WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. February 29, 2008: The Assessor's Office informed WPCNR Friday that the 2008 City Assessment Roll had risen $300,000 to $400,000 in assessed value stopping a five year decline in city assessments. The last time the assessment roll increased was in 2002-2003. The Assessor, Lloyd Tasch said he could not give the exact final Roll total until it was certified by the Corporation Counsel. The official roll will be released Monday.

In 2007 the total assessed value in the city was $289.9 Million. A $400,000 increase would put it at $290.3 Million for 2008. In 2002-2003, the assessment roll was $318.4 Million. It dropped slightly in 2003-2004 then has dropped dramatically for four consecutive years until this year.

This is good news for the City as it begins the budget process in March, and especially for the School District.

It will not have to make up for more lost assessments. It  begins deliberations on whether they will cut the $190.7 Million Preliminary Budget (up from last year's $174.1 M)  presented January 14. By WPCNR estimates the $16.6 Million budget-to-budget change if covered only by tax increase would require a $57 dollar increase in the tax rate to $531/ per $1,000 of assessed value to generate the $16.6 Million gap based on the new assessment roll of approximately $290.3 million (estimated) Assessment Roll. More significantly the increase in oil prices to $100 a barrel may impact the district more adverserly than the district originally estimated. (Utilities were estimated to rise 10%, and Transportation, 5%.) 

On a house with market value of $700,000, and an assessed value of $15.5 Million, the owner would pay $8,230 in school taxes in 2008-2009, a school tax increase of  $883 year to year, with city taxes and county taxes tacked on to that.

The White Plains homeowner is being faced at the present rate of school budget and city budget and county budget  escalation of  expenditures with a steady $1,000  annually in tax increases