It was two months between my last two emails but less than 24 hours this time! We have breaking news as New York Supreme Court has declared the Edgemont Incorporation petition legally valid and overruled Supervisor Feiner's decision to deny the petition. The court ordered an election to be held within 40 days. However, this is the same thing that happened last time around where Edgemont prevailed initially but then lost on appeal. You can with near 100% certainty expect the Town to Appeal the decision, and last time despite losing the first legal battle, the Town prevailed on appeal. More analysis to come.
https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/fbem/DocumentDisplayServlet?documentId=6k0lfJ1ayfPhKJ/usqGt0w==&system=prod
Hello Greenburgh,
It has been more than 2 months since my last email and obviously the Corona virus has been the talk of just about everything. I haven't been posting about that here because frankly, I am not a doctor or public health official and there are plenty of places to get your Corona news, regardless of how you feel about the whole thing. I know that this has been challenging to everyone, whether you are dealing with job loss, kids home from school/daycare, deaths in the family, or struggling with the quarantine. I want to send a special message of solidarity to those of us with young children at home. When my kids were home with us while trying to work full time it was the hardest thing I have ever done and nearly broke me. Whatever you are struggling with, you are not alone, and if you'd like to just vent or complain please give me call, it can be quite cathartic.
Regardless, life is starting to move on regardless and I wanted to send out an update on a number of things going on in the Town and in our community.
Election Day June 23rd
Election day will be June 23rd with early voting beginning June 13th. In additional to the Democratic Presidential Primary there are several important local Democratic Party Primary contests. You should have received an application for an absentee ballot in the mail if you wish to vote by absentee. Note if you wish to vote by absentee you will receive two separate ballots, one for the presidential primary and one for the local elections. More info on absentee ballots here and a link to information about the election in general.
The CD-17 Congressional Race- There is a crowded field of 8 candidates for the open congressional seat in the Democratic Primary. With Democrats significantly outweighing republicans in the district, the Democratic Primary is the defacto election. David Carlucci, of former IDC fame, is considered the front-runner with Mondaire Jones, David Buchwald, Evelyn Farkas and Adam Schleifer as his main opponents. Much of the focus has been on Carlucci for this actions as a member of the IDC. During that time he caucused with Republicans in Albany blocking many progressive agendas. I encourage everyone to learn more about the candidates and support the candidate they feel best represents their views.
New York Assembly 92nd District- Most of Greenburgh is represented in the New York State Assembly (District 92) by Democrat Thomas Abinanti, He has served as Assemblyman since 2010 prior to serving on the Westchester County Legislature and Greenburgh Town Council. He is being challenged by political newcomer Jenn Williams of Irvington. Through legal maneuvering and with the support of the Greenburgh Democratic Party, Mr. Abinanti tried to prevent Mrs. Williams from appearing on the ballot. He was unsuccessful in that attempt with Mrs. Williams prevailing in court.
Westchester County District Attorney-Incumbent Anthony Scarpino is being challenged by Mimi Rocah. Scarpino barely received the endorsement of Westchester Democrats at the County Convention and is facing a stiff challenge from Mimi. Many progressive organizations have rallied to support her and this could be the tightest race on the ballot.
Fire District Tax Collection
So there was some news coverage in both the Scarsdale Inquirer and Lohud about this. Both articles do a pretty good job of summarizing what happened but I will do my best here to concisely convey the facts. The Town of Greenburgh collects taxes for the 3 professional Fire Districts(Hartsdale, Fairview and Greenville) in Unincorporated Greenburgh. The Town is obligated to pay out 100% of the tax warrants(or taxes due) regardless of how much is collected. Typically about 90% is collected, the town pays out the entire amount, and collects late payments/penalties from those who paid late until full payment is made. This year, Supervisor Feiner engineered a campaign to only pay out what was collected, or in this case 88%, and pay the remaining amount at a later date. The logic or reasoning behind this on his part was that because the Town went along with the County plan for having reduced late payment penalties, the Town didn't want to front the money to the Fire Districts. Now this is 100% illegal, Supervisor Feiner has zero authority of any kind to withhold the payments from the districts. That said, more than 88% of the money was dispersed up front, the Hartsdale and Fairview Fire Districts had no issues with this and were willing to work with the town. More than enough money was dispersed to cover the Tax Anticipation notes that the districts issued, and there would be almost zero impact on day to day operations or public safety from a practical standpoint. Now the Greenville Fire Department, which represents Edgemont(and everyone knows there is zero love lost there between Feiner and Edgemont) was quite opposed to this plan and it has become another chapter in the long battle between Feiner and Edgemont.
Other Town of Greenburgh Notes and updates
Grieving Taxes- Reminder that the time to grieve the assessment of your property values which is used to determine your taxes is coming up. The town assessors office is permitted to accept grievance applications between 6/1 and 6/16. If you have questions you can call the office at 914-989-1520 or email assessors@greenburghny.com
HPPD- Not much to update here, since Corona Supervisor Feiners plans to engineer an expansion of the board has pretty much stalled. Will continue to monitor this as time goes on.
Shoprite- A Shop Rite has received site plan approval for the old movie theater at 320 Saw Mill River Road. Many local residents opposed the project because they did not want a new entrance to the site constructed off of Old Country Road which would increase vehicle traffic. That entrance was granted with a number of improvements required by the developer. More details on this here.
Pool/Camp- Unfortunately today the announcement was made Town Camp would be canceled due to the Corona Virus. No decision about the opening of the pool has been made at this time yet. The pool season was scheduled to begin on May 24th, the tentative date for the pool reopening is currently 6/20 but is pending review and consideration both at the Governor, County and local level. I for one expect that the town will not open the pool but that is just a guess.
Upcoming Events
6/23- Election Day
9/12(date change)- Odell House Colonial Day- Ridge Road Park 12:00pm. Live military re-enactments and family friendly activities.
Eric Zinger
www.ericzinger.com
As many of you know, the future of the Hartsdale Public Parking Department, which manages the parking around the Hartsdale Train Station has been a topic of discussion. Supervisor Feiner has proposed considering expanding the board or dissolving the district entirely and transferring responsibility of the district to the Town Board of Greenburgh.
I would encourage anyone interested in hearing the viewpoints of Supervisor Feiner, the HPPD Board, and/or representatives of the EIC watch yesterday's work session where the Town Board met with the HPPD board. You can watch at the below link. The HPPD discussion begins at 1 hour 11 minutes into the video.
http://greenburghny.swagit.com/play/03102020-1832/#0
View this email in your browser
Eric Zinger's Greenburgh Information and News
Hello Greenburgh,
March is here and spring is in the air. Check the Town of Greenburgh updates section for something that hasn't happened in Greenburgh in years! Please forward this newsletter to your neighbors and friends and encourage them to subscribe.
Jennifer Williams to challenge Assemblyman Abinanti
Greenburgh is represented in the New York State Assembly (District 92) by Democrat Thomas Abinanti, He has served as Assemblyman since 2010 prior to serving on the Westchester County Legislature and Greenburgh Town Council. This will be the first time he has had a challenger for Assembly in the Democratic Primary since his first run in 2010.
Jennifer Williams of Irvington has announced she will be running against him according to https://www.jenforny.org/. You can learn more about her on her FB Page and follow her on Twitter here.
Town of Greenburgh Updates
Something occurred at the most recent Greenburgh Town Board meeting on Wed 2/26 that hasn't happened in quite some time. A resolution sponsored and proposed by Paul Feiner was voted down by the Town Board. Yes that's right, the Town Board voted 3-2 against a resolution regarding the Hartsdale Public Parking Authority. The resolution included a request to expand the board from 3 to up to 7 members and also remove the requirement for board members to own property in the district. Councilwoman Juettner and Jackson along with Councilman Jones(Town Board liason to the HPPD) voted no with Councilman Sheehan and Supervisor Feiner voting yes. You can watch that meeting here.
A lawyer hired to speak on behalf of the HPPD requested that the resolution be held over to a later date to allow for more input/discussion from the HPPD. Several board members also spoke up about the lack of public discussion on this issue before a vote. Both times the issue was discussed it was in executive session and not open to the public. Supervisor Feiner urged the Town Board to pass the legislation that night, arguing that further delay would hurt the chances of the bill being taken up this year.
Several Edgemont residents including former candidate for Supervisor Bob Bernstein also spoke up against the proposal. There are many within Edgemont who feel the move to expand the HPPD is an attempt by Feiner to leverage more control of the HPPD and insure their support in his fight against Edgemont Incorporation.
It marked a rare rebuke to Supervisor Feiner's leadership. I honestly tried to find the last time a resolution failed and was unable to do so. Some people I spoke to said it had not happened in over a decade. Does this mark a new era in Greenburgh? Time will tell.
That same evening the Town rescheduled the next discussion for the proposed law regarding the commercial sale of dogs and cats to 3/25.
Upcoming Events
3/11- Greenburgh Town Board Meeting 7:30pm Greenburgh Town Hall
3/18- Greenburgh Town Hall- Planning Board Meeting Public Hearing Maplewood Assisted Living W. Hartsdale Ave.
3/25- Greenburgh Town Hall- Dog and Cat Public Hearing Time TBD
4/25- Greenburgh Nature Center 50th Anniversary Earth Day- Get your hands dirty at the Greenburgh Nature center planting, weeding and clearing trails. Event registration and additional activities for Earth week can be found at www.greenburghnaturecenter.org
6/14- Odell House Colonial Day- Ridge Road Park 12:00pm. Live military re-enactments and family friendly activites.
Eric Zinger
www.ericzinger.com
The Planning Board will have a Public Hearing on Maplewood Swim and Tennis on 3/18 so mark your calendar for that. Additional events are at the bottom of the page so read all the way through! Please forward this newsletter to your neighbors and friends and encourage them to subscribe.
Hartsdale Public Parking Authority
Couple of major announcements for HPPD
First, HPPD has rolled out mobile payment options for meters. You can still use quarters but the HPPD has partnered with "PassPort Parking, download on your phone, details on the announcement here.
The app has a 1 hour minimum and also a service charge for each transaction(.35 cents). I asked about the 1 hour minimum which seemed high as I know many people who run in and out of the village. A representative of the HPPD said "There are processing fees along with enforcement upgrades that needed to be budgeted for moving forward. The minimum payment of $1 is how we are able to ensure that these new and additional costs are being covered. The meters still accept quarters in the instance that someone doesn't want to use the app and pay the minimum fee." I recommended shortening the min time to 30 minutes.
Paul Feiner has called for expanding the Board of the HPPD from 3 to 7 individuals among other changes to the criteria for being eligible for the board. This would require state legislation. I asked Ken Jones, Town Councilman Liason to the HPPD for his thoughts on the proposed expansion of the HPPD Board. He told me "We are thinking that 7 would be the maximum number of commissioners so 5 would be an option. We would seek representation from the commuter class and the merchant class as well as relaxing the “home owner” requirement to allow renters possible representation on the board of commissioners." I agree with him about allowing renters as long as they can provide proof of primary residence.
Congressional District 17 Update
Most Greenburgh residents live in Congressional District 17 and with Nita Lowey's retirement, the campaign to fill her seat has been heating up. The Greenburgh Town Democratic Committee held a "mini convention" 2/19 where District Leaders selected 4 candidates to carry petitions for to get on the ballot. To be clear, this was not an endorsement of those 4 candidates. The 4 candidates DL's will be working to get on the ballot in order of votes received were David Buchwald, Mondaire Jones, Allison Fine, and Evelyn Farkas.
You can see how District Leaders voted here.
Dan Weinfeld of Hartsdale has started a blog that is covering the race and has already provided some great analysis. Read it here. I will be covering this race in more detail in an upcoming email dedicated exclusively to this topic.
As first reported by this page, electronic payments coming to Hartsdale Parking District. More information below and here.
Hartsdale, N.Y. (February 2020) Today, the Hartsdale Public Parking District, HPPD of Hartsdale, New York announces the launch of the Passport Parking mobile app that initiates a new “pay by phone” parking payment system. Residents and visitors alike can use this new app to pay to park at over 400 on-street and off-street parking spaces throughout the district. With the Passport Parking app, users can pay to park quickly and even remotely from their smartphones. Additionally, users can receive alerts when their parking sessions are ending, get e-mail receipts and view their parking history from one secure place. Also, and if preferred, the District’s parking meters will continue to accept coins for parking payment. This is the first time the HPPD, that has been serving customers since 1952, has used a mobile payments’ provider for parking. “We pride ourselves in offering a first-class parking experience” said HPPD’s Parking Manager. “The ease of use and the convenience of the Passport Parking app adds value to this experience”. Passport partners with cities throughout the United States, including Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles, and internationally in Toronto and London. In New York State, Passport partners include Buffalo, White Plains, Rye and now Hartsdale. Drivers can begin to enjoy the benefits of this new Passport Parking mobile payment system by downloading the Passport Parking (icon) app on their mobile device at the App Store, Google Pay or online at passportparking.com. Once you have downloaded the app, follow the prompts to set up your Passport account.
Many of you know Dan Weinfeld, his blog is http://manorwoodsblog.blogspot.com/ and yesterday's post touches on the issue of declining enrollment and the need for forward thinking in the Town of Greenburgh.
Hello Greenburgh,
This is a jam packed update with a number of important updates and topics. If you have questions about any of the below please email me at Eric@ericzinger.com. Upcoming events are summarized at the bottom of the email so make sure to read all the way to the end! Please forward this newsletter to your neighbors and friends and encourage them to subscribe.
More Assisted Living Facilities
My last email had an update about the site visit to the proposed Maplewood Assisted Living Facility on W. Hartsdale Ave. Those paying attention know that this is not the only planned assisted living facility under review. In addition to Maplewood and the currently under construction Chelsea on Dobbs Ferry Road, there is a 3rd proposed assisted living facility at the Metropolis Country Club also on Dobbs Ferry Road. Those 3 facilities will all be within 1.5 miles of each other.
There will be a site visit Saturday 2/22 at 1:30pm at the Metropolis Country Club with the Town Board and the applicant. This is a great opportunity to see the proposed site, ask questions of the applicant and be informed on the upcoming proposal.
One must ask what the impact of so many assisted living facilities in such a short amount of time will have on our community. We can certainly expect increased traffic, increased EMS response requests, more impervious surfaces resulting in water runoff/flooding, and the removal of many trees in our community. It certainly doesn't appear that there is any coordination about the combined impact of these facilities and that each is being evaluated individually. That is cause for concern.
Greenburgh Town Government Updates
Greenburgh Spending- There was a recent Lohud article that highlighted that the town had overpaid attorneys hired by the town by $26k more than they had authorized. This is disturbing to hear. Not because of the specific situation(If Spolzino did work for the town and was required to be paid, then he should be paid) but more because it speaks to how the town is run.
Look at this quote from the Town Attorney "Generally we don’t pay unless we have an authorized resolution," Lewis said. How are Greenburgh tax payers supposed to trust our government, know that they are spending our funds wisely, and trust that they are being transparent, when apparently it isn't out of the ordinary at all for money to go out the door without an authorized resolution? If the Town is sending checks without a resolution, who is authorizing those payments and monitoring their distribution? How frequently does this occur? Unfortunately right now all we have is questions, and no answers.
Hartsdale Public Parking Authority-The Town Board is proposing to increase the number of members of the Board of the Hartsdale Public Parking District from 3 to 7. No specific reason has been given for this other than "increased civic participation. This requires approval and legislation from New York State. We look forward to hearing more about this.
In other HPPD news it has been told to me by a member of the HPPD board that mobile payments for parking meters on E. Hartsdale Ave should be coming soon. That is great news for the HPPD.
Dromore Road Legal Fees- The Dromore Road legal disaster continues to play out with taxpayers on the hook for ever growing legal fees. With the recent authorizations the Town has now authorized $2.97mm in spending on lawyers for the case. You can surely expect that number to grow even further.
Social Media Policy- There have been a number of advocates from the community, myself included, asking that the Town adopt a Social Media Policy. The reason I am advocating for such a policy is that it can be very unclear when representatives of the town who are posting on social media(Supervisor Feiner most frequently) are speaking on behalf of themselves, or speaking as Greenburgh employees/representatives. This puts all of us taxpayers in legal jeopardy regarding the opinions expressed in those comments. It would be best in my eyes if there was a clearly delineated policy that addressed these concerns.
Democratic Party Update
CD 17 Race-Most Greenburgh residents live in Congressional District 17 and with Nita Lowey's retirement, the campaign to fill her seat has been heating up. There are a number of serious contenders and at least 16 declared candidates. Dan Weinfeld of Hartsdale has started a blog that is covering the race and has already provided some great analysis. Read it here. I will be covering this race in more detail in an upcoming email dedicated exclusively to this topic.
Westchester County DA- There will also be a contested Democratic primary election for Westchester County District Attorney which pits incumbent Anthony Scarpino versus challenger Mimi Rocah. Scarpino was given the County party endorsement by the narrowest margin at the recent County convention. Scarpino celebrated the endorsement while Rocah has framed the tight result as a win for her campaign as well. Expect a close race between the two.
Voter Registration Cutoff- Reminder that tomorrow 2/14 is the last cutoff date to change your party affiliation in order to vote in the upcoming Democratic Party Presidential Primary. Learn more here.
Upcoming Events
2/22- 1:30pm Metropolis Country Club- Site visit for the proposed assisted living facility at 289 Dobbs Ferry Road.
2/26- 7:30pm Greenburgh Town Hall- Town Board Meeting
4/25- Greenburgh Nature Center 50th Anniversary Earth Day- Get your hands dirty at the Greenburgh Nature center planting, weeding and clearing trails. Event registration and additional activities for Earth week can be found at www.greenburghnaturecenter.org
Eric Zinger
www.ericzinger.com
Greenburgh has parts of 10 school districts within its border. The NYS Department of Education just released enrollment figures for the 2019-2020 school year. See below for 3 year enrollment trends. Some districts are seeing enrollment increasing, others are seeing sharp declines.
This data was sourced from https://data.nysed.gov and the full spreadsheet can be found here.
Hello Greenburgh,
Welcome to 2020! This is my first update of the new year and I hope everyone had a great holiday season and didn't get the flu like I did! This is a jam packed update with a number of important updates and upcoming events in January. Upcoming events are summarized at the bottom of the email so make sure to read all the way to the end! If you have questions about any of the below please email me at Eric@ericzinger.com. Please forward this newsletter to your neighbors and friends and encourage them to subscribe.
Maplewood Assisted Living Update-
This past Saturday there was a site visit to the former Maplewood Swim and Tennis Facility off of W. Hartsdale Avenue in Hartsdale. The event was well attended with over 30 members of the public in attendance. Also present were several members of the Planning Board, numerous town employees,Councilman Ken Jones and Councilwoman Gina Jackson.
The large public attendance reflects the many concerns held by the public about the negative impact of the proposed development. Stormwater runoff and flooding, increased vehicle traffic on already congested W. Hartsdale Avenue, large amounts blasting of rock, and the removal of over 351 trees are but a few of the major concerns that reflects the near(total??) universal opposition to said development by members of the public in attendance. I share many of those concerns and I am encouraging neighbors to pay attention now, and attend the numerous upcoming public hearings that will be scheduled where they will have the opportunity to speak on their concerns.
I took a number of pictures while at the site and those can be viewed here. A couple of items that stood out to me from the visit:
The proposed building will be, in a word, massive. It stretches nearly the entire length of the property and seeing that in person was jarring. The developers are asking for a 40% variance to increase the size of the building that they are allowed by zoning currently.
As part of the development proposal, the applicant has filed a tree removal permit indicating they plan to remove 351 trees. It was noted during the walk through that the town will not be independently verifying/counting the number of trees removed. This is an item for concern as its possible even more than 351 trees will be removed.
There are a number of severe steep slopes throughout the property and the applicant is requesting a number of steep slope permits in their application.
Stay tuned for more updates on this project. Also note the below upcoming event regarding an additional assisted living site visit and a proposal to change the zoning laws to allow for more discretion in the zoning code for these kind of developments. Greenburgh can't get enough assisted living it seems.
Hartsdale Neighbors Association Safety Event
The Hartsdale Neighbors Association is hosting a meeting with the new chief of police for Greenburgh that will focus on safety in the Hartsdale community. The event will introduce our new police chief(Chief Bryan Ryan) to the community and there will be an added focus on pedestrian safety. We have all been troubled by the recent increase in pedestrian accidents and HNA has been meeting with town officials to advocate for additional safety measures. HNA has previously hosted Chief McNerney and we are excited that the new chief will be joining us. Please join us Tuesday 1/28 at 7:00pm at Sacred Heart Elementary. All are welcome.
Commercial Sales of Dogs and Cats
There will be a public hearing this Tuesday at 7:00pm at Greenburgh Town Hall on the proposed law to ban the commercial sale of all dogs and cats. This will be the only item on the agenda. You can read the original proposal here. There is an additional version of the law that is being considered which explicitly bans the sale of dogs from puppy mills and I believe is much more reasonable. While it can be debated whether this is an issue that should even be taken up at the local level(there is proposed similar legislation in Albany). The second version of the law under consideration is much more reasonable and the version that I support. That version can be viewed here.
Upcoming Events
1/14 7:00pm at Greenburgh Town Hall "Proposed Commercial Dog and Cat Sale Ban"- There will be a Public Hearing that evening on the proposed law to ban the commercial sale of all dogs and cats in Greenburgh. This is the only item on the agenda for that evening.
1/15 7:00pm at Greenburgh Public Library- "Westchester, Washington, and Rochambeau: The Path To Victory- Susan Seal, President and Founder of Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters will discuss the historical significance of the old farmhouse on Ridge Rd. in Hartsdale. It played a major role in the Revolutionary war and in American History. Susan will also talk about the exciting new plans to rescue the house and open it to the public.
1/18- 1:00pm Greenburgh Town Hall- Public Discussion on proposed assisted living zoning change to allow for a floating zone to be applied throughout the town.
1/28 7:00pm at Sacred Heart Elementary- Hartsdale Neighbors Association Presents- Hartsdale Safety – A Conversation with Police Chief Bryan Ryan- Join Hartsdale Neighbors Association Tuesday Evening for a conversation with the new Greenburgh Police Chief. Find out more about the HNA Safety Subcommittee and what is going on to make our community a safer place to live. Questions- Email info@hartsdaleneighbors.org.
Eric Zinger
www.ericzinger.com
Hello,
Good evening everyone. I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. While I hope everyone is getting into the holiday spirit, there is ALOT going on so straight to the updates.
Town Board Meeting 12/11- Multiple Items
Tomorrow evening at 7:30pm there is a Greenburgh Town Board meeting at Town Hall which will cover a number of items. Full agenda here. http://agendaquick.greenburghny.com:8085/agenda_publish.cfm?id=0&mt=ALL&get_month=12&get_year=2019&dsp=ag&seq=1347
Budget 2020
As I have previously highlighted, we have been told this year's 2020 Operating Budget will now have no tax increase year over year. Many thanks to all those who spoke out about the deceptive messaging of the previous budget. This is likely going to be the last public hearing on the budget before it is approved.
Tree Law
There has been a lot of discussion about the recently proposed Tree Law. At tomorrow’s Town Board meeting there will be a third public hearing on the proposal for people to share their feedback. Currently, only properties larger than one acre are covered by the existing tree law and this new law will apply to all homes.
As a result of feedback at these meetings, there have been a number of changes to the proposed bill and you can see the latest copy at the link below. Some of the changes included an updated appeal process and changes to the requirements for replacing trees. This will affect all homeowners so please make your neighbors and friends aware. This is possibly the last hearing that will be held on this topic.
https://greenburghny.com/DocumentCenter/View/6271/Draft-Tree-Ordinance-12-10-19
Banning All Commercial Sales of Dogs and Cats
This meetings agenda includes the first public hearing on a proposal by the Town to ban the sale of any dogs or cats in the town unless those animals come from a rescue facility. It would likely result in the immediate closure of the Pet store on 119 and the one at 4 Corners. This is a hearing that I expect to be well attended with many people signing up to speak.
Congressional Race
Our longtime House of Representatives delegate Nita Lowey has announced she is retiring and will not be running in the upcoming 2020 election. The 17th district includes both Rockland and Westchester County. Click here for a map of the district.
It will be a crowded field with 8 Democratic candidates already announcing their campaigns and a number of others expected to join. So far we have Catherine Borgia, David Buchwald, David Carlucci, Asha Castleberry-Hernandez, Evelyn Farkas, Allison Fine, Mondaire Jones, and Adam Schleifer. Also expected to declare are Catherine Parker, John Jabbour, Lucy Moreno-Casanova, Jo-Anna Rodriguez-Wheeler, and David Katz. Josh Eisen is the only Republican to declare at this time. More on this to come as we get closer to the primary election.
Holiday Cheer
The Hartsdale Fire Department and the Greenville Fire Department are both set to do their annual "Operations Candy Cane" Saturday 12/21. Off Duty firefighters will escort Santa on his sleigh around the neighborhood.
Fairview- http://www.fairviewfire.org/santa-claus-in-fairview.html
Hartsdale-
We did it!!! No Property Tax Levy increase for 2020!
I am currently at the Town Board Meeting where we just concluded the Public Hearing on the Operating Budget. Seconds before the hearing was opened, Supervisor Feiner announced that he planned to amend the proposed operating budget to now include no increase to the property tax levy!!
So while I had to amend my speech at the last minute, I was very happy to do so. We still have to wait and see the final budget before it is voted on, but this is a very good sign!
I know that a number of you reached out to Supervisor Feiner and the Town Board and urged them not to raise taxes this year. Thank you for your support in this effort. There is no way this would not have happened without you.
Eric
On Nov. 13, the town of Greenburgh held its first public hearing on the 2020 operating and capital budgets. Much of the public hearing focused on the question: Is the town raising property taxes? Supervisor Paul Feiner has been promoting that the tax rate is staying flat and there is “No Tax Rate Increase.”
The 2020 proposed operating budget benefits greatly from the recently enacted Westchester County sales tax increase. That 1% increase in the sales tax results in an increase of $3.2 million in revenue to the town, or about 3% of proposed expenses for 2020. That should have made it very reasonable to have a budget that covers the costs of inflation but does not raise taxes. The county government is doing it and so is Hartsdale Fire Department. The county is going even a step further and cutting the property tax levy.
So, in order to find out if taxes in Greenburgh are rising, I explicitly asked that question to the town comptroller (who prepares the budget) and the answer was unambiguously clear. Property taxes are increasing by $1.5 million in the town, a 2.2% tax increase for 2020. The supervisor is correct, the “tax rate” is staying flat, but the tax levy — the dollar amount in property taxes paid by homeowners — is increasing. Homeowners don’t pay the tax rate; homeowners pay taxes, and taxes are increasing. To suggest that this is a budget that does not include a tax increase is deceptive, and I am disappointed that the supervisor, even after being notified, has continued to make those statements. I’m also disappointed by the town board letting this go unchecked.
Several departments in the town are embracing efficiency and came in with operating budgets for 2020 below 2019 figures. These include the office of the comptroller, town clerk, town engineer and the SWAT division of police.
But there is a lot we could have done better. The budget has several large line items with little explanation or backup. The contingent account in the Town Outside Village (TOV) budget goes from $1.5 million to $3.9 million. At the hearing we were told that money was to cover potential costs of employees when the union contracts are renegotiated. If that is the case, this should be in the employee and benefits section. Another item I asked about is the $2.93 million “transfer to capital fund” out of the TOV budget. We were told this was to prefund capital projects without bonding for them, however we were not provided any details of what projects this would pay for. I would much rather see that figure at $1.4 million, and this budget be an actual zero tax increase budget.
The taxpayers of Greenburgh, homeowners throughout the village and unincorporated area, are hurting. With the loss of the SALT deduction and increasing taxes at every turn, taxpayers need relief. This was the year for us to hold the line on taxes. Considering the extra county sales tax money, dividends from the reassessment and decreases in tax certioraris, holding the line on taxes was possible. Unfortunately, this year’s budget will once again deliver Greenburgh taxpayers a tax increase.
ERIC ZINGER
N. Washington Avenue
Hartsdale
Hello,
Good Evening everyone. I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. May your table be full of family, friends and good food. Today’s blog includes an update on the Tree Law and Proposed 2020 Budget as well as a couple of links from this week’s Scarsdale Inquirer including my Letter to the Editor on the Budget.
Budget 2020
As I have previously highlighted, this year's 2020 Operating Budget includes a $1.5mm tax increase. My Town Council campaign ran on the promise to not vote for any budget that would raise the property tax levy for at least two years. I would have to vote no on this budget as a result. Since the election I have continued to advocate at public hearings on the budget for an actual no-tax increase budget. This is very possible given the benefit of the increase in revenues from the county sales tax increase. By reducing the prefunding of capital budget items from $2.9mm to $1.4mm-that would give us a tax levy neutral budget. I encourage you to email the Town at TownBoard@greenburghny.com to tell them: no more tax increases for Greenburgh. If you can attend the next public hearing on the budget it is tomorrow 11/25 at 7:30pm at Greenburgh Town Hall. This may be the last public hearing before a vote.
Tree Law
There has been a lot of discussion about the recently proposed Tree Law brought before the Town. At tomorrow’s Town Board meeting there will be a second public hearing on the proposal for people to share their feedback. Currently, only properties larger than one acre are covered by the existing tree law and this new law will apply to all homes. It places a number of requirements on homeowners related to trees and property maintenance. Many people have already weighed in and while I am not an expert on this subject, it is clear that the bill needs additional refinement and clarification. Preserving trees in Greenburgh is important and I think everyone agrees on that point, but this law was not ready for Prime Time. I am hoping there will be no vote on this legislation, which impacts every Greenburgh property owner in the TOV until the legitimate questions are addressed.
Inquirer Articles
I am including a couple of links below from this week's Scarsdale Inquirer. There is an article on the budget, a letter to the editor from myself on the budget, and an article from Stacy Fisher Hartsdale Neighbors Association President on the state of Greenburgh.
My Letter to the Editor-Budget Non subscribers click here.
Stacy Fisher- HNA President Letter to the Editor- Greenburgh Government
2020 Proposed Operating Budget
The proposed 2020 Operating Budget (Here) and the 2020 Capital Budget(Here) are now available. On Wednesday 11/13, the Town held its first Public Hearing on the Budget and you can watch that hearing here. Click on the section for Public Hearings, one hour and 40 minutes in the budget hearing begins, I am the first public speaker.
The 2020 Proposed Operating budget is a strong operating budget that has a lot to like but also a lot that can be improved upon. It benefits greatly from the recently enacted Westchester County Sales Tax increase. That 1% increase in the sales tax, results in an increase of $3.2mm in revenue to the town, or about 3% of proposed expenses for 2020. That should have made it very reasonable to have a budget, that covers the costs of inflation but does not raise taxes. The county government is doing it and so is Hartsdale Fire Department. The HFD did not even benefit from the sales tax increase, while the County is cutting the property tax levy because of the increased revenues.
This years Greenburgh 2020 budget calls for a 2.3% increase in property tax revenues, with property taxes set to increase from $68.5mm to $70mm. I am disappointed that the Supervisor is saying this is a “No Tax Increase Budget”. That is simply not true, and while the tax rate is staying flat, the town is collecting an additional $1.5mm in tax revenue this year. There is only way to describe that, a tax increase.
There are many things to like in the budget. Several departments in the town are embracing efficiency and came in with operating budgets for 2020 less than that of 2019. These include the office of the Comptroller, Town Clerk, Town Engineer, and the SWAT division of police.
But there is a lot we could have done better. The budget has several large line items with little to no explanation or back up. The Contingent account in the TOV budget goes from $1.5mm to $3.9mm. At the hearing we were told that money was to cover potential costs of employees when the union contracts are renegotiated. If that is the case, this should be in the employee and benefits section. Another item I asked about that stood out and needs more information is the $2.93mm “Transfer to Capital Fund” out of the TOV budget. We were told this was to prefund capital projects without bonding for them however we were not provided any details of what projects this would pay for. I would much rather see that figure at $1.4mm, and this be an actual zero tax increase budget.
The taxpayers of Greenburgh, homeowners throughout the village and unincorporated area are hurting, with the loss of the SALT deduction and increasing taxes at every turn, taxpayers need relief. Hartsdale Fire and the County got that, Greenburgh didn’t. This was the year for us to hold the line on taxes. The extra sales tax money, dividends from the Re-assessment and decreases in certiori’s, this was really something that was possible. I encourage you to tell the Town Board the same. Email them at TownBoard@greenburghny.com
Hello Everyone,
Two important topics in tonight's news update:
New Greenburgh Tree Law
The Town of Greenburgh is considering a proposed Tree ordinance that, unlike the current tree code, will apply to all property owners. Currently, only properties larger than one acre are covered by the law and this new law will apply to all homes. It legislates the removal of trees, the permit process required for doing so, and the town efforts to preserve trees in the Town. So if you own property in Greenburgh, this applies to you! There is a public hearing on the newly proposed law tomorrow evening at 7:00pm at Greenburgh Town Hall. This is the only item on the agenda. If you have comments you are encouraged to attend, if you cannot attend, you can email the Town Board at TownBoard@greenburghny.com
Many people are not aware of this and you are encouraged to spread the word. The Town has said they will not be voting on the item tomorrow evening, but a vote could come shortly thereafter.
2020 Budget
The proposed 2020 Operating Budget (Here) and the 2020 Capital Budget(Here) are now available. On Wednesday 11/13, the Town held its first Public Hearing on the Budget and you can watch that hearing here. Click on the section for Public Hearings, one hour and 40 minutes in the budget hearing begins, I am the first public speaker.
Much of that Public Hearing focused on the question: Is the town raising property taxes? Supervisor Feiner has been promoting that the tax rate is staying flat and there is "No Tax Rate Increase".
I explicitly asked that exact question to the Town Comptroller who prepares the budget and the answer was unambiguously clear. Property taxes are increasing by $1.5mm in the Town and includes a 2.2% tax increase for 2020. The Supervisor is correct, the "tax rate" is staying flat, but the tax levy- the dollar amount in property taxes paid by homeowners- is increasing. Homeowners don't pay the tax rate, Homeowners pay taxes, and taxes are increasing. To suggest that this is a budget that does not include a tax increase is deceptive, and I am disappointed the Supervisor has continued to make those statements. I'm also disappointed by the Town Board, letting this go unchecked.
For more of my thoughts about the budget, click here.
I hope you find these updates informative. Please forward them to your friends and neighbors and encourage them to subscribe, and like my page on FB. Questions? Event you want publicized? Something you are curious about? Email me at eric@ericzinger.com.
Eric Zinger
www.ericzinger.com
Hello Everyone,
On Wednesday 11/13 at 7:30pm, the Town will be holding Public Hearings for the 2020 Operating Budget and 2020 Capital Budget. These are arguably the two most important Public Hearings of the year and are two of the seven hearings scheduled for that evening. Unfortunately, prior to the meeting agenda, despite numerous requests from citizens, there will be two public presentations prior to the agenda. We have no idea how long these presentations will last, or when the actual meeting will begin. We will simply have to show up and wait. This is government in Greenburgh.
Onto the actual budgets. The 2020 Operating Budget (Here) and the 2020 Capital Budget(Here) are now available. I encourage everyone to review the budget and come speak on items that are important to them at the 11/13 hearing. I have gone through both budgets and highlighted some summary analysis below. If you have questions about things that you see, please email me at Eric@ericzinger.com
2020 Operating Budget Summary: The 2020 Proposed Operating budget calls for an increase in operating spending of 13% and a 2.3% tax increase. 2020 Operating Expenses are set at $122.5mm, a 13% increase year over year from $108mm. If you look at the actual details, spending is even up more on a % basis because the planned allocation of $7mm for the Police Courthouse was not done in 2019 and is included in 2020. 2020 Property Taxes collected by the Town will increase from $68.5mm, to $70mm, a 2.3% increase.
That is right, this year there is a 2.3% increase the property taxes collected by the town. Supervisor Feiner stated that there would be no tax increase this year. Why did he say that? Well he is correct when he says he did not raise the tax rate, however the assessed value of most properties in the town were increased by at least 2%, thus if the rate stays the same, taxes go up. More explanation of this point here. If you collect $1.5mm more in tax revenues than you did the year before, that is a tax increase. Anyone who disagrees on this, I don’t know what to tell you.
Things to like:
· Strong stock market performance has helped with the employee liability figures for Pension and NYS ERS figures. Employee Benefit costs are also trending down year over year although still are higher than 2018 figures.
· Several departments in the town are getting more efficient and embracing the taxpayer message of fiscal responsibility and came in with operating budgets for 2020 less than that of 2019. These include the office of the Comptroller, Town Clerk, Town Engineer, and the SWAT division of police.
Things not to Like
· The biggest thing not to like is that even with an unprecedented windfall from the increase in the County Sales Tax Levy, a $3.2mm increase in revenues, we could not go even one year without raising taxes. My signature campaign pledge was that I would not vote for any budget that raised the property tax levy and despite conditions that have never been more optimal, this budget does not meet that standard.
· In the current climate, with the loss of the SALT deduction and increasing taxes at every turn, it is disappointing to see the Town Board and the Town Supervisor include a raise for themselves for the 4th year in a row.
· We would be remiss if we did not note another $550k this year will go towards paying off the bond from the disastrous Fortress Bible Settlement. The largest Religious land use discrimination case in United States History with a judgement of $6mm. Final payment for this settlement will be in 2023, 4 more years of payments after this year until this disgraceful part of Greenburgh history is paid off.
2020 Capital Budget Summary: The 2020 budget calls for funding $15.7mm of capital projects throughout the town. The biggest single item is $4.5mm for improvements to the Water District including $3.5mm for water main cleaning and lining. Public Works Department has the largest overall spending at $7.1mm.
Things to like
· As we typically see, there is very strong funding for our Police and Public Works operations. We continue to see strong investments in equipment, radios, and trucks. We have capital allocations of $710k for Police and $7.1mm for Public Works. Highlights include 3 new Police Tahoe’s and a number of sanitation and heavy-duty trucks for the Public Works department.
· We are happy to see significant investment for the TDYCC building. There was no Air Conditioning at the Lois Bronz Children’s center for several weeks over the summer which was unacceptable for the kids there. There is $100k allocated to address that issue and additional funding to replace the boiler.
· Recommended total spending of $15.7mm is down from prior years capital budgets. We hope the message of cost control has resonated with the current Town Board and we are prioritizing our capital spending needs with a focus on the most critical investments first.
Things not to like:
· There is $40k for a Route 9a Land Use study. I have no objections to the study itself, but this should be funded out of the Route 9a TIF district. I campaigned on removing this special financing district, which takes taxpayer money away from the general fund. There is currently $6mm sitting in this fund and no immediate plans to spend it with over $300k dollars coming in each year. This study should be funded out of those funds.
· Capital budgeting is still done on a yearly basis with no publicly available long term planning document to summarize the Town’s capital spending needs for the next 3,5 or 10 years. All we have is a 1-year capital budget which for a Town this size poses innumerable risks and problems.
Eric Zinger
Hello Everyone,
There is a lot going on so getting right to the updates:
Greenburgh Town Supervisor Election:
Early Voting is now open and election day 11/5 is near. For early Voting, if you are a Village resident, your polling location is Dobbs Ferry Village Hall, for Unincorporated residents your polling location is Greenburgh Town Hall. On election day you vote at your normal location. More information on early voting here.
There is one remaining debate which is tomorrow 7:00pm 10/28 hosted by the NAACP at the Theodore Young Community Center(32 Manhattan Ave, White Plains).
You can watch the other two debates online at the links below:
League of Women Voters Debate- https://youtu.be/AADfHw1gclE
Hartsdale Neighbors Association Debate Part 1 https://youtu.be/1qW4O4tdXnE Part 2 https://youtu.be/6h0_skPh7Tc
Filming in Downtown Hartsdale
Many people have heard about the recent issues in Hartsdale on 10/2 regarding filming at the train station and the impact that it had on rush hour traffic. Many people were delayed during the AM commute hours getting to the train/through downtown and there were even worse reports from people who were trapped at the station due to the congestion. The good news is that while never admitting any responsibility, the town seems to have learned from its lessons and is limiting filming to non rush hours and also getting reimbursement for additional police coverage to assist with traffic. My full analysis of this can be read here.
Greenburgh Budget Public Hearings
The 2020 operating budget and capital budget are being prepared and should be released shortly. The first public hearing on these items will be at the Town Board meeting 11/13. These are arguably the two most important public hearings that the town will hold each year. They directly impact the taxes that people pay and public comment can make a difference. Last year myself and others were able to increase the amount of funding for 4 Corners Traffic Study based on community advocacy. Come out and speak on this important topic.
There are 5 public hearings scheduled for the 11/13 meeting. Whether you plan to attend or not, I encourage you to email the Town Board and ask them to not have any ceremonies or presentations in advance of the agenda. This will be an important meeting and we shouldn't have to wait until 9:00 to get to the actual agenda. You can email them at TownBoard@greenburghny.com.
6/13/2019
I have added a page that explains the assessment process and how your taxes are determined. Check it out at www.ericzinger.com/assessments
Eric