WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. July 1, 2007: The City of White Plains has sent out its bills to the legal residents of White Plains this weekend, and if you do the math, the much ballyhooed 7% tax increase vowed by the City School District and the City Council is not 7% it is 8% with county taxes and sewer district taxes to come.

If you take out your calculators and do the math, on a $700,000 home you're paying $712 more than you paid last year which works out to -- surprise! -- 8%. If your home is swanker you're paying upwards of a thousand dollars more in taxes, and City and School Taxes will be destined to top the $10,000 mark next year on residences selling above $600,000.

The City of White Plains Statement of Taxes for Fiscal Year 2008 indicates  the tax on a $700,000 home is up 7% and the school tax on the same home is up 8.3%.

The city reports this there is  a 4.75% increase in the city tax levy ($41,145,849 on a $154.7 Million Budget) and a 10.1% increase in the city school tax levy of $118,290.992 (on a $174.1 Million School Budget). The tax is even greater if you are not eligible for  a STAR reduction.

Another factoid about city and school taxes is that in last year's tax bill the City Tax Levy increased 5.62%, while the School Tax levy was up 5.49%. This the School budget levy increases 10.1% according to the city's official notice while the city levy decreased.

Now, WPCNR awaits the instructions from New York State on how to apply for the extra STAR Rebate promised this spring. Be watching the mail folks, you would not want to miss it. Remember guys?