According to the New Rochelle Industrial Development Agency, we have granted more than $10 million in annual tax breaks to the two Avalon buildings in downtown New Rochelle. Of that amount, almost $8 mil should be going to our schools.
I am told that more than 100 New Rochelle students live in the two Avalon buildings. We spend almost $21,000 per student per year in our city, meaning the annual burden on the school system from these two buildings exceeds $2.1 million. And for that we’re getting less than $70,000 in fees paid from the buildings into the school system.
The Avalon on the Sound deal expires in 2029 while the Avalon on the Sound East deal expires in 2034. We will feel the effects of these bad deals across a generation.
It’s time for some fresh thinking in city government.
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“Don’t ever get angry at a man for stating the truth.” – Dagny Taggart
The Devil’s in the Details
Check out these posts for the ugly details.
http://www.newrochelletalk.com/content/new-rochelles-2011-mayoral-election-looms-bramson-ratchets-phony-net-benefit-claims-downtown
http://www.newrochelletalk.com/content/bramson%E2%80%99s-unsubstantiated-claims-new-rochelle-development-debunked-part-ii
http://www.newrochelletalk.com/content/new-rochelle-mayor-bramson%E2%80%99s-voodoo-development-claims-part-iii
The Tax payers pick up the Tab for this.
The tax payers of New Rochelle share the burden of these students they do so in every case where residential housing is given Tax incentives. The City also during the process somehow had their consultants show much less in terms of impact as they show much lower student numbers expected in these Avalon projects. Avalon made out like bandits because when they sold the building they were able to transfer the tax incentives to the new owner. Seems very short sighted on the part of those left sitting on the Council who were responsible for these deals. New Rochelle’s IDA was voted one of the lowest in all of NY State. The IDA was stacked by Mayor Bramson with people who will vote through his agenda and now we see that we shall pay with increases in school taxes to cover the additional students.
This alone is reason enough to vote out Mayor Bramson and Barry Fertel they will be the only two council votes running for office who voted this deal.
Out of District Burden…
Not to mention the refusal of the NR BOE to do any sort of research into the several hundred students that attend our schools (all grades) from districts outside of New Rochelle (mainly Mt. Vernon and the Bronx). These students do not pay tuition and their families do not contribute to our school taxes. Why does the BOE REFUSE to do an audit? It is not difficult or costly. Most school districts in Westchester follow through with this every few years- even the superintendent’s own home town! I guess he doesn’t like to have to pay high school taxes.