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notch! Vote for John Carlson on
Election Day, Tuesday, November
8th."
candidate not beholden to party
machines or developers. He’ll do what
the incumbents didn’t. He’ll do what the
other candidates won’t.”
Q. Who runs the City of White Plains?
A. Many people feel that a handful of developers do, not your elected officials. When a developer
asked for “5 more stories, up from 35 to 40” the Council essentially said “No problem”. Why not,
the City already “blew” $22 million on a parking garage that a developer should have paid for
himself. We didn’t get a fair return. Also, many worry we’ll still have to spend millions to upgrade
the City’s infrastructure.
John Carlson will honestly, and earnestly help the Common Council make better decisions and to
negotiate better deals for the City’s taxpayers.
Q. What does the City’s debt mean to each resident?
A. The City has borrowed too much. White Plains borrowed $10 million in January 2005. This
raised the City’s debt level from $64.5 million to $74.5 million. The $10 million increase works out to
nearly an extra $200 per resident. Each White Plains resident’s share of the City’s debt now totals
$1,400 or $3,800 per household. Plus, we’re paying interest charges year after year. This is real
tough on seniors and on first-time home buyers.
Q. Have the rating agencies put White Plains on “Negative Outlook”?
A. Yes. Moody’s said that White Plains faces “restoring structural balance … following three years
of operating losses”.
Q. Has the City been using up its Fund Balance?
A. Yes. White Plains ran operating deficits and depleted its Fund Balance by $9.2 million over the
past 3-years.
Q. What happed to the White Plains Parking Authority Fund Balance?
A. The City did what “Enron executives” would have done, they plundered the Parking Authority.
The Parking Authority was “merged” with the City so that the Authority’s Fund Balance could be
used to cover the City’s operating deficits.
John Carlson will work to restore the financial integrity of White Plains.
Q. What happened to property taxes over the past few years and how badly are our Schools
impacted?
A. Homeowners now pay 38% of property taxes (vs. 28%) while commercial properties are getting
a huge break, now paying 45% (vs. 58%). Commercial assessments have plummeted due to give
away “tax certs” and PILOTs. Our School System’s funding is in crisis. The City’s funding is on a
“slippery slope”. Homeowners have become the City’s “deep pockets”.
John Carlson will work to restore balance and fairness to our property taxes. He'll make
developers pay their "fair share" so that you are no longer the city’s “deep pockets”.
Q. Does the “ticket blitz” mean there are quotas?
A. Maybe. Many people are annoyed about the expense for parking and the 24 hour - 7 day-a-
week meters. And many are angered by the “ticket blitz”.
John Carlson will work to bring the City back to normal by seeking meter fee reductions and
discount “senior” meter keys for those who are over 60-years old.
John Carlson will propose a “governance standard” which requires our officials to annually
review policies and procedures before they certify that quotas don’t exist.
Q. How safe is White Plains’ drinking water?
A. There is too much lead in the water we drink. When the City tested its distribution system 2 of
the 32 sites sampled exceeded the Federal “action” level. The City ignored the problem (just like
Liberty Park’s bacteria-filled water). The City has not done enough to find out how many citizens
and homes are drinking unsafe water.
John Carlson will use his environmental experience to get to the bottom of this and make our
water safe for all.
Q. Could the City condemn your home so that a developer could build a McDonald's, a high-rise, a
sports arena or a homeless shelter?
A. Yes. The recent Supreme Court decision lets the City take your property so that a private
developer could use it for a so-called “better use”.
John Carlson believes you are the “King or Queen of your Castle”. He will work with the Council
so that the City would never be allowed to take your land for private use.
Q. What about the City’s ability to communicate with its residents?
A. The City of White Plains can do more to inform the public or to hear complaints and log them in.
Complaints about illegal parking or illegal rooming houses should be promptly, thoroughly
investigated. We should have known that Liberty Park was closed due to a sewage spill.
Moreover, the City’s web site should be the source of information in an emergency.
John Carlson will work to make the City’s web site more informative and interactive. He believes it
should be rich in community events, no matter how small. When it comes to accounts, payments
and complaints, the City’s web site should be comparable to say, Des Moines, Iowa or to
commercial sites.
Q. Is Crime up?
A. Yes, it certainly seems so. The Police Department’s own wed site shows that criminal arrests
are up nearly 30%.
Q. What does the Mayor and the Commissioner say? Who’s telling the truth?
A. Recently, the Mayor said that “crime is down 30%”. After June’s parking garage murder he said
“crime was down 38%”. The Police Commissioner has said crime is down 15%. We don’t know
who’s telling the truth.
White Plains is the 4th largest city in Westchester, look at the FBI's latest statistics:
- White Plains' violent crime rate ranks 3rd highest (more violent crime compared to New
Rochelle and Peekskill) - White Plains' property crime rate ranks 2nd highest (higher than all cities and towns except
Mt. Vernon) - Violent crime in White Plains increased 10.4% since 2000 while the USA's violent crime rate
declined 8.1%. - Common Council incumbents have allowed the increase in violent crime to be "hidden" from
you by combining violent and property crime data.
John Carlson will seek the truth and, most importantly, he’ll work to lower crime and increase your
safety.
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