I have heard several people suggest that the Larchmont tax exemption request is no big deal because it amounts to “only” $38,000 each year. To them I ask, do you want to give $38,000 every year to Larchmont? How about Rye, or Scarsdale, or Pelham? And if so, why?
It is a trick to compare the $38,000 against a budget of $230 million in order to “prove” that is such a small number as to not matter at all. But it matters enormously.
Every year many New Rochelle residents go to City Hall to contest their property taxes, arguing that their homes are overvalued. And in many cases, their assessments are lowered and they owe New Rochelle less in taxes. But that does not mean that New Rochelle receives less tax revenue. It means the tax burden is then reapportioned among the other residents.
Imagine a town of two people, Mr. Newman and myself. We each pay $500 per year in property taxes to the Town of Galt. I notice that Mr. Newman has put an addition on his house and also given it a fresh coat of paint. It looks a lot nicer than mine, which I have let decay over the years. So I go to Town Hall to complain that my taxes should not be the same as his, when his home is clearly worth more than mine. My wish is granted and my taxes are lowered by 10%, to $450 per year.
If nothing changes, the Town of Galt is now due to receive only $950 from the two of us: Mr. Newman’s $500 and my $450. To get back to the $1,000 of taxes it is owed, Galt raises everyone’s taxes by 5.3%, leaving me paying $474 and Mr. Newman paying $527.
This shuffling of dollars goes on every year in New Rochelle. Over the past five years, tax reduction requests have reduced the base value of residential and commercial properties in the City by 10%. At the same time, the tax revenue required by the School District has risen by 12%. If you were not one of the lucky few to get your tax rate lowered, then your school taxes are up a whopping 24%. Some of the cost of funding the school has shifted from your neighbors onto yourself.
If we grant the exemption to Larchmont, the $38,000 of taxes will be split up among the rest of us. With school tax revenue likely to increase 2% annually and property values continuing to fall, the current value of those Larchmont tax payments over the next thirty years exceeds $1 million.
Seen in this light, the tax exemption amounts to a transfer of wealth from New Rochelle residents to Larchmont residents. Why would we do that and receive nothing in return?
As noted in the petition about this issue, Larchmont will be able to use this tax break to help Larchmont residents at the expense of New Rochelle residents. We will pay higher taxes so they can pay lower taxes. Or perhaps the government of Larchmont Village will use these savings to spruce up Manor Beach, which we may not use.
It is incumbent upon us to be heard on this issue so the Board members understand that in these tough economic times we must protect every single dollar at stake. Please sign the petition asking the Board of Education NOT to grant a tax exemption to the Village of Larchmont.
http://www.change.org/petitions/president-new-rochelle-board-of-education-do-not-grant-a-tax-exemption-to-larchmont
Do you want Larchmont to put up a fence?
Maybe because its a park it shouldn’t be taxed? You know, those green places where people go to relax? For all to use, free of charge? Why tax a park? Do you want Larchmont to put up a fence? If we start taxing them, maybe they will, its their land, not ours. Or maybe they could sell it Forest City as payback for having to look at the Trump & Avalon buildings?
Oh & the million you refer too is peanuts compared to the budget expene over the same 30 year period. It really is & you should get over it. Remember, compare apples to apples & oranges to oranges. $38k is about the school tax on 3-4 houses, so stop talking like it a lot. Yes, in my bank account its a lot, but in the school districts it isn’t.
have you looked at the property portal?
“Maybe because its a park it shouldn’t be taxed?
It is not a “park” so the rest of your statement does not follow.
“where people go to relax? For all to use, free of charge?”
It is not free for all to use. In fact, New Rochelle residents are charged EXTRA to use the “park” when it is being used as a summer camp.
“Do you want Larchmont to put up a fence?”
I fail to see the point here. The property is used as part of a Nature Preserve for the benefit of Larchmont/Mamaroneck residents.
“the million you refer too is peanuts”
You can continue to repeat the same statement over and over again but I have to see anyone who finds your repetition akin to an argument for giving the tax exemption. By your logic, there is never a reason to cut positions in the school district because the cost of an individual position will also look small when compared to the entire budget.
The issue is not giving Larchmont $38,000. The issue is giving them a tax exemption that is worth $38,000 today and will be worth more every year going forward, in perpetuity. A tax exemption that is cumulative not a one time deal.
Since you are a pseudonymous commenter on this site, we are left to wonder as to your agenda here. The fact is that like most things in New Rochelle, few people in New Rochelle are even aware of this issue. I have yet to meet a real person (not a pseudonym) other than Schools Superintendent Richard Organisciak who thinks this is a good idea. Yet you repeatedly post on this topic. Now you bring up the issue of Larchmont putting a fence around their property.
Seems to me that only someone with an interest in having unfettered access to the lake and environs would even consider the possibility that Larchmont would enclose the area with a fence.
You are making a good case for something I am giving strong consideration to on Talk of the Sound as we approach our four year anniversary — eliminating pseudonymous comments. In this case you have an author who has identified themselves (Adam) writing about a petition by another person who has identified themselves (Andrew), and a discussion with another person who has identified themselves (me). My sense is that this does not make for an edifying discussion. As I best as I can you are just being annoying for the sake of being annoying and not adding anything to the discussion.
Step up your game here or risk finding yourself unwelcome in your current pseudonymous incarnation.
its really a sad sign when you start to use the same math as Chu
Why do I need to look at the property portal to know what trees & water are?
My motives stem from my dislike of New Rochelle’s astronomically high taxes due in large part to its dysfunctional/corrupt government and until recently I thought this site was helping & then I realized that because you like to alienate people many don’t listen to any of the message so maybe the site’s reached its max. potential.
If you want to think $38,000 in a budget of $235,000,000 is somehow larger than it is, then so be it, but its really a sad sign when you start to use the same math as Chuck & Noam.
You might want to think twice before going the way of the Journal News & force the remainder of us over to Patch for a decent conversation.
decent conversation
The point is that you are not contributing to a “decent” conversation.
What you are doing is repeating the same thing over and over again. I do not consider that to be a “conversation”. I consider that someone with their hands over their ears repeating a mantra.
Further, you are repeating this “drop in the bucket” line over and over on different posts. Apparently, this is the only thing you have to “add” to a dialog on this issue and it ain’t much.
As for “the remainder of us” going to Patch, I have to wonder just who it is that you think you represent. The traffic on Talk of the Sound dwarfs the traffic on Patch. I could care less about “alienating” an anonymous commenter on a web site. Until you put your own name to your words you are just a bunch of pixels on a screen and nothing more. In either case, if you feel strongly about it, do not hesitate to stop reading this site and spend your days commenting on Patch. I can assure you, you will not be missed in the slightest.
If you continue to hijack threads in this way, I will simply block your account and give you a one week ban. Either step up your game or expect to be tossed.
Good bye
You really need to up your game here and that’s the last I’ll say since you think its worth fighting over pennies and miss the big picture, as usual. Good bye & hello patch!
Please do suspend my account so that I’m no longer tempted to reply to any of the half truths written here as you seem to beleive if you keep repeating it somehow it becomes truthful. You really should try building consensus, otherwise you’re just seen as bitching & moaning over things few care about.
cheerio
Yes, we will try to "build consensus" by everyone agreeing with you on everything. I think not. Cheerio my good man.
Readers are free to debate an issue. The problem is that you are not doing that; what you are doing is hijacking threads which is a form of troll behavior and thus unwelcome here.
As you requested to be blocked I have blocked your account. You are banned for one week. You may request reinstatement after one week.
Readers should understand that the one-week ban is based on the failure of this commenter to acknowledge to readers his direct personal interest in opposing my suggestion that in exchange for the tax exemption, Larchmont swap the property it owns on Pinebrook Boulevard between the Hutch and Stratton Road. That Fifth failed to do this and continued his thread hijacking is why his account has been suspended.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Brian, creating sock puppet accounts as you just did a few minutes ago, is not going to make things any better. That includes any fake accounts you try to create on Talk of the Sound including those using my name. I would discourage you from going down this path as it will only end badly for you. For additional troll behavior after you were given a one week ban you are now banned for the rest of 2012. You can request reinstatement in 2013.