Elmsford Day

Girl Scout Movie in the Park Rescheduled To Tonight Saturday September 29, 2018

Join Westchester County Executive George Latimer at Town Hall

In response to a request earlier this year from Westchester County Legislator Alfreda Williams, the CGCA agreed to sponsor a meeting with Westchester County Executive George Latimer regarding the County budget. 

 You can ask the County Executive:

WHAT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED?

WHAT SPECIAL CONCERNS DO TAXPAYERS FACE?

LEARN THE ISSUES. 

ASK QUESTIONS.  EXPECT ANSWERS.

ATTEND THIS SPECIAL MEETING

WITH

WESTCHESTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE

GEORGE LATIMER

Monday, September 24, 2018

7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Greenburgh Town Hall
(177 Hillside Avenue)

sponsored by

The Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations

THE COUNCIL OF GREENBURGH CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS IS A NONPARTISAN, UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION.

OUR PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND ADVANCE THE COMMON INTERESTS OF MEMBER CIVIC GROUPS IN IMPORTANT

TOWN AFFAIRS.

Tax Information:

Many complain that a significant portion of your annual tax bill is for monies that go toward funding County operations. The county government portion of the property tax is about 15-18% of a property owner's total bill. The remaining property tax is collected by local governments, school districts and special districts (such as fire, water, sewers). The total sales tax varies in Westchester, as the county's largest four cities (White Plains, Yonkers, New Rochelle and Mount Vernon) collect a sales tax of their own. In addition, the state levies a sales tax as well as many unfunded mandates. Westchester County, as well as the Town of Greenburgh, also collects a tax on hotel occupancies. This tax was recently proposed and pushed by Democrats Tom Abinanti and Paul Feiner, helping to make this area and the Town in particular more expensive for travelers. It as passed unanimously by his Town Board.

Business taxes Westchester County offers the following tax advantages to businesses: 

• no local corporate income tax • no local personal income tax (except in Yonkers) 

• no personal property tax 

• no commercial rent tax 

• no unincorporated business tax Although a number of factors will ultimately determine an organization's tax liabilities, some generalizations can be made regarding taxes. New York State's maximum corporate income tax rate is 7.1%. In addition, tax savings may result from investment income treatment. 

The following sales tax rates apply in Westchester County: 

• State sales tax (4%) 

• Metropolitan Transportation Authority tax (0.375%) 

• County sales tax (except in Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, White Plains and Yonkers) (3%) 

• County sales tax (in Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, White Plains and Yonkers) (1.5%) 

• Municipal sales tax (in White Plains) (2.25%). 

• Municipal sales tax (in Yonkers, Mount Vernon and New Rochelle) (2.5%).\ 

*an additional 2.5% in the cities of Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, and Yonkers. An additional 2% in the City of White Plains. Tax information is courtesy of New York State Empire Development Corporation, a division of New York State Department of Economic Development. 102 WESTCHESTER COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING DATABOOK Taxes Resident Taxes The County of Westchester does not collect a personal income tax, a factor which helps companies attract skilled, highly-paid employees. The personal income tax is assessed by New York State. New York City and the City of Yonkers assess an additional graduated income tax on residents. Connecticut also has a state income tax. 

Four Corners - Next Steps

Eric Zinger, President of the Hartsdale Neighbors Association has announced this information related to the 4 Corners revitalization efforts.

We wanted to give everyone who signed the 4 Corners Petition an update on the efforts to revitalize the Four Corners in Hartsdale.

The Town and Supervisor Feiner have given indication that they are supportive of the proposal but that hasn't translated into action. It is critical that the Town Board continues to see the overwhelming community support that has been shown for reinvigorating the Four Corners intersection.  We thank everyone who has emailed and attended meetings so far and we humbly ask that you continue to show your support.  We need the Town Board to see the support from the community for this and there are multiple upcoming opportunities to do so:

Tuesday, 9/25 at 9:30am at Town Hall, there will be a Town Board Work Session to discuss 4 Corners.  We are hoping that this will lead to the next steps in the process.  Join HNA representatives at the work session to show your support.

Wednesday 9/26 at 7:30pm at Town Hall, is the next Town Board meeting.  During these meetings, the public has an opportunity to address the Town Board directly on any issue they wish to raise.  We encourage you to come and show your support for 4 Corners revitalization.  We want as many people as possible to put on display the support that exists. 

If you can’t make one of the two above, and even if you can, please email TownBoard@greenburghny.com and tell them you want to see the 4 Corners addressed.  Interested in attending either of these events?  Let us know at info@hartsdaleneighbors.org so we can coordinate.

Westchester County Volunteer Firemen Association Convention Parade on Saturday

Parade Date: 
Saturday, September 15, 2018 - 3:00pm

Dobbs Ferry FD and Ardsley FD will be co-hosting the 112th annual Westchester County Volunteer Fireman's Association Convention. 

The dress parade for the event will take place on Saturday, September 15th beginning at 3:00 p.m. at Ashford Avenue at Price Street.  The Parade will proceed down Ashford Avenue, to Cedar Street, to Main Street and conclude at Waterfront Park.

Please note the following street closures during the time of the parade:
The Gateway will be shut down for probably 1.5 hours to allow all of the apparatus/trucks/etc to go by. This is at Broadway/Ashford/Cedar, causing very little to no traffic to get through from Hastings to Irvington

Ashford will be closed from Broadway to Price Street most of the afternoon, so people coming off the Saw Mill will all need to reroute through side streets or turn around

Parking along Main and Cedar will be restricted from noon-6pm (possibly earlier if the parade finishes earlier)

Parking along Livingstone will be restricted as well (for residents, who the WCVFA apparently is notifying ahead of time)

September 11th - In Memorium

8:46 a.m. and 9:02 a.m. 
Time the burning towers stood: 56 minutes and 102 minutes. 
Time they took to fall: 12 seconds. 
Total number killed in attacks: 2,819
Number of firefighters and paramedics killed: 343
Number of NYPD officers: 23
Number of Port Authority police officers: 37
Number of employees who died in Tower One: 1,402
Number of employees who died in Tower Two: 614
Number of nations whose citizens were killed in attacks: 115
Age of the greatest number who died: between 35 and 39
Bodies found "intact": 289
Body parts found: 19,858
Number of families who got no remains: 1,717
Number of people who lost a spouse or partner in the attacks: 1,609
Estimated number of children who lost a parent: 3,051
Percentage of Americans who knew someone hurt or killed in the attacks: 20
Number of funerals attended by Rudy Giuliani in 2001: 200
Number of FDNY vehicles destroyed: 98
Tons of debris removed from site: 1,506,124
Days fires continued to burn after the attack: 99

Elmsford's September 11th Remembrance

Happy Rosh Hashana

Each year, 163 days after Passover, the Jewish community celebrates Rosh Hashanah, which marks the beginning of the High Holy Days leading up to Yom Kippur.

The two-day celebration began this year at sundown on Sunday, and will continue through Tuesday night.

The phrase means “head of the year." But the holiday actually takes place in the seventh month of the Jewish calendar although the months don't exactly line up to a traditional Gregorian calendar, but the seventh month usually takes place in September and October.

Elmwood Country Club - Ridgewood Development

I find it necessary to respond to “Hartsdale Resident’s” August 30, 2018 comments in response to my Letter to The Editor of August 25, 2018.

The first comment regarding the reservation of parkland or payment of fees in lieu thereof is premature. Such discussion properly takes place during the final stage of approval of subdivision and/or site applications regarding residential developments.

And, according to both NYS enabling legislation and the Greenburgh Code, it is the Town’s decision, not the developer’s, whether parkland should be reserved or recreation escrow fees paid. In the Ridgewood case, no subdivision or site plan application has been submitted.

Hartsdale Resident accuses the Town Board of “holding the developer  hostage,” requiring the developers “to submit plans for something  they have zero intention of doing,” and delaying projects  “for months if not years before referring projects to the planning board.”

Hartsdale Resident is misinformed. This application does not require  Planning Board input at this time. The only application Ridgewood  has submitted is for rezoning property and amendments to the official  Zoning Map. Zoning changes are discretionary actions that properly  belong before the Town Board. If it so chooses, the Town Board can decide not to entertain the application.

Hartsdale Resident is agreeing with me when he/she states that "the exploration of alternative uses for the site and their impacts  should be done during the SEQR review.”

If the Town Board chooses to consider this application, the following  steps, previously used when considering other large projects  (The Jefferson, Regeneron, Avalon, Stop & Shop, GameOn)  should be employed:

• Issue an Request for Qualifications (RFQ) or Request for Proposal (RFP) for an outside independent consultant Interview replying consultants

• Declare Town Board intent to be Lead Agency under State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) and identify the action as a Type I

• Choose the consultant

• Affirm Lead Agency status, issue a Positive Declaration, order that a DEIS be prepared and direct the consultant to prepare a draft “scope”

• Hold public scoping session(s)

• Refer the Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) when prepared to the Planning Board and other involved agencies for review and recommendations

• Hold public hearing(s) on the DEIS

• Prepare an Final Environmental Impact Study (FEIS)

• Prepare Findings

Dorrine Livson

President

Worthington Woodlands Civic Association

Happy Labor Day

Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers, and Labor Day 2018 occurs on Monday, September 3 (it’s traditionally observed on the first Monday in September). It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894. Nowadays, Labor Day more symbolizes the semi-official end of summer for many Americans, and is celebrated with parties, parades and athletic events, as well as getting ready for students going back to school.