Vote Today for Scarsdale Mayor and Trustees
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A winter storm that caused a two-hour delay in the opening of the Scarsdale Schools has not stopped the election for Scarsdale Village Mayor and Trustees today, Tuesday March 19 at Village Hall. Trustee Stacey Brodsky, who is on the ballot for a second two-year term, was out campaigning at Hartsdale Train Station early this morning, hoping to bring as many voters as possible to the polls.
Four candidates, nominated by the Scarsdale Citizen's Non-Partisan Party, are running unopposed today:
- Robert Steves: Mayor
- Stacey Brodsky: Village Trustee – second term
- Thomas B. Martin: Village Trustee – first term
- William Stern – Village Trustee – first term
Voting is taking place at Scarsdale Village Hall from 6 am to 9 am and from 12 noon to 9 pm tonight. Following the election, a reception will be held at the Scarsdale Woman's Club on Drake Road to toast the newly elected mayor and trustees. Everyone is encouraged to vote today and attend the reception tonight.
(Pictured at left: Stacey Brodsky at the Hartsdale Train Station)
Resident Fees Rising in Scarsdale
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It's official! You will now pay every time you flush. At the Scarsdale Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday night March 12, the board passed a new law, called "sanitary sewer systems" that will allow the Village to charge residents a sewer rent fee. Revenues will be used to defray the costs of maintaining and improving the Village sewer system which dates back to the 1920's and is in need of repair. Village managers estimate that the average homeowner uses 200 units of water each year and will pay approximately $60 while commercial establishments use an estimated 1,200 units of water per year and will pay $390 per year. The Village expects to collect $400,000 per year from this new fee. Trustees passed the new law with little objection from residents or business owners.
However, members of the Scarsdale business community came to the meeting to protest another proposed increase in fees. In order to raise more funds, Village managers had proposed expanding metered parking downtown from 6 to 9 pm. Currently it is free to park on Village streets after 6 pm. Under this new scheme, those parking downtown would need to feed the meters during the evening hours as well.
This did not go over well with restaurant owners and retailers who protested that their businesses has already been hurt by construction on the Popham Road Bridge and the ongoing work on the Crane Road Bridge. Some estimated that business had fallen by 30% since the roadwork began. Rush Wilson, Don Zaccharia, George Stone and others came to the meeting along with Scarsdale Chamber of Commerce President Carolyn Stevens. They argued that free parking at night is a benefit to business. Former Mayor Stevens said, "With new restaurants trying to gain a foothold in the Village, increasing metered parking until nine o'clock is not business – friendly. Overall, it is not good for the health of the Village." According to Stevens, the $15,000 in additional revenue that would be gained with evening parking fees would have little impact on the Village budget.
Also passed at the Village Board meeting were a new schedule of 2013-14 Village wide fees and charges. Among the increased fees were:
- A filming fee of $500 per hour
- Increased fees for tree removal permits
- Application fees for zoning changes, variances, or a re-hearing by the Board of Appeals
- Parking fees – Freightway annual parking fee to go up from $890 to $950
See the schedule of all fees here.
Tough Times Ahead for Village Government
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According to Village Manager Al Gatta these are tough times for small municipalities like Scarsdale. In a presentation on the proposed 2013-14 Village Budget to the Scarsdale Board of Trustees and the community on February 27, 2013 Gatta emphasized the difficulties faced by the Village due to the economy and state priorities. Gatta told the group that Albany is targeting grants to larger cities while Villages like Scarsdale are being told to "tighten up" their budgets and provide the same or more services with the same amount (or less) of money. In this economic environment, municipal government is not a priority. He emphasized the importance of local decision-making and efficient local government in these challenging times.
Gatta and Village Treasurer Mary Lou McClure shared the numbers for the 2013-14 budget:
- Overall, the proposed budget is $50,639,599.
- The Village Board adopted to override of the 2% cap on property tax levy. This cap is misleading because it allows for numerous exemptions – in Scarsdale's case, growth factor and pension payments – always increase the cap. The tax rate increase is now 4.97% (down from an over 8% increase in the initial draft of the budget).
- The median assessed home will be taxed $282 more per year.
- The full year estimate includes expenses related to Hurricane Sandy – a 3.2% increase when comparing next year's budget to this year's estimate.
What's included:
- As we reported last week, the Village is considering the institution of a sewer usage fee, following the lead of a number of Westchester communities.. The average household fee would be approximately $60 per year and $360 per year for commercial establishments. The Village is faced with a $1, 647,000 shortfall in the budget (down from $2.8 million). Sales tax revenue did not grow at its anticipated rate and without local industry the Village has to find other means of balancing the budget. This fee would allow for Scarsdale to make up part of this shortfall and to make repairs to its antiquated sewer system.
- Reductions in police coverage – during bridge construction, Village residents requested additional police at the Popham/Garth intersection. However, now that the construction is almost finished, police presence at that intersection is no longer needed.
- An increase of over $20,000 in parking meter revenue (due partially to earlier start times at some meter locations).
In addition:
- Many of the Rivertowns are starting to share and merge services in order to reduce expenditures (the Mayor noted that Scarsdale and Hartsdale currently share fire departments).
- The Village had considered cutting its 4th of July fireworks, along with Teen Center services and the summer band concerts, but in light of resident feedback, decided against these austerity measures.
- The Village expects to recieve $675,000 from FEMA for Hurricane Sandy storm damage.
- Mr. Gatta advised Village department heads to level funding and keep the same level of services unless absolutely impossible. In total, their expenditures increased $633,000 or 2.4%, more than half of which is in the fire department, which has a number of senior level employees.
- The Village is considering a renovation of the water pump system, which would result in a decrease in fire insurance rates as fire insurance decreases with improved water pressure and availability of water.
- Overall, the budget has increased about 21% since 2008-2009, much of that increase coming from pension and healthcare costs.
Contributor Lindsay Dembner lives in Scarsdale. She is an English major turned lawyer currently pursuing employment in higher education and education nonprofits.
Vote in the Village Election: Tuesday March 19
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The Campaign Committee for the Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party urges Scarsdale citizens to vote in this year's Village election on March 19. By voting in our local elections, you will be supporting a system that has served Scarsdale well for over 100 years. The system has traditionally produced high quality office holders who have given selflessly of their time and energy in positions that involve long hours, lots of study and no pay – to make Scarsdale a model of excellent government and wonderful services. To learn about this year's outstanding candidates and about the non-partisan system, please visit the campaign's website at www.scarsdalecitizens.org.
The strength of the non-partisan system and of the Scarsdale community rests on our citizens' willingness to participate in the life of the community in a variety of ways – membership in one or more of the many organizations that make Scarsdale a special place, serving on nominating committees and holding Village office. Even in uncontested elections, voting is a very important part of that participation.
Please vote on March 19 at Village Hall – voting hours are 6-9 a.m. and Noon-9 p.m.
David Irwin
2013 Campaign Chair
Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party
A Flushing Fee for Scarsdale Residents?
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The expression "flushing your money down the toilet" may soon have new meaning to Scarsdale residents. According to Mayor Miriam Flisser the Scarsdale Board of Trustees is now considering imposing new fees on sewer usage. Currently residents receive a quarterly bill for water usage and this new fee would be an additional line on that invoice for usage of the Village sanitary sewer system. The Mayor estimated that for an average household the fee would be about $60 per year and $360 per year for commercial establishments. The Mayor made her remarks at a meeting of the Scarsdale Neighborhood Association Presidents (SNAP) on Monday night February 25.
The Village is faced with a projected $2.5 million shortfall in the Village budget and an antiquated sanitary sewer system in need of repair. The Mayor said that during big rainstorms there is sometimes backflow from the sewage systems into the storm water system, causing residents to find raw sewage in their streets and basements. The system dates back to the 1920''s and 1930's and needs to be repaired.
According to a press release from the Village dated February 27, "The sanitary sewer system consists of 85 miles of sanitary sewer pipes, the majority of which were installed in the 1920s and 30s which now require an increasing amount of maintenance and repairs. This maintenance and repair work includes cleaning sewer lines of obstructions and televising to inspect for structural integrity, cracks, tree root infiltration and other problems. Compromised pipes are treated with a cured-in- place liner to extend their useful life or sections of pipe are removed and repaired as needed. The Village spends roughly $300,000 annually in operating and capital expenses to operate, maintain and improve the sanitary sewer system."
At the Village Board meeting on February 26, Trustee Bob Steves explained that the fee would be 30 cents per 100 cubic feet of water and the revenues from this "sewer rental fee" would be used to maintain and remediate the sewer system. All water customers in the Village, including non-profits, would be required to pay this additional fee which should bring in approximately $400,000 in revenues to the Village.
This sewer fee is just one measure under consideration for cutting costs and increasing revenues. The Board also discussed cutting their funding to the Teen Center, doing away with the July 4th fireworks show at the Scarsdale Pool and cancelling the summer band concerts in the Village. However, these measures would have little impact on the budget shortfall and Trustees thought these cuts would be very unpopular with residents.
One SNAP meeting attendant voiced his concern about prospective fees for sewer usage saying, "Where does this stop? Do we tax people for road usage based on the number of cars they own? Do we charge parents for school tax based on the number of children they have in school? If we start with the water, where does it end?"
The Village Board will hold a hearing on a new resolution to establish sanitary sewer rent fees on March 12 at 8 pm at Scarsdale Village Hall.
Here are comments from Mayor Miriam Flisser made at the Scarsdale Village Board Meeting on Tuesday night February 26:
The Village Board continues to work on the budget, and invites you to a presentation of the operating budget on Feb 27 at 7 pm, and the capital budget on Wednesday March 6 at 7 pm. Please note that we welcome input on the budget from all residents, but to date, the only input that we have received is on behalf of preserving programs in the Village. The Village Board reviewed the costs of the annual 4th of July fireworks, and the Band Concert program, but decided that these events held too much community significance to be cancelled. We are considering removing the traffic police from the Popham/Garth intersection when the lights are completed to save overtime costs.
A sewer usage fee, base on water consumption, is mentioned in tonight's agenda. The fee will raise the approximately $400k needed for sewer repair this year. The fee added is minimal for families who limit their usage to household water consumption, but increases for residents who maintain irrigation on their properties. The increased fee for irrigation water is also an incentive to review planting plans to reduce water consumptions. There will be a public hearing about the dedicated sewer fee on March 12 at the next Village Board meeting.
Also, the Law and Land Use Committee will meet tomorrow at 6PM to discuss changes in the Historic Preservation Code Chapter 182. The consideration of establishment of Historic Districts will be considered, and questions of Owner consent for designation will be raised. Preservationists and Property Rights Advocates are all invited to attend as we discuss this important issue for Scarsdale.
Finally, at a meeting of the Scarsdale Neighborhood Association Presidents last evening, a presentation from Chief Tom Cain of the Scarsdale Fire Department, reminded residents that winter safety includes smoke detectors on every level of the house, plus one in each bedroom. Chief Cain reviewed cases where the lives of homeowners were saved due to the detection of smoke by these devices, which need to have their batteries changed yearly.