Guess How Much You Pay in Westchester County Taxes?
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Though Scarsdale residents usually focus on their school and village tax bills, it’s a little known fact that 17.9% of your property tax bill goes to Westchester County, just a little bit more than the 17.6% you pay to the Village of Scarsdale. To get an idea of the numbers, consider this: a Scarsdale homeowner with a local tax bill of $25,000 is currently paying Westchester County about $4,475 per year.
From your payment to Scarsdale Village Hall you receive essential services such as police, fire and sanitation services as well as the use of the library and recreational facilities like the pool and tennis courts.
But what do you get from the county? At a meeting of the Westchester County League of Women Voters at the Scarsdale Library on Monday, November 28, County Budget Director Larry Soule presented an analysis of the staggering $1.8 billion Westchester County budget and there was precious little in store for Scarsdale.
Strapped with mandated pension costs and rising expenses, the county has been forced to eliminate many of
Though County Executive Rob Astorino made a valiant effort to get concessions from the CSEA (Civil Service Employees Association) who represent many county workers, the union leadership refused to negotiate. Currently the average county worker earns $71,324 in salary and makes no contribution to their healthcare costs. Astorino reports that the generous packages for county workers include health, dental and vision care with no employee co-pay, bringing the average cost for a county employee to $110,000 (including pension contributions). Astorino says that on average, these workers are better paid than other public or private workers in Westchester. Unable to negotiate with the union, Astorino was forced to cut 7.5% of the county workforce in the 2012-13 budget, reducing their number to 4,500.
For those not familiar with the work of the county here is where your dollars go. The county manages public assistance programs including Medicaid, provides healthcare, daycare, and special needs programs and employs safety and emergency workers, police and firefighters. It runs a large prison, the court and maintain parks and roads. The county also runs Westchester Community College and subsidize the Bee-Line bus system which is essential transportation for those who do not own cars.
Due to the budget shortfalls, the county was forced to cut funding for virtually all of the programs that benefit Scarsdale residents.
Several years ago Scarsdale received a grant from the county to assist with the flood mitigation project currently planned for George Field Park and Fox Meadow. However, there are no new funds for flooding in the 2012-2013 county budget –and therefore there is no county funding available to help solve the flooding of the Sheldrake River Basin in Heathcote.
Village Manager Al Gatta was hopeful that the county would allocate funds to assist municipalities with conducting a tax revaluation which is planned for Scarsdale. Yet in the proposed budget, the county has allocated nothing for revaluation, leaving Scarsdale on its own to foot the $1.75 million bill to conduct the reval.
Bicycle Sundays on the Bronx River Parkway had to be chopped from the budget as well, which will surely disappoint many riders. However, the county is looking for a corporate sponsor to fund Bicycle Sundays and hopefully someone will step up by the spring.
The County is charged with maintaining the Bronx River Parkway and the Bronx River Reservation that surrounds it. In better days they constructed a beautiful path and bridges bordering the river. But now that funds are short they have fired hundreds of employees and the area has been neglected. The storm sewers along the Bronx River are in need of maintenance and repair and the river and parkway often flood with raw sewage backing up onto the paths.
Westchester County formerly funded the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Valhalla that provides educational programs on horticulture, gardening and nutrition to name a few. For the coming year, the County’s $990,000 funding for the Cornell Cooperative has been slashed from the budget.
As the more fortunate residents of Westchester, some would argue that it is Scarsdale’s duty to pay more than our fair share to defray the costs for those in need -- and to provide funding to support Westchester’s infrastructure. But at a time when our own village is considering limiting garbage pick-up to once per week and letting leaves mulch to save money, it’s frustrating to pay the tab from the county and get so little in return.
Hopefully next year the county can lobby Albany to reduce pension and Medicaid costs. In addition, they should look for ways to consolidate departments and work with local municipalities to alleviate duplication of services. But in the short term, there’s not a whole lot to be done but write your check.
Pictured at top: Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino
SBNC Joint Committee Proposes Changes to the Non-Partisan Resolution
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The Joint Committee of the Scarsdale School Board Nominating Committee is proposing amendments to its non-partisan resolution to improve the election process. Each year, the Joint Committee convenes to consider whether to make changes to its Resolution after the SBNC election. This year’s amendments are substantial.
All Scarsdale residents are invited to a public meeting to discuss these changes on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 8:00 pm in the Boynton Room of The Scarsdale Congregational Church (1 Heathcote Rd). SBNC candidates are also encouraged to attend this meeting to learn more about how the SBNC works.
After receiving public comment on the changes to the Resolution, the Joint Committee will finalize the language for its proposed amendments by December 15, 2011. The election to vote on the amendments, and to vote in this year’s SBNC members, will be on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 in the Scarsdale Middle School auditorium lobby from 7:00am-10:00am and from 2:00pm to 9:00pm.
Copies of the proposed amendments are available on the SBNC website at: http://scarsdalesbnc.com/press/ . Hard copies are also available at the Reference Desk of the Scarsdale Library and in the brochure racks in the lobby of Village Hall. Here is a summary:
- Candidate petitions shall now contain a statement certified by the prospective candidate that neither they nor anyone working on behalf of their campaign will assist in the completion or handle a mail-in ballot other than their own.
- Morning voting hours shall be extended for an additional 30 minutes, concluding at 10:00 AM rather than 9:30 AM.
- Procedures for utilizing mail-in ballots are being clarified to prevent potential confusion in tabulating election results and abuse of the mail-in ballot process, as follows:
- A voter using a mail-in ballot will be required to sign their name on the seal of the envelope and print their name and address on the outside of envelope.
- The mail-in ballot will contain a statement saying that by signing the seal of the mail-in ballot envelope (see above), the voter is certifying that they are eligible to vote and have not and will not vote in the election except by this mail-in ballot.
- Mail-in ballots submitted other than in accordance with the new procedures will be invalid and shall not be counted.
- No person other than a member of a voter’s own household may be permitted to have contact with a voter’s mail-in ballot prior to mailing.
- The Administrative Committee shall compare the names of voters submitting mail-in ballots to those voting in person to ensure that such persons do not vote more than once.
- Envelopes containing properly completed mail-in ballots shall be discarded prior to tabulation of election results to improve voter privacy.
- Procedures for filling vacancies occurring on the SBNC before the petition deadline for the next SNBC election are being clarified. Vacancies shall be filled for the balance of any unexpired term by the person(s) who receives the next highest number of votes in an SBNC election after those who were elected to fill the first two positions. If there is no such person(s), the position(s) shall remain vacant until the next election.
- The Chair of the Administrative Committee shall be elected by a majority of the then-serving members of the Joint Committee if neither the Chair of the Administrative Committee or the outgoing Vice Chair of the Administrative Committee are available.
- One of the criteria for a qualified voter is being clarified to insert the words “United States” in front of the word “citizen”.
Pictured Above: Jyoti Ruta -Chair of the SBNC, Michael Pollack and Nan Berke, Co-chairs of the Administrative Committee of the SBNC.
Survey Responses Are In: Restaurants Wanted Downtown
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The people have spoken! We received a healthy response to our survey about what you would like to see downtown – what kinds of stores, restaurants and businesses to fill the empty storefronts in the village.
From the 94 respondents and additional comments here is what we learned:
91% would like to see more restaurants downtown; of those who want more dining option, 80% prefer moderately-priced eateries
Response was mixed about the kinds of restaurants you would like to see: Italian and Mexican came out on top, followed by Indian, Spanish and Japanese in that order.
Others wrote in, “gourmet, healthy gourmet, family friendly, deli, and Greek and Middle Eastern. Responses to a question about a gourmet grocer were split with 45% saying no, and 49% responding yes.
On the question of clothing stores, 72% said no they did not want another clothing store, however to the question about a shoe store, 47% answered yes and 46% answered no. Residents did not favor another gift store, with 53% answering no to the question, “Would you like to have a gift store downtown.” However, a new bookstore would be welcomed as 54% answered yes to the question about adding a bookstore to the mix.
Last, 53% indicated that they would like a shoe repair shop, 41% said yes to a shipping center, 22% a copy shop and other suggestions included a kitchenware shop, sporting goods store, a bar, home furnishings, prepared food, and chain restaurants.
Here is a sampling of comments we received:
-When moving to Scarsdale we noticed how the downtown area by Hartsdale train station has a lot more inviting dining options than the downtown Scarsdale area. I agree that eateries seem to be a big draw - like Garth Road - however, why are there so many Asian restaurants in one tiny spot? Our family is already a fan of the frozen yogurt spot on Garth Road because it's organic, but why aren't there more healthy eating options?
-We certainly do not need another jewelry store! I agree with all about the need for more restaurants and cafe's. Rhodadendron was a great store, I found lots of gifts there, another store like that and a great shoe store would be good. Also, how about another designer consignment store like Roundabout, those types of stores are now doing really well.
-Family- friendly place to take kids -- but isn't a kids place and isn't pizza --like Harry's Burrito's in Larchmont.
-More restaurants. A Pain Quotidien and a good take-out place for when you get off the train and need to get dinner on the table fast.
-I would also like to see a nice casual cafe where you can go and get a salad or soup!
-I'd love to see Le Pain Quotidien or something like it. We need a casual place for lunch where it's not terribly crowded or rushed.
-Restaurants, a coffee or sandwich place with a cafe feel where you can sit and feel part of a village, a dessert place... Just give us a reason to go there and stroll! I love Chat, but we could use 10 more like it.
Additional suggestions were numerous and below are a few from Scarsdale10583 readers:
- Upscale craft gallery
- Pizza parlor
- Bagel store
- Burger joint
- A place to watch sports
- Movie theatre
- Smoothie store
- A bookstore with a coffee shop
- Apple store
Partisan Politics and U.S. Foreign Policy at the Scarsdale Forum
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The Scarsdale Forum cordially invites the public to its second Sunday Speaker Series program of the 2011-12 season on December 11th at the Scarsdale Woman’s Club, 37 Drake Road at 3 P.M. Kenneth I. Juster will discuss “The Impact of Partisan Politics on U.S. Foreign Policy: What has changed and Why.” Juster has over 30 years of experience in law, business, finance, and government. Currently a partner and managing director at the global private equity firm Warburg Pincus, Juster spent many years in public service. As the United States Under Secretary of Commerce from 2001-2005, he was in charge of the Bureau of Industry and Security which oversaw issues at the intersection of business and national security. From 1992-1993, Juster was Acting Counselor of the United States Department of State. He served as Deputy and Senior Adviser to Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence S. Eagleburger from 1989-1992. Juster was one of the key American government officials involved in establishing and managing U.S. assistance programs to Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. He was also involved in policy matters relating to China, Japan, Latin America, Israel, and the Persian Gulf. A graduate of Scarsdale High School, Juster was a recipient of its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007.
Refreshments will be served where the audience will have an opportunity to meet Juster following his talk. All are welcome.
The Sunday Speaker Series programs are open to the public, free of charge and are underwritten in part by a generous grant from the Irving J. Sloan Education Fund, made possible by the Liz Claiborne-Arthur Ortenberg Foundation.
For more information, visit (www.ScarsdaleForum.com), call (914-723-2829) or e-mail (office@scarsdaleforum.com).
Volunteers Needed for the First AFYA Sortathon
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On Saturday November 12, Afya Foundation is hosting a 16-hour Sortathon, during which hundreds of supply boxes housing vitally needed medical and humanitarian supplies, will be sorted, packed, and readied for immediate shipment to Africa and Haiti. Hundreds of students along with local community groups are expected to attend. Individuals and teams (families, friends, co-workers and community groups) are invited to sign up for a 2-hour shift at a special website www.sortathon.afyafoundation.org . Throughout the day volunteers will be entertained with great live music and informative presentations.
The event will be held at Afya Foundation, 140 Saw Mill River Road, Yonkers, NY 10701
Here is a schedule of speakers and entertainers who will be on hand from 8 am to midnight to keep it lively while the packers pack:
Schedule of Presentations and Performances:
- 8:00 am – 10:00 am – Mane Kadang (Musical Entertainment)
- 10:15 am – 10:45 am – Taranah Shirazian, MD (Speaker)
- 11:00 am – 11:15 am – Jacques Sebisaho (Speaker)
- 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Boku (Musical Entertainment)
- 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Lorraine Cashin (Speaker)
- 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm – DJ Sammy (Musical Entertainment)
- 3:20 – 3:30 – Jordana, Nathan and Jay (Speakers)
- 3:45 pm – 4:00 pm – Gideon Herscher (Speaker)
- 5:00 pm – 5:30 pm – Dedication to John Cleaver Kelly (Tribute)
- 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Same Old Explosion (Musical Entertainment)
- 10:00 pm – 12:00 am – Active Bird Community (Musical Entertainment)
The Afya Foundation, well known for acting efficiently and expediently in the face of natural disaster by sending medical and humanitarian supplies to nations-in-need, is inviting everyone to help with this first 16-hour Sortathon.
For more information, contact Danielle Butin at 914.920.5081 or by email at: danielle.butin@afyafoundation.org
