Deep Service Cuts Would be Needed to Comply with 2% Cap
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Scarsdale Village Manager Al Gatta met with the Scarsdale League of Women Voters on Halloween morning to preview the potential effect of the state-imposed 2% tax cap. The cap would impact the 2011-12 village budget and can be overridden by a vote of 60% of the Village trustees.
Though it’s very early, Gatta presented estimated numbers and an analysis of what services might have to be cut if the trustees elect to comply with the tax cap.
Gatta’s numbers show that the Village would require a $2.79 million dollar increase from the 2011/12 budget of $46.9 million to maintain services at the current level. That’s a 5.95% increase. To further complicate matters, the 2% cap is on the tax levy, not on the total village budget, so the allowable increase is 2% of the $31.9 tax levy or $638,102.
Therefore, if the Village needs a $2.79 million increase and can only increase taxes by $638,102, there will be a $2,100,000 gap – and that doesn’t include monies the village may need to spend to alleviate flooding in the Sheldrake River Basin, improve the fire house or for additional infrastructure improvements.
Gatta also projected expected increases in Village revenues to offset expenses but could only come up with $330,000 as mortgage tax revenues are flat and interest income has steeply declined.
On the expense side, the Village is required to increase police salaries by 2.7% and increase the contribution to the pension fund by another 30%, on the heels of a 67% increase this year. It should be noted that $300,000 of that increase is exempt from the cap.
According to Gatta, the Village has been cutting budgets for the last 5-6 years and there is little else to cut without dramatically changing services now offered to residents. He asked his department heads to go through the exercise of cutting 3% from their budgets to see what would have to go, and here are a few examples of what could be omitted:
In the Village Manager’s office, a secretary would need to be cut which would prevent phones from being answered and delay requests for information. Receptions for the Village Board and Council would be eliminated.
The Fire Department would cut one position, fire captains would be returned to the line of service, and professional development, attendance at parades, non-essential overtime and the replacement of station and work uniforms would all stand to be eliminated. There would be no laundry service for uniforms and linens and the fire house would not be painted. Due to the staff cut, response time to fires would increase from 3 ½ minutes to 4 minutes.
The sanitation department could cut $350,000 out of their budget by firing employees and reducing trash pick-up to once per week, rather than twice. The recycling center (sanitation yard) could be closed on weekends. The village could reduce the number of times leaves are picked up and require all leaves for pick up to be placed in recyclable bags. Another $30,000 could be saved by not clearing the catch basins – further exacerbating flooding issues.
There are just a few of the choices that residents and trustees will face when they weigh options for what’s in and what’s out of next year’s village budget. Some of the services that the village now provides may have to be purchased privately – and it will be up to homeowners to decide whether it makes more sense to fund the village budget or pay for these services on their own.
Stay tuned.
Wednesday Storm Update:
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A big chunk of Scarsdale had their power restored on Tuesday night, 24 hours before the Con Edison deadline of Wednesday night at midnight. Mayor Flisser reports that as of Wednesday morning, 14,000 customers in Westchester were still without power, down from a peak of 100,000. Con Edison plans to have most repairs done by tonight at midnight.
For most it was too late to save food from the refrigerator and the freezer and residents spent the day cleaning out the kitchen and waiting for their houses to warm up. The people we spoke to were relieved to see life returning to normal after many frustrating days. They opined about disrupted schedules and cancelled plans but primarily remarked about how cold they had been. With the warmer temperatures today, the snow has quickly melted and it feels like autumn instead of winter.
Large branches are littered all over Scarsdale. If you’re thinking about cleaning up your property, here is what you need to know:
Crews from the Scarsdale Department of Public Works are cutting and removing damaged limbs from Village owned trees. To be eligible for pick-up from your curb, the branches must not exceed 3 inches in diameter and should be cut into five-foot lengths and bundled. The bundles should not exceed 18 inches in diameter or 50 pounds in weight.
From today until Friday November 18, Scarsdale Village will waive the tipping fee normally charged to landscapers for yard waste hauled to the Recycling Center. The Center is open Monday - Saturday, 8:00am - 3:00pm to accept yard waste, loose tree limbs, logs and branches from landscapers. Residents should be aware that all yard waste taken directly to and disposed at the Recycling Center will be accepted by the Village without charge.
While you may expect to pay a hauling fee to your landscaper you should not pay a disposal fee during this period. The Village strongly suggests that you direct your landscapers to haul yard waste directly to the Village Recycling Center located at 110 Secor Road.
A Grand Concours in Scarsdale Village
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The annual Scarsdale Concours d’Elegance took place Sunday October 16 in Scarsdale Village. On display were more than 125 cars, from antiques to the latest models, including this classic Jaguar XKE from the late 60s or early 70s that features a 12 cylinder engine that reaches 180mph.
Another standout entry was a vintage 1969 Good Humor truck a Ford F-250, owned by cheery Good Humor girl Kathryn Kraut. Kraut jokingly spoke about how she picked the ice cream truck over getting her PhD and has been happy with her decision ever since. The truck is an in-service Good Humor ice cream truck, originally number 73 of 101 Good Humor trucks circulating in Detroit. Except for a fresh coat of paint, everything on the truck is original, even the porcelain “Good Humor” sign. Kathryn now drives the truck on the east side of Norwalk.
Another car owner, Evan Deiman, completely rebuilt a 1930 Ford Model A into a car that looked just like new. On a whim, he
purchased an old junked Model A that had been sitting in a barn for years. In about 9 months he had it in perfect condition. He even found an American flag with 48 stars for the front of the car like the flag that flew when the car was first made.
Mayor Miriam Levitt Flisser was in town enjoying the show on the sunny afternoon. When asked about her favorite part of the car show, she said she particularly liked that it was outdoors and brings the whole town out to the village. She also says she really likes the vintage cars.
Awards were given out in thirty categories. The Scarsdale car show is a “French ruled” show, where cars are judged on overall aesthetics.
The two co-founders of the car show are Evan Cygler and Denis O’Leary III, both graduates of Scarsdale High School. They founded the car show eight years ago when they were sophomores at the high school. They said they began by making calls to local owners to see if people would come and show their cars. Now people come from all over the country to show their cars in Scarsdale Village. O’Leary said, “A lot of people helped us to dream big.” Eight years later, there is a seven-member board who runs the show and a slew of judges and car owners who come every year.
For more information visit www.scarsdaleconcours.org .
Article by Sunny Feinstein and Photos by Lindsay LeBoyer
Endless Opportunities at Westchester’s Ridge Hill Shopping Mall?
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Yonkers is the new home to a stunning outdoor shopping center that looks more like a gated community than a place for consumers to indulge. Ridge Hill, located down the road from Stew Leonard’s, Home Depot, and Costco, is designed to provide shoppers with a feeling as though they’ve escaped their every-day-lives to enter an oasis of endless opportunities. But, did they succeed
While I can’t guarantee you endless opportunities, I can tell you that this place does not feel like it’s anywhere near home. With elegant fountains, a charming village green, and a plethora of outdoor seating, Ridge Hill will make you feel as though you have reached a destination. As you enter the complex, you are met with a lavish apartment building that looks like it belongs in the residential part of Battery Park. Furthermore, when you pull up to Market Street, you find yourself wondering if you’ve found the newest town in Westchester.
“I feel like I’m on a movie set,” says Armonk resident, Saul Kurtz. “Every structure in the complex looks state of the art, yet this place has the charm of a small town.”
Although many storefronts still appear empty, an impressive variety of big name suppliers have already opened shop. Guys can find all the sports gear they need at Dick’s Sporting Goods, while women can find a home at prestige beauty retailer, Sephora. Anyone can find his or her cozy winter gear at places like L.L. Bean or R.E.I., and there’s always time for a quick stop at Whole Foods on the way out.
Don’t feel like cooking tonight? Not a problem. With American favorites like The Cheesecake Factory and Yard House, an upscale meal is just around the corner. If you’re staying for a meal, why not make it a date. A fully operational Cinema De Lux is open for business, and ready to entertain a shopper at the end of a long day.
“We didn’t even know the theater was here,” says local shopper and moviegoer, Andy Joseph. “My wife dragged me to the mall to pick up sweaters, and it turned into a romantic day.”
You might think the mall looks impressive now, but a promising variety of stores are set to open within the next year. Powerhouse clothing retailers like Gap, H&M, and Old Navy, as well as fashion stores like Desigual, Orvis, and Republic of Couture, are all scheduled to be open before the start of the New Year. Furthermore, culinary paradise, Sur Le Table, fashion accessories boutique, Charming Charlie, and the sensationally soothing smells of Yankee Candle are also scheduled to open prior to December 31st.
Not too bad, right? Next year, we will see a plethora of restaurants moving in like: Barbes, Brio Tuscan Grille, Elevation Burger, Havana Central, and Texas de Brazil. Lastly, in March of next year, fashion super store, Lord and Taylor, will be hoisting an impressive 80,000 square foot store to complete shopping mall with a bang.
Driving around the complex was a pleasure and walking around felt like bliss. Aside from the nuisance of the drive to an isolated part of Yonkers and the three dollars I had to fork over for parking, I could not be happier with my shopping experience. Thus, if it’s “endless opportunities” that you seek, this is probably not your place; but, if it’s a short getaway that fulfills all of your suburban needs, Westchester’s Ridge Hill is the place for you.
Author Michael Kanner is a graduate of Union College with a background in English and a passion for the written word. He worked at Scarsdale Golf Club as a tennis pro before offering his services to a private clientele, and he loves hearing constructive criticism from anyone willing to speak their mind. Michael can be contacted at Michael.Kanner4@gmail.com
Scarsdale Has Been Well Served By the Non-Partisan System
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Here is a letter from former Scarsdale Mayor David Kroenlein: To the Editor: During recent months substantive discussions have arisen about the structure of the candidate selection process and elections in Scarsdale’s Non-Partisan System. I urge Scarsdale’s citizens to use these discussions to appreciate more fully the benefits of this unique system for selection of our elected officials, under both the Scarsdale Citizens’ Nominating Committee and the School Board Nominating Committee, and not let the discussions of March’s Village elections and proposed changes to the rules governing the Village selection process evolve into an attack on the system.
Based on my 40 years in Scarsdale and participation in Village government, I believe that the Non-Partisan System has served Scarsdale very well over many years by bringing highly qualified volunteers into leadership positions in our Village and School District without the necessity of engaging in a traditional election campaign. Because we generally have not had divisive political processes, persons have been selected to serve on our boards and councils, where much of the hard work of Scarsdale policy development and governance occurs, based on interests and abilities, not politics. These individuals have been able to function effectively, focusing on the community’s best interests instead of political interests. We have enjoyed the benefits of strong professional leadership from our Village Managers and Superintendents of Schools that is not buffeted by political influence. Clearly our debates have reflected significant differences of views, but the elected officials and appointed boards and councils are able to seek the best path for the Village and School District without having the next election in their sights. I suggest that we see enough of this in our daily news reports on our national leadership.
At first blush the system may sound undemocratic and restrictive. To be sure, very low voter turnout in the selection processes for persons who serve on the nominating committees means that a limited number of residents participate in the election process, but that does not necessarily create a non-democratic result. All residents have the opportunity to seek positions on the nominating committees or vote for their neighbors who are doing so. I hope that the nonparticipation in the election process is not a result of apathy or frustration but rather primarily a reflection that Scarsdale’s governmental institutions work so effectively that our residents do not feel compelled to participate in the selection process. Given the large number of highly qualified persons who volunteer their time in support of Scarsdale activities, I believe that we achieve broad-based governance.
I urge new residents and residents who are not familiar with the Non-Partisan System to read former Mayor Grady Jensen’s essays at http://scarsdalecitizensparty.com/history.htm, the League of Women Voters description at http://www.lwvs.org/villageschoolelections.htm , the Procedure Committee’s website at http://www.scarsdaleprocedurecommittee.org and the School Board Nominating Committee’s website at http://scarsdalesbnc.com . This material is relatively brief but will provide interested persons with good background information. I also urge our residents to participate in the selection process and to volunteer to work in the numerous parts of our Village and School District organizations to see first hand the benefits of our Non-Partisan System.
David Kroenlein, Scarsdale
