WPCNR CITY LIMITS. By John F. Bailey. October 22, 2004: Sales Tax Receipts reported to the City of White Plains by the Department of Taxation and Finance for the first three months of the city fiscal year, July, August, through September 30, according to Anne Reasoner, City Budget Director were $10 Million, before reconciliation. The good news was the second straight $10 Million Sales Tax  quarter experienced by the city, though no detailed official budget report or public briefing by Reasoner has been made by the Budget Director in six months.

CITY BUDGET DIRECTOR ANNE REASONER HAD GOOD NEWS. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

.

Reasoner reported the information at the close of Wednesday evening's Common Council Special Meeting, in which the Council agreed in principle to advance $160,000 for overtime costs for the staffing of the fire department at the request of Commissioner of Public Safety Dr. Frank Straub. The good news appeared to WPCNR to give the Common Council reason to believe that the extra overtime money could be advanced to the Public Safety Department.

At the present healthy pace of sales tax receipts, given the normally robust sales of the October, November, December holiday season, ($10,013,675 in 2003), White Plains is on target for sales tax receipts in excess of $40 Million for the fiscal year 2004-05.

There is an outside chance that a great holiday season could bring in, say, $12,000,000 in sales tax receipts, with the normal $500,000 plus kick, and sale of Boston Red Sox souveniers.  White Plains usually gets a $500,000 extra  in that key second "holiday" quarter. In which case, the city Sales Tax receipts they get back from the state could move as high as $45 Million for the year ending June 30  at the present pace, which would allow a $7 Million sales tax windfall in a rosy scenario.

The city by the numbers story, though sketchy and closely guarded by city financial gatekeepers, continues to remain strong and steady, as the revenue stream from City Center stores, Fortunoff, Whole Foods Market, Barnes and Noble, The Cheesecake Factory, Legal Seafood, Applebees, Brooklyn's Famous and Zanaros continues to come on strong.

Mayor Joseph Delfino promised a detailed briefing by Ms. Reasoner sometime if the Common Council wanted it.