WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. October 16, 2005: After waiting a month, the Board of Education approved tax certiorari refunds totaling $1,146,969 last Tuesday evening in Executive Session, according to Terrance Schruers, Assistant Superintendent for Business. The board approved the refunds, $712,118 for Brook Hills Condominiums 1,2,3; $198,498 for Heritage Towers; and $236,353 for Crystal Towers.
The refunds brought the total amount of tax refunds the School District has had to pay back to businesses and condominium/coops (including Westchester One, Bloomingdale’s and Nordstroms) by the School District this year to $8,473,059 since January, 2005.
The latest round of certriorari settlements were approved by the Common Council of the City of White Plains in August. The School District tabled the approval of the settlements last month, pending discussion with counsel. However, in Executive Session last Tuesday night approved settlements in those amounts
Schreuers said the refunds covered the last five years for Brook Hills, the percentage of taxes refunded ranging from 0 to 30% of taxes paid from 2000 to 2005; refunds of taxes from 1998 to 2005 for Crystal Towers showed refunds of 6% to 34%; and 3% to 18% for Heritage Hills from 1997 to 2005. Schreurs reported the reductions in assessments will cost the district $226,000 in tax collections a year.
Schruers said the refunds were caused due to the lower rate at which condominiums are taxed as opposed to the residential tax rate. He added that there a number of condominium certioraris in litigation with the city that he expected would have a significant impact on the district budget, by forcing the school to bond more monies to pay for the larger certiorari amounts in refunds from previous years, plus loss of revenue in future years. Schruers said he expected more condominium settlements and applications for certioraris in 2006. The School District is allowed to bond without citizen approval for amounts up to $10 Million.
Based on previous payment policies established by the board earlier this year, the current certioraris will be paid out of money set aside and money raised from a bond offering approved with the 2005-2006 School Budget.
