[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6037003,"mediaKeyId","4089944-910238efba8e258dfee7eaf9f21d190f","parentId",4089944,"title","Public safety officials cite staffing shortfalls, technology investments and rising overtime in proposed budget","audioSeconds",2181,"startMs",3353000,"endMs",5534000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=4089944-910238efba8e258dfee7eaf9f21d190f&start=3353&end=5534","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4089944-910238efba8e258dfee7eaf9f21d190f/thumbnail_3353000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6037003/White-Plains/Westchester-County/New-York/Public-safety-officials-cite-staffing-shortfalls-technology-investments-and-rising-overtime-in-proposed-budget","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6037003-4b7d85868039b502275f1e1b8e1a35f5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771212146&Signature=A4TjAnrB8NmxW27f9l9z6bKF835qK5QcAOqk-QIOyZqWY2K7EVjoduB35rw11pm~l93~0SmY6IsAiXRZ95IHfoADUODsX3~KqEMw5jLH-aoHfE1TcY~4LM0anNaItqQ0Kybgts3ToIzdD2yM0LfV1Xrgnkp9V9iBE2756zBJwE7dZvhmOZ8JVdqZdPk6iXBWJicyIsbaIo61X5425rkRhwSzg68P7nnHXVZOr0gLjrwlGLDxcg086B6sSKgo-SdMPt~8qv-2gQ~dnrCovZ7qFZR1oJ8g77tbUST1iM9tsWdkaX8B1ZoKvaBZuY6ZdEturF7TYKpHcwIE3Xa5sm-niQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","White Plains City","date","2025-04-22T00:00:00Z","article","Public safety leaders delivered a joint presentation April 22 on the police and fire components of the proposed FY2025–26 budget, highlighting staffing pressures, technology investments and increased overtime.

Commissioner of Public Safety introduced the presentation and thanked the council for support of two additional firefighter positions and three police positions included in the proposed budget. He described a department focused on community policing, outreach to the Hispanic community, homeless outreach and youth programs.

Police overview
Chief Castelli told the council the police budget is roughly 56.7% of the public safety total and translates to just over $51 million; he said the proposed budget reflects “just under $4,000,000 increase, which is about a point 44%.” Castelli said most increases are for salaries, wages and benefits and for technology and equipment — notably body‑worn camera storage costs and an expanded less‑lethal (TASER) program. He said the department also expects higher overtime driven by staffing gaps, special events and accrued payouts related to retirements and transfers. Castelli said the department is currently interviewing to fill about 11 vacancies and that recruitment and retention remain a national challenge.

Grants and task forces
Castelli said the department obtained approximately $807,000 in state grant funding this year for items including additional radios, license‑plate readers and software. He also described three officers assigned to federal task forces that generate asset‑forfeiture revenue the city uses to supplement certain expenses (roughly $80,000–$100,000 annually, per the presentation). He said the department did not receive a $251,000 violence‑against‑women grant this cycle but will reapply.

Fire overview
Chief Pecci Choney summarized the fire budget and said the department projects 14 retirements within the next fiscal year (eight police, six firefighters was the figure cited across discussion for retirement‑eligible personnel); the department has five recruits in the fire academy but experienced interim attrition. He characterized the overtime increase (noted in budget materials) as cumulative of staffing, suppression needs, training, overtime and special‑event coverage; the operating budget also moved some maintenance and apparatus repair costs from the city garage into the fire budget, increasing materials and supplies lines.

Performance and community programs
Chiefs and the commissioner emphasized community outreach programs (Youth Police Academy, coffee with a cop, mentoring), bilingual staffing to serve the Hispanic community and partnerships with White Plains Hospital. The fire chief highlighted the department’s ISO Class 1 rating — a benchmarking metric for fire protection and insurance ratings — and said the department maintains robust training to support that rating.

Council questions
Council members asked about the pool of applicants for police positions, the impacts of vacancies on bike and foot patrols downtown, and the departmental plans to manage retirements and overtime. Chiefs said academy timing (two classes per year for each academy) and training time mean hires are not instantly deployable; the departments said they will continue to recruit and use overtime where necessary.

Ending: Public safety leaders asked for continued council support for staffing and technology investments while noting recruitment and retirements will shape operational capacity through the coming year.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Common Council Special Meeting/Work Session\tApr 22, 2025\t","oneSentenceSummary","Public safety leaders delivered a joint presentation April 22 on the police and fire components of the proposed FY2025–26 budget, highlighting staffing pressures, technology investments and increased overtime.","taxTitle","White Plains, Westchester County, New York","taxId",5092,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6037007,"Public Works highlights tree planting, EV fleet growth and a sharp rise in County tipping fees",576,2496000,3072000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4089944-910238efba8e258dfee7eaf9f21d190f&start=2496&end=3072","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4089944-910238efba8e258dfee7eaf9f21d190f/thumbnail_2496000.jpg","/articles/6037007/White-Plains/Westchester-County/New-York/Public-Works-highlights-tree-planting-EV-fleet-growth-and-a-sharp-rise-in-County-tipping-fees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6037007-ab0611ad48a1ea80bfa70533762718cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771212146&Signature=DVQy4iP1QRc6RIFu-OCuH7N5ix3OthTXjco3OwfM0-SHUwdNKGk7YLuQ~mqCkqFtzi3bD~uA-MMMZfhLhIdeVPvKk73qEdo9MFNLvFyGGeZ4q5YSeQkICmA0ENuXR9HWnpt-AFWQuIwFqJVU80OxFlTDwxYztrfacvW0JkYOCiMKsHrML5VPDCB1bLzDsEKO0etjNDEOnEj1I4eG8rrHYr9fwleAHmn10D53~lRMw9E3lsYziKtoGl8bjDVxSVOSUJJulgR0ScDUGJLuARZGhLpOac4clfXJl5BpxgQQXKSRHDYq7ebIPM7J8fw82fljsOGxTMdXtrVPxmdQlvTmTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioner Mignone presented the Department of Public Works budget overview on April 22, saying the department is funded through three sources: the general fund (187 employees), the water fund (28) and the sewer fund (7), for a total of 222 funded positions.

Mignone said roughly 75% of the department’s operating budget is salaries and benefits and that the department’s total operating budget is about $36 million with roughly $4.3 million in revenue. He highlighted two large recurring revenue sources: rent from the Westchester County transfer station (about $710,000) and solar rent (about $940,000).

Tipping fees and budget impacts
Mignone told the council Westchester County increased solid‑waste and organic tipping fees by about 35% in the current year and described that as an unexpected cost that affected roughly half of the fiscal year. He said the department factored the higher tipping fees into planning for next year’s budget.

Infrastructure, sustainability and operations
Mignone listed departmental achievements and projects, including planting about 350 trees this year (200 added this season), installing an accessible swing and pavilion at Delfino Park, a new Slater Center playground, a pavement‑assessment program to rate every road in the city, and resurfacing about 20 lane miles of roads. He said the city now operates 20 electric vehicles in the municipal fleet and plans to add five more.

Grants and constraints
Mignone said the city received an urban forestry federal grant but has been notified not to spend further funds while the federal agency reviews the award; he said training and hiring tied to the grant were affected. He also noted supply‑chain delays, tariff impacts, delivery delays and employee retention pressure as ongoing budgetary risks.

Council questions
Councilwoman Puzna asked what the department is doing to manage the listed budget impacts; Mignone said staff maintain frequent vendor contact, pursue grants, and work with purchasing to mitigate delays and component shortages, particularly for electric vehicles. Councilman Martin asked how the tipping‑fee increase was reflected in the budget; Mignone said it affected about half the year and the department accounted for it in the next year’s figures.

Ending: Mignone closed by saying the department will continue to track supply issues and pursue grant funding while managing core maintenance and capital needs.","Commissioner Mignone told the council the public works proposed budget focuses on personnel and maintenance, cites a roughly 35% increase in Westchester County organic/solid‑waste tipping fees and lists capital and sustainability projects including added trees, a new pavilion and expanded EVs and Big Belly trash compactors.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6037012,"Parking revenues expected to rise; red-light camera contract to be reviewed in September",322,1830000,2152000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4089944-910238efba8e258dfee7eaf9f21d190f&start=1830&end=2152","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4089944-910238efba8e258dfee7eaf9f21d190f/thumbnail_1830000.jpg","/articles/6037012/White-Plains/Westchester-County/New-York/Parking-revenues-expected-to-rise-red-light-camera-contract-to-be-reviewed-in-September","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6037012-97a0f6693ab38d1c9d5673f4045463d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771212146&Signature=HyFENl2weHSHLZeIiAhWuk8XECYcC0s8jWVrLfKwZ9A1aiu0HZ2QN5-MmVMLjfIiSYDQ-Z6DnESzm2CdJY19dLUXoNVLSjVqTuslPnL0Ych-sUvjemCNrdL3WKy~BugzhP1T1xmOG3hmqjpRNsevXwdh5BzgvTFVwRB7QsNEF40SZCuKR4NRBIFyei5wW1vybFIVaRC0uNsZmOwTq5KUEYpeKaINWyRXcl4lPI2JiIIQX3uMehbvEAZoM5ilegOZ30Vn-SOvg2pK3P6fReWtBvNkF49lNA-OYQ1hXvmoyZKAu-XIg2oB51b9ykNyG0IWtURxMjvDb4u7UbIfbYym0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioner Livingston presented the parking department’s FY2025–26 budget to the Common Council on April 22, reporting that proposed revenues were up roughly $2 million from the prior year and attributing most of the increase to higher meter fees, increased parking fines and a one‑year bump in permit revenue.

Livingston said permit demand rose this year in part because a county garage closure pushed drivers into municipal garages; he cautioned that the permit increase may be a one‑year anomaly. He said parking meter fee increases instituted in January 2024 and the off‑street meter fee increases have driven revenue growth while also improving compliance and hourly parking turnover.

Red‑light cameras and contract review
Livingston said red‑light camera fine revenue is down approximately $100,000 from projections and that fewer violations is a positive safety outcome. She told the council the red‑light camera program’s five‑year contract will come up in September, giving the city an opportunity to review performance and consider relocating cameras to higher‑priority intersections. “We’re gonna have an opportunity to take a look at the whole system and possibly being able to move some of the red light cameras around,” she said.

Stop‑arm cameras, permit technology and limits
The department is budgeting miscellaneous revenue tied partly to a planned stop‑arm camera rollout for school buses; Livingston said the system could be in place by September and that the city had discussed roughly 72–76 buses in earlier planning. She also said the department is near completion of permit‑by‑plate implementation (about 99% complete) and plans to move toward pay‑by‑plate, which the department hopes will create administrative efficiencies and reduce payment errors at parking machines.

Council comments
Council President Presser asked whether there is a cap on red‑light cameras; Livingston said the city has an 18‑camera cap and that the city will need to “move the furniture around” within that limit if it chooses to redeploy devices. Councilman Martin asked whether major permit buyers (for example, hospitals or large employers) would cause future volume drops; Livingston said not for 2025–26. Another councilmember urged the city to negotiate a lower contractor percentage in the next red‑light vendor agreement.

Ending: The council heard the parking presentation as part of the budget informational meeting and asked for follow‑up details about the stop‑arm rollout schedule and any contractual negotiations ahead of the fall contract review.","The parking department projected higher revenues for FY2025–26 driven by meter fees, fines and permits, flagged a roughly $100,000 decline in red‑light camera fines and said the city will review its five‑year red‑light camera contract this September.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6037016,"White Plains unveils $219.5 million proposed budget; tax rate to rise 2.49%",66,1444000,1510000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4089944-910238efba8e258dfee7eaf9f21d190f&start=1444&end=1510","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4089944-910238efba8e258dfee7eaf9f21d190f/thumbnail_1444000.jpg","/articles/6037016/White-Plains/Westchester-County/New-York/White-Plains-unveils-2195-million-proposed-budget-tax-rate-to-rise-249","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6037016-7ed2bad94bf73c85f259d941e218c238/orig.mp4?Expires=1771212146&Signature=OD2rwLo5qzeMftUsK-pnIk0KKVSMFuSafmp41WlLR81AF6XX0KlOGzJqRxUt-ipQXUqnszue3dzUD~2hpChb~Q8NxJhNcCWEAxI~xwIhl3UGr8YzeUBGK0S0vnPGzJdRmfPXMXucFXJdqNWmrQfvtoJdPw2mEBb9ncWEGyycVmxCGUPLlXmMkD31plKHAG3LuGqBqa6LEIrOm5kD4uinWaJ-T2DmT-3e0cTvmC0SFLnhCViRU05l-wdXKH2zJIuSlB2TNAVfmOm37VYMMSxNNA5HF~bfPYB6XMfDzYzoBvi7L2GfiOSXIFFoZ5Jh798Hfu2NXlfYSxk8nG7mNv-mAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Budget Director Jim Arnett presented the White Plains Common Council an overview of the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 operating budget on April 22, telling the council the plan would require adoption by May 30 under the city charter and that a public hearing is scheduled for the council meeting on Monday, May 5.

Arnett said the proposed total expense appropriations are $219,500,000, a 3.1% increase from the current year. He said the city is proposing a tax rate of $250.27 per $1,000 of assessed value — an increase of 2.49% — and that the leap in the rate stems primarily from a decrease in the total assessed base. Arnett said the typical homeowner with a median assessed value of $13,500 would pay about $82 more per year if the budget is adopted as proposed.

The proposal, Arnett said, continues the city’s practice of staying within the New York state property tax cap and maintains the city’s long-held credit standing: “the city has maintained a double A‑1 credit rating since 1988,” he said. He told the council the proposed tax levy without exceeding the cap would be 3.4% (about $2.4 million); the budget as proposed increases the levy by roughly $1.5 million, leaving a potential rollover of about $600,000 into the next year under the tax-cap rules.

Why it matters: the council must adopt a final budget by May 30 under the city charter; the rate and levy determine local property-tax revenue and the share of residents’ bills attributed to the city portion of taxes.

Key revenue and expense items
Arnett said property taxes account for about 32% of the budget and sales tax about 26%; together with parking revenues those three sources make up roughly 70% of general fund receipts. He said the city is budgeting conservatively for sales tax (budgeted at $57.5 million for 2025–26 after a projected $58.6 million in 2024–25) because of economic uncertainty despite recent strong receipts.

Arnett identified a new recurring revenue line this year: estimated cannabis sales tax revenues of $680,000, which he described as a conservative estimate based on recent quarters. He also said the proposed budget uses about $16,000,000 of fund balance made up of undesignated funds and amounts set aside for tax certiorari settlements.

Salaries, staffing and benefits
Salaries and employee benefits make up over 74% of the proposed budget, Arnett said. The proposal adds five positions (three police officers and two firefighters); the city lists 912 total positions with 860 funded in the proposed budget, a net decrease of 10 funded positions from the 2024–25 adopted budget but an increase of one in the proposed count compared with earlier estimates.

Pension and debt service
Arnett told the council pension costs increased an estimated 11% for both police/fire plans and the Employee Retirement System and that those combined pension and salary expenses account for a large portion of the recent spending growth. The general fund transfer to the debt service fund is proposed at $14.8 million for 2025–26, an increase of $600,000 driven by the timing of principal payments from a late bond sale in the prior fiscal year.

Grants and capital items
Arnett said the city continues to seek grants to offset tax-funded expenses. He named two NYSERDA grants included in the 2025–26 budget: one for purchasing two electric police vehicles and another for installing heat pumps at the city garage. He said some NYSERDA funding is also being used for capital projects.

Council questions and clarifications
Councilman Morton asked for the fiscal-dollar equivalent of a 1% change in the tax rate; Arnett responded that the comparable dollar amount has varied historically and worked through recent levy figures with the council in discussion. Morton also asked about the stabilization fund; Arnett said the tax‑stabilization balance was $8.6 million at year end (June 30, 2024) and estimated it could decline to roughly $6.5 million by the end of the current fiscal year, depending on usage.

Arnett closed the presentation and invited follow-up questions from the council ahead of the May 5 public hearing.

Ending: The council’s formal review continues at the public hearing on May 5; the budget must be adopted before May 30 under the city charter.","Budget Director Jim Arnett presented the proposed FY2025–26 operating budget to the Common Council on April 22, outlining a $219.5 million spending plan, a proposed tax rate increase of 2.49% and targeted use of fund balance and grants to limit new tax burden.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public safety officials cite staffing shortfalls, technology investments and rising overtime in proposed budget

Public Works highlights tree planting, EV fleet growth and a sharp rise in County tipping fees

Parking revenues expected to rise; red-light camera contract to be reviewed in September

White Plains unveils $219.5 million proposed budget; tax rate to rise 2.49%