WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. Special to the CitizeNetReporter. February 11, 2010 UPDATED, FEBRUARY 13, 2010f UPDATES IN ITALICS: White Plains Sales Tax Receipts declined for a second consecutive month in January, down 8.2% year-to-year, according to  figures furnished to WPCNR by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

Westchester County Sales Tax Receipts in the first month of their new fiscal year, 2010, were down 4.8% from January 2009 indicating for the second consecutive month that persons possibly may be avoiding White Plains because of its present sales tax and aggressive parking enforcement policies. County Sales Tax Receipts are down 5% while City of White Plains receipts -- the retail center of the county are down 8.2%.

The city is currently thinking about raising its sales tax share to 2-1/2%.

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance reports White Plains collected $4,093,154.84 in January, 2010, compared to $4,460,803 a year ago, a decline of 8.2%. The city  retail sales subject to sales taxes are recovering slightly. They had been declining at an 11% sustained rate. In December and January the rate has been about 8%.

Westchester County as a whole, on the other hand, collected $36,262,442.60 in January 2010, down 4.8% from its January 2009 collection of $38,092,852.22, according to Susan Burns, Assistant Public Information Director of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Incidentally, the $1.8 Million decline in the first month of the fiscal year already eclipses the proposed cut in non-union personnel health benefits being worried about by the Board of Legislators that would save the county $1.5 Million.

If the White Plains 8% decline does not rebound significantly the next five months, and continues at the present soft pace, the city will generate $41.8 Million in Sales Tax, lowest since 2005-6. It also presents a 16.5% property tax increase to make up the $5.5 Million deficit between the $47.3 Million sales tax expected to be collected in 2009-10 and the $41.8 Million figure reflected by present rate of retail sales.