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Bernstein Wins Again!
Well, taxpayers in unincorporated Greenburgh (that’s you, folks) can thank Edgemont attorney Bob Bernstein for continuing to work and <win> on your behalf. In a case now before the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court, Mr. Bernstein has successfully argued that the six Greenburgh villages (Elmsford, Hastings on Hudson, Ardsley, Tarrytown, Dobbs Ferry and Irvington) should not be allowed to file an amicus curiae brief (friend of the court--someone who is not a party to the litigation, but who believes that the court's decision may affect its interest).
The Appellate Division denied the motion for the six villages to file a brief to support the Town’s position on the Taxter Ridge case.
For those of you who do not keep up, the legal battle is over whether unincorporated Greenburgh, and not the villages, should be burdened with the full tax share of acquiring, maintaining and operating the Taxter Ridge Park in Greenburgh which is opened to all of Greenburgh.
The GfG postings include Bernstein’s motion (40 KB) in opposition to the villages’ attempt to influence the Court decision, the Court’s decision (34 KB) on the village motion to intervene (denied), and the Town of Greenburgh’s brief (678 KB) to support the village position and not unincorporated Greenburgh.
Greenburgh’s governance is peculiar as the six villages each have their own elected Mayors and Trustees to advocate on their behalf. Yet the villages also elect the Greenburgh Town Board and Supervisor---so their political clout is substantial. Unincorporated Greenburgh (areas such as Hartsdale, Fairview, North Greenburgh, Edgemont, and the unincorporated parts of Elmsford and Irvington) have only the Town Board to represent them. Thus, the Town Board serves two masters, so to speak.
In this case, the Town Board decided to side with the villages against unincorporated Greenburgh. (See Reply Brief for Respondents-Appellants (Town of Greenburgh).pdf [678 KB] and Richard L. Marasse, Respondents—Appellants, on behalf of the Town of Greenburgh.pdf [1.67 MB].)
You may wish to consider if your interests are being properly represented at the Town governance level. And, if you choose to ignore the situation, you have only yourselves to blame when your taxes keep going up. In other words, it is time to take note of what your Town Board and Supervisor are doing and how well they are representing you.
Unincorporated Greenburgh should not have to rely on the goodwill and hard work of an Edgemont attorney to represent its interests. It is to the Town Board and Supervisor that you should address your concerns about your tax burden for both Taxter Ridge and, potentially, for every park and recreation area in Greenburgh.
On the News page, see:
Grassroots for Greenburgh -- April 4, 2006
Appellate Division Denies Villages' Request to
File an Amicus Curiae Brief in
the Matter of Bernstein
v. Feiner
We thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: Grassroots for Greenburgh.
In the Matter of Bernstein v. Feiner
GfG has just posted two briefs regarding the legal battle between the Town of Greenburgh and petitioner, Robert Bernstein, for the unincorporated area. Unincorporated area residents should take note of these arguments as your tax burden is at stake. The legal suit concerns the cost of acquiring and maintaining the Taxter Ridge Park; but the suit has greater implication for the continued battle over the allocation of the Town’s ”A” budget, assumed by all of Greenburgh (including its six villages) and the “B” budget, assumed by only residents living in the unincorporated area.
The Bernstein suit was successful on the NYS Supreme Court level. The Town of Greenburgh decided to appeal. These two briefs are now before the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court.
On the NEWS Page:
Grassroots for Greenburgh -- March 20, 2006
In the Matter of Bernstein v. Feiner
Also posted on GfG:
On the PRESS COVERAGE Page:
The Journal News -- March 20, 2006
"Greenburgh Driving Range Could Be Home to Artifacts"
We thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: Grassroots for Greenburgh
Your Tax Dollars! The "War" Between the Villages and Unincorporated Greenburgh
Well, it has finally happened. The Town of Greenburgh, comprised of both unincorporated Greenburgh and the residents of 6 incorporated villages, with their own political entities, are at war with each other over the allocation of taxes and revenues, and who gets taxed more or less or gets the benefit of certain revenues which the Town collects. And this page can hold only one person and official responsible for this “war.” That person is Paul Feiner, the Town Supervisor, who in his continual quest for votes, has, over his tenure, refused to address the apparent inequities in the way the Town budget is allocated between the “A” budget (Town wide) and the “B” budget (Unincorporated area). And don’t believe that it is all due to state-mandated law.
The Town Board, at present, comprised of Steve Bass, Eddie Mae Barnes, Diana Juettner and Timmy Weinberg, should not be let off the hook because they, too, have allowed this driving wedge between two areas of the Town to fester and develop.
In a nutshell. The Mayors of the six villages (Ardsley, Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Irvington and Tarrytown) have organized to help deliver the body blow to the unincorporated area taxpayer. The latter, at present, do not have the political clout (or perhaps will) to wage a defensive battle. Edgemont, in the unincorporated area, has its Bob Bernstein, who won a taxpayer suit on behalf of the unincorporated area, but Edgemont alone will not carry the day unless the greater unincorporated area gets involved in how and why they are taxed.
And because the political process in Greenburgh is frozen (that is, lack of political courage from any of them), the Town Board and the Supervisor have now decided to hire a mediator to work out the problems of revenue and expenses between the villages and the unincorporated area. You may ask. Isn’t this their job??
For a start, you may want to inform yourselves about the 2006 budget which is being proposed for Greenburgh. It is posted on the Town’s website at: 2006 Greenburgh Budget
You should also attend [or at least watch on Channel 76] the public hearing on the 2006 budget on Monday, November 21, 2005 at 7:15 pm at Town Hall. The Agenda is crammed full with lots of other items, so how much time is going to be spent on this important issue remains to be seen. Remember, you can call in your comments and opinions. Showing up and speaking out is better though.
Relevant postings on the GfG page are:
- Bob Bernstein’s Alert to the Greenburgh taxpayer. Bernstein Alert
- A resident’s opinion on the mediator issue. Residents' Voices
- The Greenburgh Budget. Greenburgh services
- The Villages’ Advocacy. Villages lobby Greenburgh
We thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: Grassroots for Greenburgh
The New York Times on Paul Feiner
Paul Feiner has apparently survived a squeaker in the primary election for Supervisor against Bill Greenawalt. Unofficial returns show that Feiner won by just under 200 votes, a stunning reversal of fortune for the so-called “unbeatable candidate.” Yet a win is a win. Absentee and write-in ballots will be counted this Wednesday by the Westchester County Board of Elections.
The New York Times, in a September 18th editorial, stated:
“Greenburgh and Paul Feiner are not through with each other yet….The Feiner formula…did not produce the customary landslide of votes. He ran against a well-organized and relentless bombardment of criticism led by a credible opponent, Mr. Greenawalt.”
…As Mr. Greenawalt kept insisting, major things need fixing in the town, not least the patching of relations with Greenburgh’s …villages, where a committed core of Mr. Feiner’s critics have been nurturing hopes of secession. That could be a disaster for Greenburgh…
Mr. Feiner must no longer ignore the substance of his critics’ complaints….like infrastructure, the morale of town employees and the state of town finances----that were raised so relentlessly by the Greenawalt campaign.”
For the complete editorial, see The New York Times.
Thank your for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: Grassroots for Greenburgh.
GfG Primary Election Endorsements
If you have not heard that there is a contested Democratic Party primary this Tuesday, September 13, from 6 am to 9 pm, you have not been listening or paying attention. That is, you have missed the many postcards and flyers mailed to registered Democrats, particularly if you are considered a “prime” voter, one who votes in primaries. Or you did not notice the many political signs dotting our community’s landscape, or perhaps missed the telephone call, knock on the door, or campaign literature with candidate in tow at the train stations, supermarkets and myriad community functions.
But there is a hotly contested Democratic Primary this time in Greenburgh and we urge all registered Democrats to take notice and participate in Tuesday’s election.
Bill Greenawalt is running for Supervisor against the incumbent Paul Feiner. This is the first such challenge to Feiner’s domain in over a decade. Greenawalt is running on change, civility, cohesion, management and fiscal responsibility. Feiner is running on what he considers to be a good record.
Readers of GfG are well acquainted with this website’s criticism of many of Feiner’s policies over the years. In fact, Grassroots for Greenburgh was launched over 5 years ago to offer the residents of Greenburgh an alternative information source regarding the Town’s planning, zoning and quality of life issues which were not being covered in the local media. At that time, the local media was basically parroting the Feiner policies and printing the Supervisor’s press releases without much or any analysis or context.
Times have changed. The local media seems to have awakened somewhat, but, more importantly, a credible, forthright, experienced and decent candidate stepped forward to challenge Mr. Feiner’s apparent chokehold on his Supervisor domain.
Greenawalt faces a formidable challenge in Paul Feiner, who has excelled on small constituent items such as delivering a trash can to someone’s home, getting a snow-covered driveway shoveled or holding court at the area’s supermarkets.
But the big ticket issues have been ignored, mismanaged or neglected. Yes, the Town has a good bond rating, as Mr. Feiner continually touts---but perhaps at the expense of a crumpling Town infrastructure---a dilapidated Town Court, an extremely overburdened and outdated Library building, a sanitation garage that cannot house the sanitation trucks which cost about $250,000 each, and on and on. Sooner or later these issues will not go away----they will only get worse----at greater cost to the taxpayer.
Greenawalt promises measured change and revitalization within the context of prudent fiscal management. He offers Greenburgh a chance for renewal, without recrimination, for civil discourse among the many competing interests without hostility, and fundamental fairness in the way the Town allocates expenses between Greenburgh’s six villages and its unincorporated area.
Perhaps most telling in Mr. Feiner’s failures as a Supervisor, despite his many good qualities, is the opposition aligned against him. These include many of his former supporters. They are: the Democratic Party’s Executive Committee, the Democratic Party Town Convention, which endorsed Mr. Greenawalt, the many civic associations of unincorporated Greenburgh, the Mayors of most of the Town’s six villages, and many Westchester County elected officials.
Mr. Greenawalt even earned the endorsement of The New York Times and accolades from The Scarsdale Inquirer and The Rivertowns Enterprise. It is difficult not to be impressed with the level and fervor of support which Mr. Greenawalt has ignited, even from old party or media stalwarts.
Certainly, GfG does not ignore it. We endorse Bill Greenawalt without reservation and urge all Democrats to do so as well. Vote for Bill on Column 1, Row A. His is the first name on the ballot
The two vacant seats on the Greenburgh Town Council are also hotly contested. Francis Sheehan and Diana Juettner are running as a team against the Feiner-team candidates Kevin Morgan and Allegra Dengler. Sheehan and Juettner are the endorsed candidates of the Democratic Party.
We endorse Francis Sheehan and Diana Juettner. Juettner has been on the Town Council for 13 years, serving with Paul Feiner, but lost his support when she found her voice on the Library bond referendum and supported the Library and its Board enthusiastically. We applaud her growth and are impressed with her careful approach to policy making and oversight. We believe that her future tenure on the Town Council will continue to benefit the Town.
Francis Sheehan is a long time community advocate, member of the Zoning Board and right on just about every issue, from our standpoint anyway. He is an articulate advocate for the type of open government, which Mr. Feiner espouses, but rarely implements. Francis has run twice before for the Town Council and has continued to immerse himself in the intricacies of the complex issues before the Town. He is reasonable and agreeable and would add a depth and dimension to Town Council deliberations which are not yet fully evident on the Town Board.
Both Sheehan and Juettner were endorsed by The Scarsdale Inquirer and The Rivertowns Enterprise.
Those are our picks. Bill Greenawalt for Supervisor (Column 1, Row A), Francis Sheehan and Diana Juettner for Town Council, (Columns 3 and 4, Row A).
For those of you, who want more information on these candidates, visit GfG at:
On the NEWS Page:
Friends of
Bill Greenawalt -- September 10, 2005
Bill Greenawalt Issues 60-Day Action Plan
On the PRESS COVERAGE Page:
The Journal News -- September 11, 2005
"Rare Primary in Greenburgh"
The Journal News -- September 9, 2005
"Letter to the Editor: Greenawalt Should be Choice of Voters"
The Journal News -- September 9, 2005
"Letter to the Editor: Greenburgh Needs New Leadership"
The Journal News -- September 9, 2005
"Letter to the Editor: Feiner Team Refused to Debate Issues"
The Journal News -- September 8, 2005
"Letter to the Editor: Greenburgh Needs Change at the Top"
The Journal News -- September 8, 2005
"Letter to the Editor: Sheehan, Juettner Best Qualified"
The Journal News -- September 8, 2005
"Letter to the Editor: Sheehan Provides Independent Voice"
Candidates' Debates
Paul Feiner and Bill Greenawalt are candidates for the position of Supervisor in the Town of Greenburgh in the upcoming Democratic Primary on Tuesday, September 13th.
In preparation for the primary, there are two “debates” scheduled for this week. On Tuesday, August 30th at Greenburgh Town Hall (177 Hillside Avenue) at 7:15 pm, the Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations (CGCA) is hosting a candidates’ debate. Unfortunately, Mr. Feiner and his Town Council candidates refused to attend this debate, even though it is being held under guidelines developed by the League of Women Voters (League) and moderated by a League representative.
However, Bill Greenawalt, Supervisor candidate, and Town Council candidates Diana Juettner and Francis Sheehan welcome the opportunity to address the voters and will be present to discuss the issues and respond to questions. CGCA has stated that, in accordance with League guidelines, it would welcome Mr. Feiner and his Town Council candidates even at the last minute.
The second debate will be held under the auspices of the Hastings and Dobbs Ferry Democratic Committees at the Embassy Center, Palisade Street, Dobbs Ferry on Thursday, September 1st from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Mr. Feiner and his Town Council candidates will attend this debate, as will Mr. Greenawalt, Mr. Sheehan, and Ms. Juettner. A League representative will moderate this debate as well.
The CGCA debate tomorrow night will be broadcast live on Greenburgh’s Cable TV access station, Channel 76. This debate and the Hastings/Dobbs Ferry debate will be taped and broadcast in a continuous loop over Channel 76 the following two weekends, just prior to the primary election on September 13th. Individual candidates’ “infomercials” will be part of this continuous loop. The taped loop will begin at 10:00 pm this coming Friday and continue through to 8:00 am Monday morning.
For a start on some of the issues to be discussed, you might read:
On the PRESS COVERAGE Page:
The Journal News --
August 28, 2005
"Candidates Square Off in Greenburgh"
We thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: http://grassrootsforgreenburgh.home.att.net.
The Problems in Greenburgh
We direct you to new postings on the GfG website. As the political season heats up, the community voices its concerns in Letters to the Editor.
Additionally, Greenburgh’s six villages are seriously considering secession from the Town of Greenburgh [see the July 27th article below, "Greenburgh's Villages to Gauge Costs of Secession"].
And if the villages’ dissatisfaction with the current Town administration of Paul Feiner is not problem enough, Edgemont, in the unincorporated area of Greenburgh, is weighing the costs/benefits of incorporating as a village.
Greenburgh’s six villages have their own political, planning and other governing apparatus. In years’ past they have voted for Mr. Feiner, without having to deal with, or even understand, the full impact of his administration. Unincorporated Greenburgh, however, has had to cope with the many ill-conceived, sometimes erratic, and often disastrous Feiner administration policies. However, taxpayers in both the villages and the unincorporated area are now beginning to understand that their tax dollar is adversely affected by an administration of gimmicks, ethical conflicts and ad nauseam press releases.
For those of you who wish to understand the nature and impact of these Town policies, we invite you to visit and read the CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS page of GfG, particularly the minutes of the Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations. See: the CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS Page.
On the PRESS COVERAGE Page:
The
Journal News -- August 3, 2005
"Letter to the Editor: Gimmicks Don't Get the Job Done"
The
Journal News -- July 27, 2005
"Greenburgh's Villages to Gauge Costs of Secession"
The
Journal News -- July 26, 2005
"Letter to the Editor: Solar Energy Project a Waste of
Money"
The
Journal News--July 14, 2005
"Letter to the Editor: Misplaced Priorities by Paul Feiner"
We thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: http://grassrootsforgreenburgh.home.att.net
Greenburgh Democratic Executive Committee Recommendations
One of our readers asked us to note that in the following article, The Journal News, in the sidebar, had incorrectly printed that the Executive Committee of the Democratic Party had recommended Timmy Weinberg, instead of Francis Sheehan for Greenburgh Town Council.
The
Journal News--May 20, 2005
"Feiner May Face Roughest Sledding in this Year's Vote"
For the edification of our readers we confirm that the Executive Committee of the Greenburgh Democratic Town Committee recommended to the full Convention, which will meet on May 26th, the following candidates for office in the Town of Greenburgh. They are:
Bill
Greenawalt,
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
Francis Sheehan,
Greenburgh Town Council
Diana Juettner,
Greenburgh Town Council
Alfreda Williams,
Greenburgh Town Clerk
David Dwinell,
Greenburgh Receiver of Taxes
We thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: http://grassrootsforgreenburgh.home.att.net
Court Denies Town's Motion to Reargue Case
The unincorporated Greenburgh taxpayer won another victory in New York State Supreme Court when Judge Richard A. Molea denied the Town’s motion to reargue the case won in February 2005 by Robert Bernstein, Edgemont attorney. That case established the principle that parks and recreational facilities opened town-wide must be paid for town-wide. To date, Mr. Feiner’s administration has only been assessing the cost to the unincorporated area of Greenburgh and not to its six villages.
In his decision, Judge Molea stated that the Town failed to demonstrate that relevant facts were overlooked in the earlier decision or that the court misapplied the law. The “motion”, Judge Molea wrote, “is plainly an application brought by an unsuccessful party to re-litigate a matter which was previously decided.”
The arguments raised by the Town “are substantially the same as those considered and soundly rejected by the Court…”
Read the full decision on the NEWS Page:
Grassroots
for Greenburgh--May 11, 2005
The Town Loses Again--Bernstein Prevails on Taxter Ridge
We thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: http://grassrootsforgreenburgh.home.att.net
The Library Wins!
In a hotly contested race in which the non-partisan Library Board and its supporters were pitted against a formidable politician, who worked diligently [and some say illegally] to defeat the Library’s bond referendum, the Library pulled the day. And that is because the Library and its supporters worked tirelessly to explain to Greenburgh residents the dire need for a new and expanded Library.
GfG applauds the Library’s efforts. The Library’s success demonstrates that a community of good and civic-minded citizens can defeat the political machine of Paul Feiner.
Yes, it was a close vote, 2,252 YES to 2,186 No, a difference of only 66 votes. But one must consider the well-financed opposition of Paul Feiner. Also, 4,438 people went to the polls, exceeding the last Democratic primary vote, in which only about 3,600 voted. The primary vote is Town wide, including the villages, whereas the Library vote was restricted to residents of unincorporated Greenburgh. Thus, the community was engaged in this issue. Good, that is what democracy is about.
The success of this effort was due to the grassroots effort of ordinary citizens. GfG knows of one district where two dedicated volunteers went door to door to over 300 households, distributing personalized, hand—annotated flyers, asking their neighbors to support the Library. And the neighborhood did support the Library by a margin of 77 to 30. Quite an achievement. Other neighborhoods had a similar effort and result.
We thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: http://grassrootsforgreenburgh.home.att.net
New Press Coverage on GfG
GfG has posted a number of articles from The Scarsdale Inquirer.
The political season is heating up. For the first time in many years, Paul Feiner is facing a primary opponent for Town Supervisor. Bill Greenawalt, former Greenburgh Democratic Chair, with a resume and pedigree to knock your socks off, is running for Town Supervisor. Mr. Greenawalt has already been recommended by the Executive Committee to the Greenburgh Democratic Convention for its endorsement. He is fast capturing the attention and support of those Greenburgh voters who are disaffected with Mr. Feiner. Mr. Feiner’s latest assault on the Library and its referendum, and his defeat on that issue, has only emboldened his opposition.
Read on the PRESS COVERAGE page:
The
Scarsdale Inquirer--April 15, 2005
"Former Democratic Party Chair to Face Feiner in Sept. Primary"
Additionally, we recommend the following articles on the PRESS COVERAGE page for your review.
The
Scarsdale Inquirer--May 6, 2005
"Feiner Delays Change in Deputy Supervisor Appointment Process"
The
Scarsdale Inquirer--April 15, 2005
"Board Reverses Taxter Position, Decides to Appeal"
The
Scarsdale Inquirer--April 15, 2005
"Letter to the Editor: Supervisor Should Not Tolerate Personal
Attacks"
The
Scarsdale Inquirer--April 8, 2005
"Editorial: Enough!"
We thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: http://grassrootsforgreenburgh.home.att.net
Vote the Library
Greenburgh voters have a chance to dramatically enhance their community by voting for the Library bond referendum on Tuesday, May 10th, 2005 from 6 am to 9 pm. Voting will take place in the voter’s usual polling place.
If you are unsure of where to vote, call the Greenburgh Town Clerk’s office at (914) 993-1500 or the Westchester County Board of Elections at (914) 995-5700. [There is one exception to the usual voting place---voters at the Ardsley Middle School will vote instead at the Ardsley High School----these voters should have been notified by the Town Clerk’s office.]
The present Greenburgh Library, built in 1968, is severely overcrowded and cannot service the public properly. The building was built to serve a population of 18,500. Currently the Library is serving a population of almost 50,000. The building is in a dilapidated condition, is not compliant with present-day code requirements and cannot provide the reading and quiet space essential to a library experience.
For a mere 19 cents/day, Greenburgh residents will be able to enjoy access to an in-depth reference section, computer workstations, opportunities for cultural and informational events, as well as space for a true learning environment. Parking will be vastly expanded.
We urge all residents to VOTE YES on the Library bond referendum.
We thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: http://grassrootsforgreenburgh.home.att.net
The Library
The Greenburgh Library Board is having a public presentation on the Library expansion tomorrow night at Town Hall (177 Hillside Avenue) at 7:15 pm on May 5th. This meeting is in addition to the over 30 presentations already held by the Library to explain the need for Library renovation and expansion to the Greenburgh community.
You may well hear many scare tactics from Library opponents at this meeting, most likely from the Town Supervisor, Paul Feiner. In fact, he may well attempt to dominate the session and confuse voters regarding the upcoming bond referendum on May 10th. Mr. Feiner has been vigorously fighting the Library Board and the proponents of the sorely-needed library expansion.
Listen carefully and make your own judgment. Yes, the expansion/renovation will cost each of us about $68 annually---a small price to pay for what should be a jewel of any community, its center of learning.
Libraries serve many purposes today, reading, a meeting place for the exchange of ideas, a social and cultural center of a community. The plans for the Greenburgh Library appear to meet all these functions.
This meeting will be broadcast on cable channel 76 and rebroadcast continually until May 10th, when the vote on the bond referendum takes place.
Extensive information on the Library is also available on its web page: www.greenburghlibrary.org
Also call the Library at (914) 993-1600, if you have any questions. Ms. Demita Gerber is the Library Director.
We urge you to listen to the voices of reason in the community. Every Town Board member, with the exception of Mr. Feiner, supports the Library expansion. These Town Board members will be present at the meeting. They are Steve Bass, Eddie Mae Barnes, Diana Juettner and Timmy Weinberg. If Francis Sheehan, Ella Preiser, Thelma Washington, Madelon O’Shea, Bob Bernstein and other Library supporters rise to speak---we advise you to listen to them. They, too, are taxpayers, but they speak for a community who puts its children first and foremost.
For our part, GfG enthusiastically supports the Library expansion as it has been proposed. We will serve notice of our support again just before the May 10th bond referendum.
We thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: http://grassrootsforgreenburgh.home.att.net
It's your money!
An increasingly contentious issue is evolving in Greenburgh regarding the allocation of the tax bite on unincorporated Greenburgh vis-à-vis the villages. The villages in Greenburgh are Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington and Tarrytown. The rest of Greenburgh, Fairview, Hartsdale, Edgemont, North Elmsford, East Irvington, Orchard Hill, Mayfair/Knollwood, among others, constitutes unincorporated Greenburgh. [For a more complete list of the unincorporated areas, see the CGCA minutes on the CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS page] The villages have their own Mayors and elected officials and their own planning, zoning and police functions. The villages rely on the Town of Greenburgh for some basic services such as tax collection, some police and ambulance functions, etc. Although the villages can vote [and do] for the Supervisor of the Town of Greenburgh [Paul Feiner, the incumbent], unincorporated Greenburgh has no say or electoral might in village elections. Eligible voting strength in unincorporated vs. the villages in Town-wide elections is about 50-50 with a slight edge to the villages.
The Secor Homes Civic Association (SHCA), residing in unincorporated Greenburgh, is concerned about a committee that Supervisor Feiner has established which would review the Town Budget, and make recommendations regarding the appropriate allocations of expenses and revenues to either the Part A budget (entire Town, including the villages) or Part B budget (unincorporated Greenburgh only). This committee, my friends, is a potential recipe for disaster.
Mr. Feiner’s committee is considered a supervisor’s committee [as opposed to a Town Board committee] ---meaning it is not subject to the Town’s Freedom of Information requirements, or the State’s open meetings law. This committee can meet in secret, can attempt to (and probably will) use Town staff and other Town resources, and can basically serve as political cover for the Supervisor, who has, in the past, catered to the voters in the six villages.
The pro-Paul, meaning pro villages, contingent on the committee outweighs those members who apparently may keep an open mind when it comes to deciding which part of Greenburgh pays the most taxes. Although the committee purports to have more representatives from unincorporated Greenburgh, some of these very members are long-time supporters of the Supervisor. But the real issue is that the Feiner-appointed chairman has already demonstrated that he is not impartial. He intervened, on behalf of village interests, in Bernstein v. Feiner, a case brought and <won> by Edgemont lawyer, Robert Bernstein, on behalf of himself and unincorporated Greenburgh taxpayers. See the full story on the CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS page, http://home.att.net/~grassrootsforgreenburgh/shca_4-7-05.htm
SHCA is also concerned about the process for hiring an independent consultant to review the budgetary allocations. See: http://home.att.net/~grassrootsforgreenburgh/shca_3-26-05.htm
Lastly, SHCA is following closely the development of Westgate Farms, which abuts a part of the SHCA community. See: http://home.att.net/~grassrootsforgreenburgh/shca_3-24-05.htm
We thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: http://home.att.net/~grassrootsforgreenburgh/index.htm
Hartsdale Fire District financing bond informational meeting
The Hartsdale Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners has requested that we inform you of an informational meeting being held to explain the financing bond which the Hartsdale Fire District is recommending for approval by the voters in a special election.
The bond would provide needed funds for upgrade and renovation of Fire Station No. 1, located on Central Avenue and Station No. 2, located on West Hartsdale Avenue.
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 at 8:00 PM at the Hartsdale Fire District Station No 1 at 25 South Central Avenue, Hartsdale, New York.
If you have any questions regarding the bond or other issues, please call Commissioner Fred Overing at 761-1925 or Chief Walter Schoonmaker at 949-2325.
The special election for the public’s approval of the bond referendum will take place on:
Thursday,
March 31, 2005
6 PM to 9PM
Hartsdale
Fire District Station No 1
5 South Central Avenue,
Hartsdale, New York.
We thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: http://grassrootsforgreenburgh.home.att.net
Tax relief for unincorporated residents and the continuing saga of the Library renovation
As promised, GfG has posted on the NEWS page the decision of the Supreme Court of the State of New York in Bernstein v. Feiner. The decision was filed February 17, 2004. This is an extremely important decision for the unincorporated residents of Greenburgh (those residents not residing in the villages). It will result in a tax deduction for the unincorporated area.
The decision renders invalid the Town of Greenburgh’s decision to charge only unincorporated residents for acquisition and operation of the newly-acquired Taxter Ridge Park. The park is opened to all of Greenburgh, including the villages. Judge Molea in his decision upholding Edgemont resident Robert Bernstein’s challenge stated that:
“Accordingly, this Court finds that the…assessment, levy and collection of a tax solely from the owners of property located within the unincorporated area of the Town, in order to finance the cost of acquisition, operation and maintenance of Taxter Ridge as parkland to be made available for use by all persons irrespective of their residency status, constitutes a violation of Town Law section 232. [The Court required] …that the expenses associated with Taxter Ridge be considered town-wide charges which must be assessed, levied and collected from all taxable property in the Town including the owners of property located within the incorporated villages of the Town.”
This decision has implications for other parks and buildings which are paid for only by unincorporated area residents, but which are open to all residents of Greenburgh.
This issue has become a hot political issue for Paul Feiner, Town of Greenburgh Supervisor, who contends that only certain residents should be taxed for property which is open and enjoyed by all resident taxpayers. Mr. Feiner has hurriedly put together a committee of hand-picked residents to “review” all the items in the budget which may affect the unincorporated residents vs. the village residents. Unfortunately, some of the potential committee members have expressed strong support for the Supervisor in the past and are unlikely to challenge his position now. This could leave unincorporated residents holding a larger share of the tax burden, as Mr. Feiner has in the past catered to the wishes of the constituent villages.
If you value your pocketbook, you should keep abreast of this matter. Read the decision at: http://home.att.net/~grassrootsforgreenburgh/news.htm
GfG has also been following the library renovation/expansion issue. The Town Board voted 4-1 (Mr. Feiner against) for the bond referendum on the $20 million library expansion to be held on May 10th. Mr. Feiner is actively running against the library bond referendum, which could doom the sorely-needed library renovation. One may wonder why? There is some speculation in the community about Feiner wanting to hold on to the old Town Hall site [where the library is planning an expansion] for the benefit of a developer who has expressed interest in the property.
GfG will develop this story in another update. Meanwhile, if you wish to learn more about the library’s renovation plans, visit the Greenburgh Library site at: http://www.greenburghlibrary.org/scripts/index.cfm
We thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: http://grassrootsforgreenburgh.home.att.net
Big Win for Taxpayers of Unincorporated Greenburgh
In a big win for the taxpayers of unincorporated Greenburgh (all residents except the villages), Robert Bernstein of Edgemont, lawyer and community advocate, was successful in his legal suit challenging the Town of Greenburgh for acting improperly in assessing the costs of acquiring, operating and maintaining the newly-acquired Taxter Ridge Park on only unincorporated Greenburgh and not the entire Town, which includes the six villages. On the PRESS COVERAGE page, read the February 18th article in The Scarsdale Inquirer, "Bernstein wins; court rules that villages must pay for Taxter.” http://home.att.net/~grassrootsforgreenburgh/2-18-051.htm
[NB. GfG expects to post the entire decision when it is received]
And in the never-ending battle over the proposed construction/renovation of the Greenburgh Library, an anonymous poll was sent to Edgemont residents questioning, among other things, their views on the proposed $20 million library bond referendum. [Feiner wants it in November 2005; the rest of the Town Board and the Library Board want the referendum earlier to save a potential $500,000 in expected construction and inflationary costs.]
General reaction was that the poll was politically motivated, but no one would fess up to its sponsor. Read on the PRESS COVERAGE page The Scarsdale Inquirer article, “Furor over anonymous E’mont poll." http://home.att.net/~grassrootsforgreenburgh/2-18-05.htm
Finally, for those of you who are really interested in our Library and its plans for renovation/construction, GfG received the following information from the Library, which we pass on for your interest and information.
Thank you for your interest in GfG. Please visit us at: http://grassrootsforgreenburgh.home.att.net
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In addition to the Informational Presentations in the Library listed at the end of this message, there are now two additional meetings in the community, open to the public:
Wednesday, March 16, 7:00 pm at Lee F. Jackson School Tuesday, March 29, 7:00 pm at Seely Place School
Questions of the Week: 1. How much will the nearly $20 million renovation and expansion cost me? 2. How much would it cost to delay the referendum from May to November?
1. According to the Town Comptroller, the cost will be $4.53 per $1,000 of the assessed value of the taxpayer’s property, and the Town Comptroller places the average assessed value of a home in Unincorporated Greenburgh at $15,000. That means that if the assessed value of your property is the average $15,000, the yearly investment you would make in a 25-year $19.8 million bond would be $67.95, an amount that would gradually decrease as the bond is paid off. The average yearly investment compares to the cost of 2-3 books, DVDs, or dinner in a local restaurant. But the value of that investment is lasting and far exceeds any dollar amount.
2. Triton, the construction management firm working on a pre-referendum basis, has estimated that delaying the referendum until the fall could cost as much as $500,000. That amount includes escalating material and labor costs plus the increased costs of excavation and concrete work done in the winter. And the completion of the project itself would be delayed by an entire year, moving the date to 2008.
Informational Presentations at the Library:
Tuesday,
March 1, 4:00 pm
Wednesday, March 9, 11:00 am
Saturday, March 12, 2:00 pm
Thursday, March 17, 7:30 pm
Behind
the Scenes Open House:
Monday, March 14, 7:00 pm
