Though the county restoration was completed in October, County Executive Rob Astorino won’t let the museum begin its $6 million construction project until his controversial proposal to privatize the park management wins approval from the county Board of Legislators.

New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson, who wants to unseat Astorino in the November election, told Tax Watch on Wednesday that he supports the museum’s request for the bathhouse keys, so work can commence immediately.

“I don’t see any reason for delay,” Bramson said in a telephone interview. “There have been years of effort and planning devoted to the creation of an institution that’s embraced by the entire community. Millions of dollars have been raised. It’s clear that in order for the project to be successful, the organizers should be given an opportunity to move forward.”

Bramson attended the museum’s May 10 gala at the Ritz Carlton in White Plains, when Astorino announced that he supported the museum. It was movement in the right direction. But he didn’t hand over the keys, as many museum supporters had hoped, and as museum board member Ray Quartararo, the gala’s honoree, had called for in his remarks.

Astorino has insisted the museum wait until the Board of Legislators approves his plan to turn over the park to Sustainable Playland, a local nonprofit that wants to shrink the size of the amusement park, build outdoor fields and a field house, and open up the waterfront to what’s called a great lawn. But that plan has faced opposition among county legislators.

Four Democratic legislators held a press conference on May 16, charging that Astorino had held the museum hostage to his grand plans. They called for him to hand over the keys.

Astorino refused to do so last week. And he did so again on Wednesday.

Astorino spokeswoman Donna Greene said that the county executive continues to believe that the museum should be part of a comprehensive plan for the park, and should not move forward until his Sustainable Playland proposal wins approval.

“Our position hasn’t changed,” she said.

The Children’s Museum, meanwhile, welcomed Bramson’s support.

“It’s nice to see that he sees things the way we see it,” said Tracy Kay, the museum’s executive director. “We don’t need to be held up any longer. We’d like to get started. We’d like the advance the project sooner rather than later.”

Photos: New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson, with two Museum supporters at Children’s Museum gala.

Below: Children’s Museum President Corinne Zola, left, with Ray Quartararo, center, and County Executive Rob Astorino.

Photos/ David McKay Wilson

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“Team – As we start on a new journey together here at the IRS, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the path forward.

“It has obviously been a difficult last few days for all of you. There is rightly concern among the public about the trust that they place in the IRS to administer the tax code fairly and help America’s taxpayers understand and meet their tax responsibilities. Working together, it is up to us to restore that trust and ensure that the IRS remains the exceptional, indispensable organization it has always been.

“The first step in this effort must be to get to the bottom of the recent allegations regarding the criteria to determine eligibility for tax-exempt status. The missteps uncovered in the recent Inspector General report are inexcusable and cannot be tolerated by any of us. We have a solemn duty to act as responsible, fair and impartial stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars. As someone who has spent my entire career as a civil servant in government, this is a duty that I hold dear, and any deviation from it is unacceptable to me, as I know it is to you. That is why we must work together with the Inspector General, the Justice Department, and Congress to ensure that responsible parties are held accountable for the inappropriate activities that occurred and that we correct the breakdowns in process and oversight that allowed them to occur.

“At the same time, we must keep our eyes on our critical missions of fair application of the tax laws and effective operation of the systems that fund our government. That mission, and your work, are of critical importance. With that in mind, in the coming days, I plan to begin a review of our operations, processes and practices to focus on how we deliver on our mission today and how we can make improvements in the future. The American people expect the IRS to operate efficiently, effectively, transparently and with the utmost accountability to the taxpayer. And where that is not the case, we will take swift actions to correct it.

“The President and (Treasury) Secretary Lew have asked for a report by the end of next month about our progress on these efforts. And my first step in that process is to begin meeting with many of you and ask for your ideas, advice and counsel. The people of the IRS are what make this organization what it is and guide the incredibly important work that we do on behalf of the American people. Particularly at this time, we have an indispensable role to play in ensuring the nation’s tax system is administered with the utmost fairness and integrity. Our path forward must be with this priority front of mind. We all take tremendous pride in what we do for the American public, and it is that pride and commitment that I trust will guide us going forward. For example, as the nation comes together to support the victims of the devastating tornados in Oklahoma, we should all feel a sense of pride that IRS is actively supporting the recovery effort and doing our part to help.

“I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming days. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly with any thoughts and perspective on what we can do together to help this organization continue to thrive and serve the public.

“Regards.’’

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The coalition said in a news release that it will send a message to Albany: “Stop taking our power. Stop Taking Our Power to decide how our local tax dollars are spent. Stop Taking Our Power to grow our local businesses and create jobs. Stop Taking Our Power to educate our children. Pass meaningful mandate relief now!”

The coalition is launching a petition drive and social media campaign tomorrow to demand Albany take action. Speakers include County Executive Robert Astorino; Westchester County Association President William Mooney Jr.; and Lisa Davis, president of the Westchester-Putnam School Boards Association.

School districts and municipal and county governments and member groups, including the New York State Association of Counties, the New York State School Boards Association and the New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials,  have been asking lawmakers and the governor to provide mandate relief, particularly in light of the state’s annual cap on increasing the property-tax levy. This is the second year of the cap, which is set at 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has a Mandate Relief Council, which submitted its first annual report to the governor in December.

The post Coalition to demand mandate relief from Albany appeared first on Tax Watch.

The governor said Tax-Free NY will attract start-ups, venture capital, new business and investments from across the world to upstate New York, where SUNY has 64 campuses. It will replicate the economic success of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, which partnered with the University at Albany and the state. It has become a preeminent college for nanoscale technology and has attracted billions of dollars in private-sector investment.

“Tax-Free NY will supercharge our efforts to grow our economy by transforming localities in Upstate New York into virtual tax-free communities for new businesses and new jobs,” Cuomo said in a statement. “Under Tax-Free NY, communities across Upstate will become a magnet for new businesses, new startups, new venture capital, and new jobs, taking our economic development and job creating efforts to a level never seen before.”

Democratic and GOP leaders in the Senate and Assembly said they support the initiative, as does SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher.

‘These zones hold the potential to provide jobs and upward mobility to thousands of unemployed and underemployed New Yorkers while building a brighter economic future for communities across our state,” Senate Majority Coalition Co-Leader Jeffrey Klein, D-Bronx, said in a statement.

“Our colleges, universities and community colleges are New York’s greatest competitive advantage and should be the engines that drive our job-creation efforts,” Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, said. “Through the Tax Free New York Program, we will transform vacant campus space and land into new jobs and all of the related opportunities that spring up around areas of economic activity.”

Some other features of Tax-Free NY:
—Up to 200,000 square feet surrounding a SUNY campus will be included in the tax-free community.
—Employees of businesses in the tax-free zones will be exempt from paying income taxes.
—3 million square feet of commercial space will be available at private universities and 20 strategic state assets will also be designated tax-free.
—Eligible businesses include companies with a relationship to the academic mission of the university and companies creating new jobs, including new businesses, out-of-state businesses that relocate to New York and existing businesses that expand their state operations while maintaining existing jobs.

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Initial statewide numbers collected by the association show that voters passed 630 budgets yesterday and defeated 30. The group was still awaiting results from nine school districts as of this morning. The average budget passage rate since 1969 is 84 percent, the School Boards Association said. In the past five years the average rate was 94 percent.

Locally, Arsdley and Irvington received more than the 60 percent margin required to override the cap. Briarcliff Manor, had more “yes” votes than “no” votes, but not enough to get the “supermajority” that was needed. Scarsdale residents voted down the school budget, which would have exceeded the cap.

Other local districts whose budgets failed were East Ramapo, Elmsford and Mount Vernon. Districts where budgets failed can hold a second vote June 18, or they can forgo a second vote and adopt a contingency budget, in which the percent growth in the tax levy has to be zero percent.

The average school tax levy increase proposed for 2013-14 was 2.8 percent, well below the 5.1 percent statewide tax levy limit. This is the second year the property-tax cap is in place. It limits the amount school districts (and local governments) can raise their property-tax levy from year to year. Certain expenses are exempt, such as increases in pension costs, so the actual increase in the levy can be more than 2 percent.

The average proposed spending increase  is 2.9 percent, compared to 1.5 percent in 2012-13, 1.3 percent in 2011-12, 1.4 percent in 2010-11, 2.3 percent in 2009-10, and 5.3 percent in 2008-09, the School Boards Association found.

“Residents in communities across this state stood strong once again in support of public education,” Timothy G. Kremer, executive director of the School Boards Association, said in a statement. “The high level of voter support for school budgets speaks to the importance of public education. We appreciate the trust that voters place in our school board members and educators.”

On Tuesday, voters also filled some 1,582 vacancies on their local school boards.

(Journal News photo: Ruth Archange-Louis leaves the Louis Kurtz Civic Center in Spring Valley after voting in the East Ramapo School Board elections yesterday.)

The post 96 percent of school budgets pass, just 30 percent in property tax cap override attempts appeared first on Tax Watch.

A day after the 2013-14 budget was defeated, McGill said school officials will step back and reassess its financial plan for the upcoming school year as they decide upon a new proposal that voters will decide upon on June 18.

In a phone interview with Tax Watch Wednesday morning, McGill acknowledged that budget opponents ran a better campaign.

“Truth to tell, we did not send out clear, consistent messages since back in January, and those opposed were well-organized, with a clear and simple message. They did a better campaign.”

Scarsdale was among four districts in the lower Hudson Valley looking to override the state’s tax-levy cap, which required approval by 60 percent of the electorate. Ardsley and Irvington persevered. Briarcliff Manor and Scarsdale lost. Scarsdale’s budget would have gone down, regardless of the super-majority rule, with the proposal winning just 47 percent of the vote.

Two issues loomed large: the district’s decision to exceed the tax cap by $700,000, and its plan to spend $325,000 to expand the high school fitness center. Opponents said the fitness center was a luxury – even for the well-heeled Scarsdale residents, where it’s not unusual for homeowners to pay $20,000 in school taxes.

The tax cap allowed Scarsdale to raise its tax levy by 3.38 percent. The proposal called for a 3.93 percent hike.

“Overriding the tax cap was ambitious, and doing the fitness center was ambitious,” McGill said. “Put the two together, and it was a very heavy lift.”

The fitness center, however, was a capital expense, and didn’t fit into the tax-cap calculation. What caused Scarsdale to exceed the cap was its decision to reduce the amount of surplus applied to the budget, and a rise in employee pension costs of $2.4 million.

“We are trying to wean ourselves from depending on surpluses as income,” said McGill. “We’re concerned that if it’s not next year, then the following year, we won’t have enough.”

In the 2012-13 budget, Scarsdale used $6.3 million in surplus, and $250,000 from reserve accounts to stay with the tax cap, said Linda Purvis, assistant superintendent for business. For the 2013-14 budget, the district proposed using $4.3 million from surplus, and $912,000 in reserves.

McGill said the school board will now have to decide how to move forward. It has two choices to come within the cap: cut expenses or use more from its surplus or reserves. He expects the school board will schedule a meeting soon to discuss its options.

The district has money in its surplus and reserve accounts to cover the $700,000 shortfall. Purvis said there’s $11 million in various accounts, including $4.8 million in undesignated fund balance. But whether they’d do so remains to be seen.

“We could use the savings, but then you create a hole for next year,” Purvis said. “If you are spending beyond your ability to pay, you will eventually run out. The bottom line is that you have to cut costs.  But that’s a decision that the school board will make.”

Photo: Scarsdale Schools Superintendent Michael McGill

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In 2002, New York became the fourth state to offer undocumented students in-state tuition rates at public higher institutions of higher education. Lawmakers have been considering bills that would make those students eligible for tuition assistance, and they could benefit from the state’s 529 College Savings Program and the creation of a privately funded DREAM Fund Commission, which could raise private funds to give scholarships to students of immigrant parents, DiNapoli said.

The comptroller concluded in the report that providing TAP aid to undergraduates would provide economic benefits at a minimal cost to the state. It would encourage more undocumented students to attend college, earn more after graduating and pay more in taxes in their lifetime. About 95 percent of all state-funded financial aid given to New York students is from TAP. Last year, the program provided more than $920 million in assistance, helping nearly 30 percent of the state’s enrolled students, the report said.

“Passage of the New York State DREAM Act would lower the financial barrier to college education for undocumented students,” DiNapoli said in a statement. “A better educated workforce will benefit New York’s economy. This investment would yield valuable economic benefits for New York State down the road.”

To get the TAP aid, undocumented students would have to either be a graduate of a New York high school that they attended for at least two years or have received a state GED. They would have to apply to a post-secondary institution within five years of graduating or receiving a GED.

The report estimates that 8,300 undocumented undergraduate students were enrolled in SUNY and CUNY last fall, largely in the downstate region. More than 75 percent attended CUNY and another 19 percent were at SUNY colleges in the five counties surrounding New York City.

Just three other states—California, New Mexico and Texas—offer state-funded financial aid. Seventeen states offer in-state tuition rates for undocumented immigrants.

New York State DREAM Act report

The post Report: Giving TAP aid to undocumented students would cost about $20 million appeared first on Tax Watch.

Donors are able to get around New York’s contribution limits —which are already higher than other states—by giving cash, or soft money. No individual can give more than $150,000 in any single year, and no corporation can give more than $5,000 in any year. Political party committees can accept up to $102,300 from an individual and $5,000 from a corporation. But the soft money loophole allows any corporation, individual, union or other special interest to give unlimited amounts of cash to housekeeping accounts set up by political parties, Common Cause’s report said.

Soft money is not supposed to be used to support candidates and their campaigns but that provision is routinely ignored, the good-government group’s report said.

“Housekeeping accounts are a notorious loophole which both contributors and committees exploit to ignore our state’s campaign contribution limits and undermine the voters,” Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause/NY, said in a statement. “The system of legal bribery in which Albany operates is largely responsible for the wide scale corruption we’ve seen in recent months.”

More than $45 million of the donations between 2006 and 2012 came from businesses, compared to $23.3 million for individuals, $9.4 million from political committees and $7.7 million from unions.

Common Cause, the New York Public Interest Research Group and other good-government organizations support public campaign financing. They want the state to “empower small donors through enacting a Fair Elections system of public matching funds.”

Hedge fund executive Robert Mercer and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wrote the largest single soft money checks, the report found—$1 million from Mercer to the Conservative Party in 2010 and $1 million from Bloomberg to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee in 2012.

The top twenty donors include: Bloomberg ($7.2 m), New York State United Teachers ($3.2m), the Greater New York Hospital Association ($3.0m), 1199/SEIU Healthcare Workers East ($2.0m), Cablevision ($1.6m), Verizon ($1.5m), the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America ($1.4m), Time Warner Cable ($1.2m), Philip Morris ($1.2m) and the Healthcare Association of New York ($1.1m).

Common Cause/NY Soft Money Report

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The U.S. Census Bureau today released data that showed New York, as has long been the case, spends the most per capita on schools in the nation—$19,076 per student.

Nationally, school spending per pupil in 2011 drop .4 percent, the first time there’s been a decline since the Census Bureau started keeping the statistics. Spending per pupil was up 2.5 percent in New York in 2011, one of 30 states to report an increase. New York ranked 12th for the highest increase in the nation.

Total expenditures for schools totaled $595.1 billion in 2011, down 1.1 percent from 2010. It also fell in 2010.

Mississippi gets 22.3 percent of its education funding from the federal government, the most in the nation. New York was among the lowest at 8.9 percent.

Nationally, property taxes accounted for 65.6 percent of revenue from local sources for public schools.

Of the 100 largest school systems by enrollment, New York City School District spent the most: $19,770 per student.

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