The million deficit could be handled by the 1% Contingency Fund set aside for unexpected expenditures ($1.582 Million)

County is down 13%  in Sales Tax

The State Department of Taxation and Finance reports that Westchester County has collected $29 Million less in sales tax the first six months of their fiscal year.  They are 12-1/2% off projections.  Last Year the county collected $235.5 Million in  the first half sales tax receiptsand this year the first six months saw the county take in $206 Million. If that trend continues the county may be off 25% in sales tax collections and need to make up $68 Million from somewhere. Donna Greene, Director of Communications for Westchester County pointed out to WPCNR that the city collects sales tax for small communities and villages, and the deficit should not be as high as that $68 Million.

She said this year 2009 the county budgeted $478 Million in sales tax collections. Presently, according to Department of Taxation and Finance projections, the county if the present 12% lag continues, the county will collect $410 Million in 2009 — $68 Million less.

Ms. Greene said the county constantly monitors its numbers and makes adjustments.  Asked about those adjustments, she said she would talk to county budget analysts and try and get a handle on how much of an impact the real sales tax dollar decline will have on the present county budget.

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WPCNR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS. From Battle Hill Association, and Mike McConnell. July 15, 2009 UPDATED 11:05 A.M. E.D.T.: The Battle Hill Association last week reported to WPCNR, “there seems to be a rash of burglaries throughout the neighborhoods.”

Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety, Daniel Jackson, told WPCNR this morning when asked to comment on the “rash of burglaries” comment issued this statement:

Our reports show that there has been one residential burglary on Battle Hill and  two commercial burglaries in the past month. The two commercials occurred last  Friday of two adjacent establishments. The residential was reported on June 24. There are open investigations on all three.

The observation reports speaking to White Plains Police the last week in June, who reported only one burglary on Battle Hill, and that in order to see what was described as “other reports,” the inquirer would have to file a Freedom of Information Law request which would take another week.

Last night a traffic incident on Chatterton Parkway, a notorious traffic cut through street where motorists go from Central Avenue over Battle Hill into White Plains, caused another resident Mike McConnell to write the police in White Plains and Greenburgh, calling for stricter patrol of the area.

Commissioner Jackson of White Plains, asked if he wished to comment on Mr. McConnell’s criticisms of police patrols in Battle Hill (shared with the Mayor’s Office), said the police had “no comment.”

Paul Feiner, Greenburgh Town Supervisor, early Wednesday morning responded to McConnell, writing: I  will ask the Greenburgh police chief to review this matter. PAUL FEINER

The Battle Hill Association says to the CitizeNetReporter after the Association had sent out a warning to residents of burglary risk, a resident was burglarized June 16. The BHA says jewelry was taken in both homes and that there was no forced entry, with both homes having left a door or window open.

The Battle Hill Association reports “hearing” of burglaries in the George Washington and Highlands neighborhoods with homes not ransacked and jewelry taken. In the letter, the Battle Hill Association criticises police for “the so-called community police not informing associations since they tell us we are the eyes and ears of the neighborhood.”

Battle Hill Association raises this question in the open letter: “We also have a neighborhood watch that were trained by police, why are they not utilizing their resources?”

Traffic Concerns Rise

In Mr. McConnell’s letter sent to Mayor Joseph Delfino Tuesday, Mr. McConnell writes, in part:

To: White Plains Public Safety c/o Mayor Joe Delfino, City of White Plains

Lt. Christopher c/o Mayor Joe Delfino,

I would like to bring your attention to a matter that has been raised many times before only to have only to be routinely pushed aside. The issue of Traffic Safety on Chatterton Pkwy. I am raising the issue of one of the most dangerous stretches of roads in White Plains and Greenburg.

Tonight (Tuesday)  at approximately 9:37PM I was attempting to make a right on red from Hawley onto Chatterton Pkwy and I was almost broadsided by a (WMI) Dominos delivery “Weapon of Mass Indigestion”. This vehicle was traveling at what appeared to be in excess of 50mph and blew through the very short red light at this intersection. I made every effort to follow this vehicle back to the store but found that was impossible by driving 30mph. I eventually made it to the store about 0:01-0:015 min. behind this maniac purveyor of pizza. I entered the store and filed a complaint with the manager.

I do feel that the corporate management of Dominos should be notified as well and will address this matter tomorrow. Franchise owned or not they still are bombing around with the dominos logo on their vehicles making Dominos complicit in this direct threat to public safety.

As you know I spent 1-2 years providing info to you regarding a Green Van with and unlicensed driver who continued to drive  around our neighborhood unmolested and ignored by the WPPD. If you did actually address the problem you most certainly failed to advise me as the source of the complaint.   I happened to see this Green Van about 3 wks back and it appeared to have new NJ or PA plates so I guess we have passed our problem onto to some un-suspecting NJ or PA police depts.

We still have multiple cabs, limos, 25 ft trucks at the delis and delivery vehicles speeding around our neighborhood un-checked by the WPPD. I rarely see any WPPD activity or cruisers in our neighborhood and it is time that the residents of Chase, Waldo, Chatterton Pkwy, Wayne, Alexander, Jackson and Lee get an equal share of tax payer funded services. It is clear that the WPPD expends the  majority of its resources in the downtown area and the more affluent areas.

I have also noticed the area around the deli’s  on Battle Hill has once again begun to deteriorate. I observed gentlemen hanging out as early as 10:00/10:30AM on weekdays, sitting on milk crates again,  AM, PM it just doesn’t matter. 

I have observed your cruisers drive right by without breaking up these groups of men who don’t seem to live in this neighborhood. I see vehicles from CT, NJ , PA, NC AZ parked regularly at these delis. Doesn’t NYS Motor Vehicle Law require anybody living in NY re-register their vehicles? Can you advise what the WPPD does when they might stop the same out of state vehicle in say, a three month period. Is the real address of the driver and owner verified. Does the WPPD notify the Insurance company that the vehicle appears to be domiciled in a state that it is not registered in?

As a result of the recent spree of robberies (burglaries), I felt compelled to sign a contract to upgrade my old inactive alarm system to a more modern one. This of course cost me money I really can’t afford spend but it really appears to be necessary due to the increase in un-reported crimes in this city. I am out urging all my neighbors to do the same because we need to protect ourselves since this City’s administration has failed to keep its lower middle income bracket safe.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Board of Legislators. (Supplemented with additional reporting by WPCNR)July 9,2009: The Westchester County Board of Legislators passed a resolution Tuesday to create the Westchester Collaborative Assessment Commission (WCAC).  This resolution was introduced by Legislator Ken Jenkins (D, I, WF – Yonkers), Chairman of the Committee on Government Operations.  This action by the County Board is the result of several months of work in committee with the various municipal stakeholders, the Westchester County Tax Commissioner and the NYS Office of Real Property Services. “This resolution is an important first step as we work together with the municipalities to address property tax fairness.  For governments at every level, there is no greater issue than addressing property taxes.  This is the type of issue where the value and economy of scale County government delivers is highlighted,” said Jenkins.

The Commission as created has no set number of members from each group represented on the Commission, an issue that troubled several legislators on the floor (George Oros, Vito Pinto), who said that without a limit, votes could be stacked. Jenkins dismissed this criticism because the groups involved were professionals with an interest in accurate data, and had worked together to recommend the commission.

.Jenkins in his speech on the floor said that the Commission would upon completion of the database “The final portion of this that theseparameters from the WCAC would then be passed back to the Board of Legislators for its action, whatever action those may happen to be.” He did not specify the nature of the parameters.

It was also stated by Mr. Jenkins that after the aerial photography and oblique photography (photography from the horizontal perspective, not simply overhead) would be conducted first and then incorporated into a county database, accessable  to local assessors for up-to-2010 (the photography is expected to be executed in the winter months), views of commercial properties. The photography would be conducted on commercial properties only.

Lloyd Tasch, President of the Westchester Municipal Assessors Association,(and also the City of White Plains Assessor)  said at this point he is pleased that the Commission was created and that the main objective will be “getting every municipality’s data up-to-date and on an even keel.” He said it might take as much as a year to complete all the data,(“I’ve seen the way these things go.”) He said the data alone, including the photography piece included into one county accessible system for every assessor would help assessors use commercial data to fight certioraris more efficiently. 

He declined to speculate on what parameters the Commission would be looking at in their final recommendations to the Board of Legislators. He said the data piece alone would go a long way towards fighting the certiorari seige.  Ken Jenkins, the legislator said that Yonkers had to bond for $19 Million in their budget this year for certirorari refunds, which made up  3% of the 5.6% tax increase in the Yonkers city budget.

 Legislator Pete Harckham (D, I, WF – Bedford) said, “The operative word in the Collaborative Assessment Commission is ‘collaborative’.  This is a text book model of local municipalities and the County government sharing resources to reduce costs and improve the assessment capabilities at the local level.  The State is holding this approach up as a model for other counties to follow.”

 Legislator John Nonna (D,I,WF – Pleasantville) said, “The establishment of the Collaborative Assessment Commission  is an important step in working with our municipalities to help them create a transparent, fair and equitable assessment process. The creation of a database for commercial and other properties will assist municipalities in establishing sound assessments and reducing certioraris.  As a former mayor, I am well aware of the burden the certioraris–return of taxes because of over assessment– places on our municipal governments. This collaborative effort is a classic example of shared service and County government working with its constituent towns, villages and cities to help them fulfill their missions.”

 Legislator Bill Burton (D,I,WF – Ossining) said, “This establishment of this Commission shows that Westchester County understands what is necessary to help reduce unfair taxation and bad assessment practice. By using the County’s strengths in data processing and volume purchasing power, Westchester County is helping local officials take steps to make taxes fairer and, ultimately, less onerous.”

 The members of the WCAC will be from the Westchester County Tax Commission, the Westchester Municipal Officials Association and the Westchester County Chapter, New York State Assessors Association with the Executive Director of the Westchester County Tax Commission serving as liaison to the County Board.  The WCAC will be responsible for the development of a regional model for the collection and maintenance of property data that would be used by local assessing units as the standard for recording the characteristics of every parcel of property in their communities. 

 Specifically, the WCAC will have the following objectives:

·         To develop a model for the recording and maintenance of property data by the municipalities with assessing units which is to result in the design of a property information card with appropriate fields that will standardize all property data in the county for assessment purposes;

 ·         To provide a time and cost estimate for updating the property data to be maintained and utilized by the local assessing unit;  and be it further

 The resolution also supports the photometry recommended in the Collaborative Assessment Report including oblique aerial photography and street level photography.  The resolution establishes a centralized commercial assessment data base to be maintained by the County as recommended in the Collaborative Assessment report.