THE WPCNR

GEORGE W. BUSH

Countdown Clock

Gongs On

JUST

62

Days

To Go To

Inauguration Day, 2009

When The Clinton Administration Reunion Begins for Better or Worse

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. November 19, 2008: The Common Council will receive a 2008-09 Budget update Thursday evening as part of an intriguing work session beginning at 6 P.M. Pundits will be watching to see if the Common Council raises the issue of  "Acting Budget Director" David Birdsall  (whom the Common Council did not approve for the position two weeks ago).  

Mr. Birdsall ran the Capital Projects meeting Tuesday afternoon, and the Mayor's Office announced that Mr. Birdsall will be "Acting Budget Director" "for the foreseeable future."

Other items of interest include a review of the Cable Television operation budget and technological upgrades for the Common Council chamber telecasts.

The council will review the White Plains Hospital Center "Master Plan," and a resolution pertaining to the East Post Road Urban Renewal area. (No details currently available.)  

There will be an Executive Session on labor negotiations.

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. November 19, 2008: The Board of Legislators press office has released the following analysis of the County Law Department and Department of Human Resources Budgets in County Executive Andrew Spano's 2009 Budget proposed last week:

WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. From Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. November 19, 2008:  A new website WWW.RETHINKINGWESTCHESTERGOV.COM HAS BEEN LAUNCHED.

The goal of the site and committee is to encourage Westchester residents to rethink life WITHOUT A COUNTY GOVERNMENT. It can happen. Connecticut has no county government. Rhode Island has no county government. And- Massachusetts authorized the abolishment of county government in the mid 1990s.

The website will be updated frequently --highlighting examples of WASTE in a WASTECHESTER section. We will discuss experiences states have had without county government and highlight how the county spends our tax dollars. We want a careful analysis to be done----can Westchester taxpayers do better WITHOUT A COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

The launching of our website is only step one. We also expect to involve many new people in the review process and plan to expand the website with an interactive blog---encouraging resident feedback re: government waste and unnecessary spending.

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor's Press Office. November 17, 2008: Governor David A. Patterson challenged the state legislators convening in Albany today releasing this statement:

“The State’s 212 legislators will meet in Albany tomorrow to take up the difficult task of closing the $1.5 billion current-year State budget deficit. As I have said since I took office, balancing the State’s finances in a year that has stripped New York of a significant portion of its annual revenue will require sacrifice, compromise and leadership.

“On November 12th, I submitted a proposal for budget reductions totaling $2 billion for my colleagues to consider, a proposal I clearly outlined along with Budget Director Laura Anglin. Though we have provided the legislature with draft bill copy and detailed briefings, we have not filed the legislation because we expected to keep these proposals open for negotiation, correction, amplification or any other changes that might come in the course of collaboration with my legislative colleagues.

“I alone cannot address this mounting deficit. It is incumbent upon the members of the Senate and Assembly to join me at the table and work toward a solution that strengthens our State and serves the people we represent.

“It is essential that we take action tomorrow. Inaction will impede our ability to produce a fair and balanced budget next year. These difficult decisions cannot be put off any longer. If my colleagues disagree with elements of the budget reduction plan I have submitted, I ask them to respond by offering their own solutions.

“I hope we will convene tomorrow with a three-way agreement that puts the fiscal health and viability of the State above all else.”

      WPCNR STAGE DOOR. From White Plains Performing Arts Center. November 18, 2008:  The full cast has been announced for a new production of the Tony Award-winning musical Oliver! at the White Plains Performing Arts Center, Westchester’s professional regional theatre located in White Plains, NY. The show opens November 20 – December 14, 2008 as the opening production of the theatre’s Bank of America Broadway Classics series.

Work House Boys Rehearsing for Friday's Opening Night at the

 WPPAC production of OLIVER!

Work H

WPCNR THE HOUSING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. November 17, 2008: Westchester Residential Opportunities will hold a public meeting in the Battle Hill Community Room at the Battle Hill condominiums Tuesday evening at 7 PM to acquaint White Plains homeowners with their foreclosure counseling service.

The city awarded WRO $30,000 to pay for a foreclosure expert to counsel White Plains residents facing mortgage payment and possible foreclosure action as to how they can avoid foreclosure proceedings.

Within the last two weeks, notices of sale of auction of three residences foreclosed for prices ranging from $680,000  on Concord Avenue in Fisher Hill, and $1,000,000 on New York Avenue in Prospect Park and  in Gedney Farms have been advertised.

Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel told WPCNR that in the last five months,  the WRO foreclosure expert helped 6 to 7 homeowners in White Plains in foreclosure proceedings. Ms Hable said several homeowners were able with the counselor intervention, keep their homes by arranging less stressful payment schedules with their lenders. She said that a couple of homeowners were in such a poor financial situation that, with the counselor’s help they were to short-sale their homes for the amount of their outstanding mortgages, enabling the owners to preserve their credit ratings.

 Habel said the city has sent out notices of tomorrow evening’s meeting and sent out notices of availability of the WRO’s counselingservice to all homeowners receiving notices of foreclosure proceedings.

WPCNR REMINISCING. November 15, 2008: The following  reminices have been going around, and in case you have not read it. It may stir a fond memory or two on a  depressing November day.

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. (EDITED) November 15, 2008: Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano issued a $1.773 Billion 2009 Budget today, calling for a 2.7% County Property Tax increase.

  “Yet, even with extensive cuts, that is not enough to hold the line on taxes,” Spano said. “It is our loss of $26 million in revenues that is causing county taxes to go up 2.97 percent.”

County taxes account for about 15-18 percent of a taxpayer’s property tax bill, Spano said. The remainder comes from taxes levied by schools, local governments and special districts. The exact impact of the county tax increase on a property owner varies from community to community, due to difference assessment practices.

Spano’s budget now goes to the Board of Legislators, which has until Dec. 27 to approve a final spending plan for next year.  

The Details:

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From County Board of Legislators. November 13, 2008: County legislators reacted favorably to the County Executive’s announcement today that his proposed 2009 county operating budget will not include a taxpayer subsidy for Playland Amusement Park.  The legislators were quick to point out that they will of course more thoroughly examaine the proposal in the as part of its upcoming comprehensive review of the entire operating budget.  

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. From The Mayor's Office. November 13, 2008: Mayor Joseph M.Delfino of the City of White Plains today announced support for the new public advocacy Web site, www.StopTheTaxShift.org.  The Web site, which was developed as a project of the New York State Conference of Mayors (NYCOM), is designed to help policymakers, the media, the public and New York’s taxpayers fully understand the property tax impact of decisions made in Albany.

“This Web site will be extremely beneficial in helping us explain, to both our legislators and our constituents, that what goes on at the State Capitol has a tremendous impact here in White Plains,” said Mayor Delfino.  “As much as local officials try to make this point, it is difficult to fully appreciate that Albany’s actions can force higher local taxes.  StopTheTaxShift.org clarifies this relationship in a way that everyone –  politicians, local officials, and our residents – can understand.”   

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor's Press Office. November 12, 2008 (Edited): Governor David A. Paterson today announced a comprehensive, two-year $5.2 billion deficit reduction plan that will entirely eliminate the State’s $1.5 billion current-year shortfall, protect against further declines in revenue in a volatile economic climate, and make a substantial down payment on next year's deficit. The governor defended his state school aid cuts and calls for delay of union raises, by saying he was slowing the rate of growth.

New York Governor Patterson in White Plains last week.

Governor Paterson’s plan would close the State’s $1.5 billion current-year shortfall, while also providing a $548 million cushion against additional declines in revenue during 2008-09. These proposed actions would also reduce the State's 2009-10 deficit from $12.5 billion to $8.8 billion and four-year budget deficit by from $47.0 billion to $35.9 billion.

Of immediate interest to White Plains, (currently in a contract dispute with its teachers who are working without a contract) , the deficit reduction plan confirms that the governor  would decrease the rate of growth in School Aid in the 2008-09 School Year by $836 million statewide ($585 million in the  current 2008-09 State Fiscal Year) -- a possibility that the White Plains School Board has dismissed to date as not being actually in play. This year the School District received a  $1.4 Million (9.35%) increase over 2007-2008  school aid. 

 If the increase was halved, for example the district would have a $600,000 decrease this year, which could be  met by the school's available fund balance of about $8 Million.

Statewide  2008-09 School Year School Aid would still increase by $1.0 billion or 5 percent compared to 2007-08 and total $20.7 billion. Moreover, the level of School Aid spending statewide in 2008-09 would represent an increase of $6.2 billion or 43 percent compared to 2003-04. According to the US Census Bureau, New York spent on average $14,884 per pupil on its public schools in 2006 – the highest amount of any State and 63 percent above the national average.

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. (EDITED)  November 12, 2008: The amusement section of Playland  Park will no longer be funded by tax dollars under a  new one pay admission plan, that will charge $25 for Westchester Residents and $30 for non-residents, (good for unlimited rides all day), with children under 36 inches tall admitted free,  plus  parking  charge for enjoying the historic Rye park unveiled today by County Executive Andy Spano.

Playland. Entertaining Westchester Since 1928

“Westchester property taxpayers will no longer subsidize the amusement park,” said Spano. “Instead, visitors to the amusement section of the park will pay all costs, both operational and capital. This will save our county property taxpayers about $3 million next year.”

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. November 12, 2008: New York Governor David Patterson has sent a detailed list of new spending procedures to New York State agencies, detailing the areas and procedures he expects the agencies to examine and follow through the rest of the state budget year.

Among the mandates: a 10% cut across-the-board in state spending, no new contracts may be executed without review and express consent from the Department of the Budget and State Operations and no new construction Only essential projects will be approved. Essential projects will be considered "essential" only "if failure to complete it will (1) present an immediate, demonstrable threat to public health or safety; (2) directly violate a court order or federal, state, or local law; or (3) result in a substantial reduction in federal aid." The Governor's directive follows: