David McKay Wilson Addresses the Local Summit

With the Gannett papers embroiled in a hostile takeover bid by hedge-fund owned Digital First Media, and local journalism further threatened, 42-year reporting veteran and Journal News “Tax Watch” columnist David McKay Wilson addressed the Local Summit at its March 19 breakfast program. He provided several examples of the importance of local investigative journalism while discoursing on current issues facing Westchester County.

McKay noted that local coverage has shrunk dramatically. When he began his career with the Journal News, Gannett had around 250 journalists in Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties; today, he estimates that there are fewer than 50 journalists for the whole region.

Why does this matter? Using several of his investigative pieces as examples, McKay showed “how journalists can have an impact in the public sphere; how people in power can respond to journalists if they point out problems in society that need attention.”

Examples of the Impact of Investigative Journalism

• In 2015, in response to a question McKay raised about pension cost assumptions used in its 2015-16 budget proposal, the Mamaroneck School District investigated and found a $2 million error that it corrected, resulting in a lower budget and tax levy.
• More recently, in the fall of 2018, in response to a Tarrytown resident’s complaint, McKay investigated a cell tower that the MTA constructed in Tarrytown, only feet from the Franklin Court housing project and playground. McKay found that the MTA is exempt from local zoning, so was able to avoid regulations meant to protect its residents. Only 33 days after McKay’s piece was published, the transit authority announced its decision to relocate the controversial tower.
• In December of 2018, following four months of McKay’s Tax Watch investigations, Irvington School District’s technology director resigned amidst allegations of double-dipping and ethics issues. See article.

Commentary on Westchester County Finances

Commenting on the status of the Westchester County finances, McKay noted that as a result of former County Executive Rob Astorino’s “no tax increase” policy, the County has suffered from a drop in its bond ratings, the disinvestment in County facilities, and a stripping down of the County workforce.

McKay critiqued the use of “one shot deals” to attempt to balance the budget – something that Astorino tried to do by selling off the revenue stream of the Westchester County Airport (a proposal that is still outstanding). He pointed out that current County Executive George Latimer proffered a similar one-shot deal in the current budget – the sale of 14 acres of the Bronx River Parkway Reservation which is being used as parking for the County Center. McKay acknowledged that Latimer is using this as a last resort and is instead pushing for a 1% increase in the Westchester County sales tax, a move that McKay supports and believes will be successful.

McKay pointed out that this sales tax proposal would provide a recurring steam of revenue for the County, the municipalities and the school districts and would provide much-needed property tax relief. The incremental $140 million that it would generate would be shared: 70% would go to the County, 20% to the municipalities, and 10% to the school districts. McKay estimates that this would provide a $1 million benefit to the Village of Mamaroneck, and $300,000 to the Village of Larchmont. McKay pointed out that if the sales tax increase is approved by Albany, the County Executive has pledged to hold taxes flat for two years. It is now in Albany’s hands; the sales tax increase is part of the budget package, which has an April 1 deadline.

This breakfast forum was hosted by the Larchmont/Mamaroneck Local Summit, an informal community council that seeks to make life better for all in the tri-municipal area. Its monthly meetings are held at the Nautilus Diner in Mamaroneck at 7:45 a.m., generally on the third Tuesday of the month. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 23, when the Summit will host an annual visit with the Superintendent of Schools from Mamaroneck, Dr. Shaps and Rye Neck, Dr. Ferraro.