November 25, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 48 | www.eastchesterreview.com
Barnes & Noble, at the corner of the Vernon Hills Shopping Center in Eastchester, is the first of the bookseller’s locations to serve beer, wine and entrees, complete with tableside service. For story, see page 10. Photo courtesy Barnes & Noble
Police investigate swastikas found at SUNY Purchase By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer Police are investigating hateful images that were found in one of the dorm rooms at SUNY Purchase College on Nov. 20. According to Betsy Aldredge, a spokeswoman for the college, the New York state University Police, UPD, began investigating the vandalism after the college discovered three swastikas drawn on a bulletin board in one of the dormitories late last weekend. After the incident, Thomas Schwarz, the president of the college, sent a message to the campus community. “We con-
tinue to explore our options for protecting our most vulnerable on campus,” he said in the statement. “I urge you all to remain active, engaged and committed to ensuring that our campus is a model for what our nation should be.” Schwarz also warned the community of the repercussions for violating the college’s policy on hate crimes. “I would like to add that hate crimes are considered felonies and are punishable by arrest and dismissal from the college,” he said. Aldredge said that as part of the college’s protocol, any incidents involving a hate crime are first reported to the university’s police, and
are then referred to the “appropriate authorities,” including the Westchester County Intelligence Center, and the Evidence Collection and Bias Crime teams from the New York state police. On Nov. 13, Westchester County police discovered anti-Semitic and anti-African-American imagery along the Bronx River bike path in the city of White Plains. County police said the footpath and bridge were defaced with spray-painted swastikas, KKK initials, and various racial slurs. That investigation is currently ongoing. This also isn’t the first time that SUNY Purchase has been faced with hate crimes.
In March 2015, campus authorities investigated a similar incident involving swastikas that were found spray-painted in a dorm room. According to Aldredge, a student was ultimately arrested and expelled from the college. Aldredge would not provide additional details on that incident. Around the same time, nooses were found spray-painted in another dorm, but that incident remains unsolved. The college’s police said the investigation into the recent discovery of swastikas is ongoing as well, but would not provide additional information, as of press time. CONTACT: franco@hometwn.com
Eastchester proposes 3.63% tax rate increase By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer The town of Eastchester released its preliminary $36.6 million budget for 2017, in which it proposed a tax rate increase in line with the allowable limit set by the state. As a result of the 3.63 percent tax rate increase, if the budget is adopted, the town would remain under this year’s state-imposed tax cap as it has every year since 2012 when the cap was first instituted. Town Supervisor Anthony Colavita, a Republican, told the Review that the tax rate increase was artificially high because property assessment values have fallen in recent years. Property assessment values in Eastchester and the villages of Bronxville and Tuckahoe have been declining since at least 2008. Townwide assessment, including village properties, has decreased by more than 12 percent since then, including a 2 percent decrease from the 2016 budget. Town Assessor Todd Huttunen said the assessment values have decreased because the town has not had a reassessment on its more than 9,000 parcels of land in several decades. The proposed 2017 budget includes a 3.5 million tax levy for the town’s two villages and the Lake Isle golf course, a property that is town-owned. The tax rate in those areas is slightly lower than in the unincorporated section of the town, at 3.59 percent. In all, Eastchester plans to collect about $20 million in taxes and $11.5 million in other revenues. Colavita said it has become increasingly difficult to keep the budget under the tax cap, and criticized state lawmakers for the program. “I’m astounded at the hypocrisy at Albany,” he said. “There’s no tax cap on them.” Eastchester’s overall expenses
At a glance Tax rate increased by 3.63%, but town property assessment decreased by 2% Eastchester assessment value has decreased more than 12% since 2008 Contribution to employee benefits will cost the town an additional $375K in 2017 $3.2M from town’s coffers to balance the budget, but town still has more than $9M in reserves have only increased by 1 percent, about $400,000, from the 2016 budget. Much of that will be used to fund the increased costs in health insurance and contributions to the New York state retirement program. As a result, the town will pay an additional $375,000 to fund health insurance in 2017. Employees will also have to contribute more of their salaries in order to fund the program. “You have to do more with less, and unfortunately the state gives us no relief whatsoever in the state retirement contribution system,” Colavita told the Review. Regardless of the cost of employment, the town has budgeted to keep all of its positions staffed in 2017. According to Colavita, that includes hiring four new police officers to fully staff the Police Department. The town’s existing coffers may have given Eastchester TAX continued on page 12