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

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…