BRONX TIMES REPORTER, AUG.BTR 27-SEPT. 2, 2021 51
BY LYNN GERBINO
The hot topic in the Waterbury
LaSalle section of
Throggs Neck is the proposed
building of 1,100 apartments
along Bruckner Boulevard between
Crosby and East Tremont
avenues and another spot
across East Tremont Avenue
going toward the Hutch Parkway.
Throggs Neck Homeowners
Association is unequivocally
against the upzoning of these
properties, as we fought so hard
10 years ago to keep our zoning
down with the help of Mayor Michael
Bloomberg and Jim Vacca
when he was the district manager
of CB 10. The mayor came
to our Throggs Neck Homeowners
meeting at the Villa Barone
to announce the downzoning
of Throggs Neck, inviting dozens
of TV stations to cover the
event.
It was a proud day for
Throggs Neck as I introduced
the mayor before he made the
announcement, and he mentioned
it again at his State of the
City address. This was the fruition
of many months of meetings
with this goal in mind, and
we never thought it would be on
the chopping block in this way.
Throggs Neck Associates
LLC, whoever they are, are hiding
behind the name. Our goal
now is to fi nd out who the principals
of this corporation are,
who don’t deserve to use the
name Throggs Neck. It is an insult
to all who live here.
There is a protest rally
scheduled on Saturday, Aug.
28, at noon, at Foodtown and
I urge all who can attend to
please show up. We want to lend
a hand to our neighbors at Waterbury
LaSalle and to keep our
community a bastion of one-
and two-family houses.
Pop-up clinics
St. Frances de Chantal is
sponsoring pop up clinics for
COVID-19 vaccinations. There
will be an initial one on Saturday,
Aug. 28 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
at the de Chantal Hall, as well
as on Sept. 10-12. You can apply
for a $100 debit card and if
you want, you can donate the
$100 to the Church. For more
information, please call the
rectory at 718-792-5500.
For up-to-date information,
please check our Facebook
page: Throggs Neck Homeowners
Association. You can
also call us at 718-823-0327 or
message us on our Facebook
page.
BY GEORGE HAVRANEK
Pre-COVID-19 pandemic,
in March 2019, Milton E. Ezrad
chief economist at Vested
stated, “The city is running a
defi cit … already in a fi nancial
spot but would be in a diffi cult
situation with any kind of setback.”
Paul C. Earle, respected
economist from the American
Institute for Economic Research
remarked, “NYC could
go bankrupt, absolutely.”
In April 2020, the bi-partisan
political watchdog, New
York City Independent Budget
Offi ce projected NYC
to lose $400 million in realproperty
tax revenue for fi scal
years 2021 and 2022. June
2021 Bloomberg News estimated
these losses to be in the
$1.6 billion range. The Citizens
Budget Committee determined
property taxes account
for nearly 45% of city tax revenues.
Property tax is an undeniable
staple of New York
City’s revenue stream. This
begs the question: How will
NYC close this fi nancial defecit?
Recent recommendations
by NYC Advisory Commission
on Property Tax Reform suggests
property tax increases
are on the horizon. This City
Hall-appointed commission
released a 72-page report with
several undetailed recommendations.
The following items
drew immediate attention:
1-The Commission recommends
a sale-based methodology
to value all property in the
residential class.
2-The Commission recommends
assessing every property
in the residential class at
full market value.
3-The Commission recommends
a circuit breaker
within the property tax system
to lower property tax burdens
on low-income primary
resident owners, based on the
ratio of taxes paid to income.
4-The Commission recommends
a partial homestead exemption
for primary resident
owners in residential class
dwellings with incomes below
a certain threshold.
Full market value is the
price a property would sell
for under normal conditions.
Currently, property tax rates
are based on assessed value,
a fractional percentage of full
market value, that will not exceed
6% of market value.
In Spencer Estate, 1-3 family
homes are designated Tax
Class 1 and taxed at 21.045% of
assessed value minus exemptions.
A dramatic change from
assessed valuations to full
market valuations could place
fi nancial burdens on hardworking
middle class families,
retirees, senior citizens
and anyone on tight budgets or
fi xed incomes.
In typical fashion, City Hallinspired
policy change elicits
more questions than answers.
What is the tax to income ratios
and income thresholds?
What are the fi nancial effects
of the partial homestead exemption
and circuit breaker?
Will the homestead exemption
or circuit breaker replace current
STAR, Enhanced STAR
or other exemptions? Will the
circuit breaker include an interest
accruing deferred tax
payment plan that could place
vulnerable properties in lien
status? Can overlap situations
occur with the homestead exemption,
circuit breaker structures?
If so, how are these handled?
With the tradecraft of
skilled illusionists, the termlimited
de Blasio NYC political
machine shielded its motivation
to close fi scal gaps by
defunding hard-working middle
class homeowners. This
late stage NYC property tax reform
is expected to await blessings
from a new City Council
and mayor before attaining
state approvals.
It should be noted: Assembly
Bill A4744 and Senate Bill
S857, addressing the circuit
breaker, are already in committee
minus specifi c fi scal
details. The Property Tax
Reform report is available
through the website www1.
nyc.gov.
Low-density communities
are middle class neighborhoods
primarily comprised
of essential workers, fi rst
responders, civil servants,
teachers, fi xed-income senior
citizens and retirees. Many
multiple generation families
made sacrifi ces and commitments
to build, improve and
stabilize these communities.
It is our civic duty to ensure
specifi c details are publicized
before change is made to the
property tax system. Structures
or processes that increase
our property tax obligations
should not be up for
discussion. We must unite to
make those that preceded us
proud so those that succeed us
have a community to appreciate.
Let your voices be heard,
contact local elected offi cials
to demand Property Tax Reform
clarity and transparency.
Councilman Mark Gjonaj:
718-931-1721
Assemblyman Mike Benedetto:
718-892-2235
Sen. Alessandra Biaggi:
718-822-2049
Monthly meetings resume
in September; however, the
traditional summer respite
could be interrupted by circumstances
requiring ad hoc
attention.
If we want to keep and reap
the blessings of our fi ne quality
of life, we must endure the
fatigue of supporting it. Our
community has traditionally
exhibited a “We are Family attitude.”
Now is the time to let
it shine. Communicate; make
that phone call, text message
or send that email. Please
check on family, friends and
neighbors, especially the elderly
and vulnerable. Any
area homeowner or renter interested
in the Spencer Estate
Civic Association, send an
email to spencerestatecivic@
gmail.com.
R e m e m b e r :
Community=Common-
Unity and Inclusion brings
Solutions.
CIVIC CENTER
Spencer Estate Civic
Association
CIVIC CENTER
Throggs Neck Home
Owners Association
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (REUTERS/ CARLO ALLEGRI
File photo
/nyc.gov
/gmail.com