March 14, 2013 - WestchesterGuardian.com

Page 20 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013EDUCATIONMayor Spano Requests Commission of Inquiry Into the Finances of The City Of Yonkers (CoY) toConduct Independent Review of Yonkers Public Schools (YPS) Proposal to Rebuild SchoolsBy HEZI ARISYONKERS, NY –Mayor Mike Spanotoday (March 8,2013) announced hisrequest of the Commissionof Inquiry into the Financesof the City of Yonkers to conductan independent fiscal review of theYonkers Public Schools’ recentlyreleased study on infrastructure improvementsto city schools, entitledYonkers PRIDE: PerformancebasedRapid Infrastructure Development.Editor’s Note: The study has notbeen released to the public or to themedia.“This is an ambitious proposaland I’ve been looking forward toreviewing the alternative optionsto update our schools. While I recognizethe critical importance ofdevising innovative and expeditedsolutions for the extraordinary capitalneeds of our schools, the City’sneed to frame solutions which promotefiscal stability is paramount,”said Mayor Spano. “It is incumbentupon me as Mayor to do my duediligence and vet this proposal tosee what is best for both our publicschool system and our taxpayers aswe navigate our city back onto theSTATE OF THE CITYNew Rochelle Mayor Bramson’s State of the City Address Imbalanced Albeit EloquentBy PEGGY GODFREYWith so many promisesand possibilitiesabout so many initiativesit was hard todecipher the true stateof the City of New Rochelle. MayorNoam Bramson, on February 28,2013, at the Davenport Club, rightfullypraised the many accomplishmentsof New Rochelle residents,particularly the youth. 95% of thehigh school graduates went onto“post secondary” education, and theschools sent “more grads to the IvyLeague than any other district inWestchester.” Ray Rice, a graduate,went to Super bowl fame. TheHigh School football team this yearwon the state championship, androad of fiscal stability.”Under current law, the Mayorand the City Council are responsibleto taxpayers for decisions oflarge scale borrowing for schoolsystems. The Yonkers PRIDE proposalchanges that system.Editor’s Note: It turns everythingupside down. The YPS is wagging theCity of Yonkers. The YPS District is aseparate entity and is not under thedirection of CoY. The only connectionbetween the mayor and the YonkersBoard of Education is that the it is themayor who appoints Trustees to theYonkers Board of Education Board ofTrustees. The Public Private partnershiphas been studied for years prior toMayor Mike Spano acceding to office,that is, under the former administration,that of former Mayor Phil Amicone.The majority of appointees to theYonkers BoE Trustees Board of Directorswere appointed by former MayorPhil Amicone. By requesting the Commissioner’sreview of the proposal, theMayor is seeking a better understandingof the fiscal implications of thatchange for the Yonkers taxpayers andthe City’s school children.Editor’s Note: The Yonkers taxpayerwill become encumbered, that is liable,by action taken by an entity overthe cheerleading squad won the nationalchampionship. Yes, there is alot to be proud of in New Rochelleand Mayor Bramson outlined hiscourse of action for the future whilethe New Rochelle Police Departmentofficers who have not had acontract for four years demonstratedoutside this Chamber of Commercesponsored dinner.The first priority was the needto improve the financial conditionof the City. Blaming the recessionand state mandated costs, he statedthe City administrators and CityCouncil made efforts to cut “expendituresand improve efficiency.”Referring to reducing energy costsand refinancing debt, he claimedNew Rochelle had saved “millions.”This allowed New Rochelle to have“the lowest tax rate in the region.”Further, his plans include collaborationwith municipalities “to reduceunit costs.”While Bramson praised GovernorAndrew Cuomo’s leadership oncontrolling costs, he suggested thestate “distribute” costs “more fairly”to give relief to taxpayers. His optimisticfuture plans stressed thedevelopment of Echo Bay, whichhe stated will provide “housing andshops... consistent with the characterand scale of their surroundings.”Referring to the Sun Belt as the“population engine of our country,”he predicted the northeast is nowbuilt for growth “because we havewater, mass transit and human andcultural energy.” A few monthsago Forbes said New York was thenumber one state to lose population.Curiously, Bramson said hewas taking the lead on “land use,development preservation and climateadjustment.” This was amplifiedwith comments about theComprehensive Plan, which willbe aided by the same people whoworked on the Davids Island plan.It should be noted here that federalfunds were used to clean up DavidsIsland, and when Bramson was amember of the City Council theyvoted (with no public input) to allowthe government to demolishevery building on the Island.The housing option Bramsonis promoting includes “acceleratingefforts to encourage growth inour transit district.” This is alsocontrary to reports of new censusMayor Mike Spanowhich the taxpayer has no sway.Mayor Spano added, “The commission’searlier work in clarifyingthe size of Yonkers’ structural imbalanceswas invaluable. We believethey can make similar contributionswhen reviewing the YPS proposal.”The Yonkers Public Schoolsthis week submitted the proposal toMayor Spano for consideration ofthe administration. The 144-pagereport outlines various options for aproposed Phase I capital infrastructureimprovement project, whichwould address substandard conditionsin six YPS schools at a cost upto $1 billion.Editor’s Note: When YBoESuperintendent Bernard Pierora-Superintendent Bernard Pieroraziozio first presented the Public PrivatePartnership, he has already engagedthe Yonkers Public School District inexploration of a solution whose costshave yet to be revealed.In 2012, Mayor Spano convenedthe Commission of Inquiryon the City of Yonkers Finances,led by former Lieutenant GovernorRichard Ravitch, former New YorkState Assemblyman Richard Brodsky,Jay Bryant and Taurrus Richardsonand several experts in localand state finances in order to obtaina more in depth look at the City’sfinances.The City of Yonkers currentlyestimates an $86 million budgetshortfall for 2013-2014, and a fouryearbudget gap of approximately$500 million by 2016. Yonkers’budget for the current fiscal yearis $955 million while the YonkersPublic School budget is $490 million.Editor’s Note: The Yonkers BoEbudget deficit is $48 million for thisfiscal year. Add $86 million more withrespect to the city side of the equation,an additional $8 million of infrastructuredestroyed by HurricaneSandy, $5 million in overtime costsdue to the delayed hiring of a new classof Yonkers Firefighters, and the total is$147 million, which I will refer to asa $150 million deficit.Editor’s Note: Yonkers Tribune / TheWestchester Guardian has made an officialrequest of Yonkers City Hall, andof Corporation Counsel, and givennotice of our conduct by cc’ing InspectorGeneral Kitley Covill, as well ashaving made inquiry of Senator GregBall’s Office and also of Senate DemocraticLeader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.Assemblymember Shelley Mayerhas advised she has now informationover the P3 project because she is notengaged in the YPS District’s CapitalImprovement Plan.estimates released March 5 showingpeople are working closer totheir homes. Commuting fromWestchester to Manhattan or TheBronx increased a small amountsince 2000. But commuters fromDutchess to Manhattan increasedas did reverse commuting from TheBronx and Queens.Bramson did not mention thelawsuit filed by Steve Mayo againstthe garbage fee. A judge the daybefore this address had refused todismiss the lawsuit and asked NewRochelle to justify this refuse feewhich brings in more money thanis needed to collect the garbage.Similarly the Echo Bay developmentproposal will enact a heavytoll on New Rochelle’s finances:Continued on page 21