WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. July 1, 2008 UPDATED 6:30 PM EDT: City government may delay very important decisions, but they do not delay tax bills.  Like death, the city tax bill for the first half of 2008-2009 arrived suddenly, confirming what only WPCNR of all the media in the state reported to our readers last April.

This year's city and school tax for the median homeowner will be $10,342 compared to the 2007-2008 tax bill of $9, 634, a city and school tax combined increase of 7%.

 Albany legislators secretly cut the STAR Exemption, raising your assessment. In today’s tax bill the STAR Exemption was cut to $3,330, as WPCNR reported in April, from last year’s $3,700. This results in a $10,342 tax bill between city and school for the White Plains median home judged to be worth $700,000 on the market.  Inspecting your tax bill you will find your RES STAR Assessed Value to be $3,330.

Albany’s reducing the  STAR Exemption $370  costs the median homeowner about $186 more in school taxes, $7,618.09  under the $3,330 exemption as opposed to paying $7,431.97, under the $3,700 exemption  in effect in 2007.  

 It results in about $1 million more in taxes in the district – about 85% of the increase in state aid the city is getting, according to Assistant Superintendent for Business for the School District, Fred Seiler in a WPCNR report written in April

The County Tax, estimated by WPCNR to be $2,400, tagged on to the city and school tax bill brings the total tax on the White Plains median home to $12,742 – higher than WPCNR had originally estimated in the spring of this year, where our WPCNR Math Lab estimated $12,600.  Those of you opening your tax bills who own a home valued on the market over $700,000 will pay more, considerably more.

The city included a flier with the tax bill showing that the County collects 19% of your tax dollar and the school district, 61%, and the city 20%. It reminds the recipient payment is due by July 31 to avoid any interest charges.

WPCNR encourages the taxpayers to get their payments in early.