Mayor Marvin's Column: "I Didn't Know That" Facts About Bronxville

As I approach my seventh anniversary as Mayor, not a day goes by that I do not learn something new about the operations of our Village.  That is what keeps the job so stimulating and me on my toes.

Since the last month my column has been quite dour bringing to mind the Saturday Night Live character, “Debbie the Downer.”  I thought a change of pace was in order.

The following were knowledge bits that for me evoked an “I did not know that” and hope it will do the same for you.  It is also a great cache of information should we ever have a Bronxville Jeopardy.

• I am the Village’s 36^th Mayor and the fourth woman.  Marcia Lee was the first female Mayor taking office in 1977.  The first 17 Mayors were called Presidents of the Village and a photo is only hung in Village Hall upon one’s retirement.

• There are 1,114 parking meters throughout the Village which generated $1,101,560.45 in revenues in the last fiscal year.

• Last fiscal year, our Parking Enforcement Officers issued 29,858 tickets generating $786,928 in ticket revenue.  Believe it or not, this number has decreased in recent years due to our attempt to have a gentler more merchant sensitive approach.

• Several high school students shared a very valid idea with me.  They felt `a la the Donate a Brick Program that they had more than donated a brick to the Village Hall renovation project via their traffic ticket contributions and the bricks should be named accordingly!

• Last fiscal year, the issued Vehicle and Traffic tickets that generated $246,895 as reported by our Court, for which the Village retained 52.7% or $116,680.84.  The remaining amount of money is forwarded to the State government.

• Last year, the Village issued 153 Paddle Tennis permits which generated $35,507 and 122 Tennis Permits that produced $24,424 in revenue.

• There are 1,678 parcels of property that make-up the geographic boundaries of the Village.  Of that number, 1,595 are classified as taxable and are responsible for the Village and School tax levies ($7,912,956 and $38,261,184 respectively for 2011/2012).

• There are 192 fire hydrants located within the Village and maintained by United Water at a cost to the Village of $84,245.  Quite unfairly, the entire cost of hydrant maintenance fees legally falls on only the taxpaying entities.  The cost is not included as a user fee in water bills which would spread the cost out to all water users, not just taxpayers.

• As a Registrar of Vital Statistics for Lawrence Hospital, the Village issued 3,068 birth certificates and 2,980 death certificates during calendar year 2011.

• Our police cars are turned over after approximately 100,000 miles due to major wear and tear caused by 24/7 operation.  Due to heavy usage, major repairs such as new transmissions and engines are often needed at this juncture making it more cost effective to sell the cars at auction slightly before this threshold.

• Our police officers wear Kevlar vests at all times while in uniform.  The vests need to be replaced every five years as Kevlar deteriorates with age.  Our officers also carry Glock .40 caliber handguns and train at least twice per year to maintain proficiency.

• Approximately 1,400 properties have alarm permits at a cost of $50 yearly.

• Village Hall has geo-thermal heating and cooling which has proven cost and energy efficient.  Two dozen wells were dug on the Village Hall lawn.  Water from these wells is circulated throughout the building to water cooled heat pumps, which cool the building in the summer and heat it in the winter through a series of 18 pumps located throughout Village Hall.

• The Village has no County roads and only one State owned road – Route 22 – which was built by the State with no storm sewers or drainage system.

• Scout Field is actually County owned property, over 90% of which is in the cities of Mount Vernon and Yonkers.  The Village of Bronxville’s boundary only extends several feet adjacent to Alden Place.

• Each year the Village purchases approximately 700 tons of salt under a State contract for approximately $53/ton.  We have to place our order a full year in advance and estimate need.  The salt is trucked in from a depot in Port Newark where it arrives on barges from throughout the country.

• The Village has 65 full time employees including all police, Department of Public Works and library staff as well as a coterie of part-time staff.  Part-time staffers are paid anywhere between $10 and $14 per hour.

The Village is an interesting place and the Mayor’s chair offers a great perspective of all things great and small that come together to create the Village of Bronxville.