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FOUNDERS & CEO OF CRYPTOCURRENCY MIXING SERVICE ARRESTED, CHARGED WITH $$ LAUNDERING, UNLICENSED MONEY TRANSMITTING OFFENCES

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$2 BILLION IN ILLEGAL TRANSFERS $100 MILLION IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDS ALLEGED

WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, April 29, 2024:

Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill Are Charged with Operating Samourai Wallet, an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business That Executed Over $2 Billion in Unlawful Transactions and Laundered Over $100 Million in Criminal Proceeds

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Thomas Fattorusso, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”); and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging KEONNE RODRIGUEZ, the Chief Executive Officer and a co-founder of Samourai Wallet (“Samourai”), and WILLIAM LONERGAN HILL, the Chief Technology Officer and also a co-founder of Samourai, with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.

  These charges arise from the defendants’ development, marketing, and operation of a cryptocurrency mixer that executed over $2 billion in unlawful transactions and facilitated more than $100 million in money laundering transactions from illegal dark web markets, such as Silk Road and Hydra Market; a web-server intrusion; a spearphishing scheme; and schemes to defraud multiple decentralized finance protocols.

RODRIGUEZ was arrested this morning and is expected to be presented today or tomorrow before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Pennsylvania.  HILL was arrested this morning in Portugal based on the U.S. criminal charges.  The United States will seek HILL’s extradition to stand trial in the United States.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.

In coordination with law enforcement authorities in Iceland, Samourai’s web servers and domain (https://samourai.io/) were seized. 

Additionally, a seizure warrant for Samourai’s mobile application was served on the Google Play Store. 

As a result, the application will no longer be available to be downloaded from the Google Play Store in the United States.

Image of the seized Samourai website

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:

“As alleged, Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill are responsible for developing, marketing, and operating Samourai, a cryptocurrency mixing service that executed over $2 billion in unlawful transactions and served as a haven for criminals to engage in large-scale money laundering.  Rodriguez and Hill allegedly knowingly facilitated the laundering of over $100 million of criminal proceeds from the Silk Road, Hydra Market, and a host of other computer hacking and fraud campaigns.  Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to relentlessly pursue and dismantle criminal organizations that use cryptocurrency to hide illicit conduct.”

IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Thomas Fattorusso said: “$2 billion in transactions with an unlicensed money transmitter means $2 billion flowed without any oversight, from whomever to wherever.  Because of the company’s disregard for regulation, it’s alleged that Samourai Wallet laundered more than $100 million in criminal proceeds.  Special Agents with IRS:CI New York and IRS:CI LA’s Cyber units worked with our federal and international law enforcement partners to not only arrest the founders and CEO, but to also seize their domain.  Samourai Wallet is now closed for business.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Threat actors utilize technology to evade law enforcement detection and create environments conducive to criminal activity.  For almost 10 years, Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill allegedly operated a mobile cryptocurrency mixing platform which provided other criminals a virtual haven for the clandestine exchange of illicit funds, the facilitation of more than $2 billion in illegal transactions, and $100 million in dark web money laundering.  The FBI is committed to exposing covert financial schemes and ensuring no one can hide behind a screen to perpetuate financial wrongdoing.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal Court:[1]

Background on Samourai

From about 2015 through February 2024, RODRIGUEZ and HILL developed, marketed, and operated a cryptocurrency mixing service known as Samourai, an unlicensed money transmitting business from which they earned millions of dollars in fees.

Samourai unlawfully combined multiple unique features to execute anonymous financial transactions valued at over $2 billion for its customers.  While offering Samourai as a “privacy” service, the defendants knew that it was a haven for criminals to engage in large-scale money laundering and sanctions evasion.

Indeed, as the defendants intended and well knew, a substantial portion of the funds that Samourai processed were criminal proceeds passed through Samourai for purposes of concealment.  During the relevant period, Samourai laundered over $100 million of crime proceeds originating from, among other criminal sources, illegal darkweb markets, such as Silk Road and Hydra Market; various wire fraud and computer fraud schemes, including a web-server intrusion, a spearphishing scheme, and schemes to defraud multiple decentralized finance protocols; and other illegal activities.

RODRIGUEZ and HILL began developing Samourai in or about 2015.

Samourai is a mobile application that users can download onto their cellphones, and the application has been downloaded over 100,000 times. 

After users download Samourai, they can store their private keys for any BTC addresses they control inside of the Samourai program.  These private keys are not shared with Samourai employees, but Samourai operates a centralized server that, among other things, supervises and facilitates transactions between Samourai users and creates new BTC addresses used during the transactions.  Samourai is used by customers all over the world, including customers located in the United States and in the Southern District of New York.

RODRIGUEZ and HILL designed Samourai to offer at least two features intended to assist individuals engaged in criminal conduct to conceal the source of the proceeds of their criminal activities. 

First, Samourai offers a cryptocurrency mixing service known as “Whirlpool,” which coordinates batches of cryptocurrency exchanges between groups of Samourai users to prevent tracing of criminal proceeds by law enforcement on the Blockchain.

Second, Samourai offers a service called “Ricochet,” which allows a Samourai user to build in additional and unnecessary intermediate transactions (known as “hops”) when sending cryptocurrency from one address to another address.

This feature similarly may prevent law enforcement and/or cryptocurrency exchanges from recognizing that a particular batch of cryptocurrency originates from criminal activity.  Since the start of the Whirlpool service in or about 2019, and of the Ricochet service in or about 2017, over 80,000 BTC (worth over $2 billion applying the BTC-USD conversion rates at the time of each transaction) has passed through these two services operated by Samourai.  Samourai collects a fee for both services, estimated to be about $3.4 million for Whirlpool transactions and $1.1 million for Ricochet transactions over the same time period.

RODRIGUEZ and HILL’s Knowledge and Intent for Criminal Proceeds to be Laundered by Samourai

RODRIGUEZ and HILL operated Twitter accounts that encouraged and openly invited users to launder criminal proceeds through Samourai.  For example, in or around June 2022, Samourai’s Twitter account — operated by RODRIGUEZ — posted the following message regarding Russian oligarchs seeking to circumvent sanctions:

Image of a tweet from Samourai’s account “Welcome new Russian oligarch Samourai Wallet users”

Similarly, in a private message on or about August 27, 2020, HILL — using a Twitter account with the username “Samourai Dev” — discussed the use of Samourai by criminals operating in online black markets such as Silk Road in private messages with another Twitter user (the “Twitter User”) (emphasis added):

Twitter User:             Silk Road is why I first found Bitcoin and the desire to keep engaging in those types of markets is one reason that I want to defend/strengthen those use cases . . .

Samourai Dev:          No, not at all. We probably have different views on some basic tenets of bitcoin, you and I – so to each his own so to speak. At Samourai we are entirely focused on the censorship resistance and black/grey circular economy. This implies no foreseeable mass adoption, although black/grey markets have already started to expand during covid and will continue to do so post-covid. . . .

Additionally, in response to Europol highlighting Samourai as a “top threat” to the ability of law enforcement to trace the proceeds of criminal activity, HILL posted a message in or around March 2021 suggesting that Samourai would not change its practices in response to allegations that Samourai was being used for money laundering:

Image of a tweet from Hill “Europol also highlighted Samourai Wallet as an emerging ‘top threat’ in same article. Do you see us shitting in our pants?”

Similarly, RODRIGUEZ and HILL possessed and transmitted to potential investors marketing materials that discussed how Samourai’s customer base was intended to include criminals seeking privacy or the subversion of safeguards and reporting requirements by financial institutions.  For example, in Samourai’s marketing materials, RODRIGUEZ and HILL similarly acknowledge that the individuals most likely to use a service like Samourai include individuals engaged in criminal activities, including “Restricted Markets.”

In the below excerpt from Samourai’s marketing materials, RODRIGUEZ and HILL acknowledge that its revenues will be derived from “Dark/Grey Market participants” seeking to “swap their bitcoins with multiple parties” to avoid detection:

Image from Samourai’s marketing materials acknowledging revenues will be derived from “Dark/Grey Market participants”

In Samourai’s marketing materials, RODRIGUEZ and HILL promoted Samourai’s Wallet and its “Mixing Service” as a “Premium Privacy Service” for transactions involving the proceeds of goods and services that include, among other things, “Illicit Activity.”

*                *                *

RODRIGUEZ, 35, of Harmony, Pennsylvania, and HILL, 65, a U.S. national who was arrested in Portugal, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of IRS-CI and the FBI.  He also acknowledged the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.  Mr. Williams also thanked Europol, the Portugal Judiciary Police, the Icelandic Police, the FBI Field Office in Pittsburgh, the FBI’s International Operations Division, and the IRS-CI Los Angeles Field Office for their assistance in the investigation of this case.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit and Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew K. Chan and David R. Felton are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

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APRIL 29 OUTBREAK OUTLOOK NORTHEAST

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Outbreak Outlook – Northeast – April 29

APR 29

Welcome to the Northeastern edition of Outbreak Outlook! It is only available to paid subscribers. If you wish to become a paid subscriber and access region-specific information, please click the Subscribe now button below. Thanks for reading! -Caitlin

Subscribed

Respiratory Diseases

ILI

Flu season continues to wind down. Things have really quieted down with influenza in the Northeast. Most states are now well below the national baseline of 2.9% of outpatient visits for ILI that roughly marks the end of flu season.

Northeast Region: ILI Activity
Percent of doctors visits for ILI symptoms

Only New Jersey remains above it, at 3.4%; its numbers declined this week and I expect them to continue to decline over the next few weeks.

Northeast Region: Change in ILI Activity
Percent of doctors visits for ILI symptoms

Emergency department visits for influenza have reached near-zero levels, with all states reporting that <1% of ED visits are for flu. Hospitalizations continue to decline as well, and are hovering between 1 and 2 admissions per 100,000 population across the region. As we enter summer, I expect to see these rates to get at or near zero (that is, <1).

COVID-19

Very quiet week for Covid-19. Wastewater concentrations are minimal in the Northeast. Visits to the emergency room for Covid-19 are extremely low across the Northeast: every state is reporting that <0.4% of ED visits were for Covid.

Northeast Region: New COVID-19 Hospitalizations
Average rate per 100,000 population

Hospitalizations are continuing to decline in the Northeast, and there are now 2 or fewer new admissions per 100,000 population in every state in the region. Rhode Island and Maine both reported slight upticks, but their rates remain <2.

Northeast Region: Change in New COVID-19 Hospitalizations
Weekly new hospitalizations per 100,000

Note: The x axis in the plot above is quite stretched out. Updated visualization for this newsletter is on my roadmap.

Stomach Bugs

Test positivity for norovirus declined slightly this past week, but remains quite elevated. Late spring is when we tend to see a sharp drop-off in stomach bugs, so hopefully any week now I will have better news.

Northeast Region: Norovirus Activity
Test Positivity, Percentage

Food recalls

The following foods are being recalled because they are contaminated. Please check your cupboards and throw out any of these items:

New

  • None

Previously reported:

  • Basil from Trader Joe’s (more info)
  • Trader Joe’s 50% Less Salt Roasted & Salted Whole Cashews (more info)
  • If you have food allergies, you may wish to review these FDA safety alerts and USDA alerts for foods with undeclared allergens.

In other news

  • In Massachusetts, the Sharon Health Department has reported the first human case of Powassan virus in the town, urging residents to be vigilant against this tick-borne disease. The virus is endemic in the state, but is reported only rarely. Similar to Lyme disease, Powassan is transmitted by infected ticks and can lead to severe illnesses such as meningitis and encephalitis, though many who are exposed do not show symptoms. Symptoms, which appear between one week and one month after a tick bite, include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, speech difficulties, and seizures. To prevent infection, residents should use tick repellents, wear protective clothing, stick to trails, and conduct thorough tick checks after spending time in tick-prone areas.
closeup photography of white and pink petaled flower
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DEAN OF WESTCHESTER LEADERS ENDORSES GEORGE LATIMER FOR CONGRESS

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To the Editor:
  In recent weeks some Democrats and Republicans in Congress have done something very positive – they have started to work together. They approved a package to help Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. They prevented a shutdown of the federal government..
 A major reason why I’m planning to support George Latimer in his bid for Congress is because George has a proven record of working with everyone – Democrats and Republicans.  I don’t want the next Congress to be an international embarrassment. I don’t want to see members of Congress bicker and fight and to accomplish little. Find comomon ground.  George gets results. And, he listens to his constituents.  If elected to Congress I’m convinced that George will continue to be transparent, open and nonpartisan.  And he will be effective in persuading other members of Congress to put governing ahead of partisanship.
  Think about this fact: George has been County Executive for more than a decade. He’s gottten a tremendous amount done during his tenure –without major controversies. He’s visible, liked by pracdtically every official in the county (Democrats and Republicans)  I think George will get results for the people of Westchester  in a non partisan way if we send him to Washington.  He’ll be successful in helping local governments get grants for important initiatives from Washington.
PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
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The Sophist Court: “Anything Goes!”

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WPCNR LAW JOURNAL. News & Comment By John F. Bailey. April 28, 2024:

 

In  the 6th and 5th Century B.C in ancient Greece where intellectual thought and philosophy began  there was  a movement that rose among intellectuals , now what we’d call a fad that challenged the standards of education and moral codes and behaviors of the philosophers of the time. It was a group of new teachers of youth and adult leadership that challenged standards of the time.

They were known as “The Sophists”.

Wikipedia describes them from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defining and  describing who and what they were as chronicled by Plato in the Plato dialogues and the Sophists’ roles in government :

“The major sophists were considerable celebrities, and were active in public affairs.

The Protagoras (dialogue) captures the excitement which they engendered on arriving in a city, the cosmopolitan clientele who accompanied them and their associations with the rich and powerful.

Some made a great deal of money; Hippias boasts (Greater Hippias 282e) of making, in a single visit to Sicily, more than a hundred and fifty minas, i.e., fifteen thousand drachmas, something in the region of thirty years’ wages for a skilled craftsman, and Socrates says (Meno 91d) that Protagoras earned more than ten sculptors, including the celebrated Phidias.

Protagoras drew up the law-code for the foundation of the Athenian colony of Thurii in 444/3 (Diogenes Laertius IX.50), and Gorgias, Hippias, Prodicus and possibly also Thrasymachus acted as diplomatic representatives of their respective cities.

But their wealth and celebrity status has to be set against the negative reaction they aroused in those of conservative views, e.g. Anytus in Meno 89e–94e, who saw them (to a considerable extent unfairly, as we have seen) as subversive of morality and religion and a bad influence on the young.

According to Plato in the Apology, it was that climate of opinion, most strikingly expressed in Aristophanes’ Clouds, which had led eventually to the condemnation of Socrates on grounds of irreligion and the corruption of the young.

Consequently, his rehabilitation of Socrates leads him to contrast the genuine philosopher with the sophists, whom he depicts predominantly as charlatans.

That hostile portrait was the historical foundation of the conception of the sophist as a dishonest argumentative trickster, a conception which remains the primary sense of the word in modern usage, but which considerably distorts what can be recovered of the historical reality.”

I was struck by the similarity of the philosophy judges of today appointed to courts recommended by think tanks who have held the politicians attention  and advised them over the last 25 years and more specifically during the Trump administration.

Those conservative judges  in Federal Courts and state courts, and of course the Supreme Court now are creating their own philosophy of law based on the original constitution, heavily influenced by who appoints them, who is on trial, and “what if” defenses creatively invented by legal counsel of conservative philosophy convincing judges, (not all) to make decisions on up through the structure of the courts that turn “wrongs” into “rights,” “fraud” into “business practices,” “legal procedures” into “violations of rights,” offering differences of interpretation into “violation of rights.”

The Supreme Court  pre-decision thoughts, after arguments this week (not yet a written decision on this matter), on former President Trump’s immunity from prosecution, are chilling.

If a President is totally immune for prosecution while he or she is President, then he or she can order people to be murdered while President who might be enemies, journalists, editors, members of congress, or prosecuted, or remove Supreme Court justices.

If a president is immune from being prosecuted for anything done while he or she is out of office, then he or she can not be prosecuted for any crimes or misdemeanors. It could be quite convenient for an ex-President to kill his wife rather then give her a divorce because he  did not want to give her a settlement, like Henry the 8th did while he was King of England.

This will be a very interesting decision when it is finally released. Will they set conditions when the President is not immune, like a murder, for example?

When the President is out of office on his own time, receiving Presidential pension and health care from the government, will they still be subject to prosecution for fraud, insurrection? (But of course, storming a building is not insurrection, far from it, of course.)

However a great expansion of the impact of whatever decision guidelines on Presidential immunity the Supreme court creates, opens new legal avenues for defense lawyers of the rich, the poor, the minorities, alike. This will happen under the “all  men are created equal” words in the constitution. If the President is now above the law by the as yet not unveiled decision pre-release, is this not a violation and applies to all men?

Women.

Liisten.  if the President is immune from prosecution, does this mean only men have equal rights under the law and women cannot sue for sexual misconduct, the right for abortion permission, rape, etc. This will be the longest decision by a Supreme Court in history. They have to say “men and women are equal under the law.”

The court decisions so far have been historically impacting. The decision that corporations are people and can create Political Action Committees. The elimination of class action suits. The abortion decision ignoring existing law,  inflicting personal beliefs on “the pursuit of happiness.’

Why do I think the Supreme Court is “The Sophist” Court?”

They were appointed for their beliefs and decisions they made in the past to pursue a policy not their beliefs in right and wrong, which they failed to declare.

They were were unduly influenced by their personal beliefs. I remember Judge Francis Nicolai in White Plains Supreme Court in the Hockley-Delgado election case, pointing to the black sleeve of his robe and saying, “I wear these robes to right wrongs.” The judges on the court may believe they are right wrongs, when in reality they are encouraging new laws to prosecute women who try to travel and medicate to have abortions, creating greater wrongs against women.

They do not have good reasoning powers. They like the Sophists base it on their personal beliefs not what the effects their beliefs have on people affected by their decision. They do not have wisdom.

They have abandoned their loyalty to the people of this nation, to reward the powers that appointed them, especially in delaying the trial of the former President until after the election. This is self-serving to their own interests. A judge should be indifferent to self-interest. A favorable ruling on Presidential immunity, I might add means nothing a President does is wrong. He could remove the Liberal Justices by Executive Order for example.

Sophists think, as Plato and Socrates pointed out are not Guardians of the People, they believe in their philosophies first and foremost and that they are right always.

 

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WHITE PLAINS WEEK TONIGHT AT 7:30 THE APRIL 26 REPORT ON FIOS CH 76 ALL COUNTY, WHITE PLAINS OPTIMUM CH 76 & www.wpcommunitymedia.org

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WHITE PLAINS RAISES BUDGET 5.45% TO $212.3 MILLION. $10.8 MILLION INCREASE

BIRD FLU REPORT–BIG CASES IN 8 STATES. LITTLE INFORMATION

BOWMAN BATTLES BACK IN THE 16TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

 

COVID WAITING FOR THE SUMMER

 

THE SCHOOL BUDGET

 

MAKING GERMANY GREAT AGAIN: HOW HITLER ELIMINATED DEMOCRACY IN 1932 A MUST READ BEFORE YOU VOTE.

 

  1. JOHN BAILEY AND THE NEWS
  2. EVERY WEEK ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK
  3. IN HIS 23RD YEAR
  4. 2001 A.D. TO 2024 a.d.

 

 

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BIRD FLU IN 8 STATES, SPREADING. INFO UNCLEAR. OFFICIAL RESPONSE SLOW. ANALYSIS SKETCHY YOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOST REPORTS

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APRIL 25: CITY RELEASES PROPOSED 24-25 BUDGET

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BUDGET SUMMARY FROM JAMES ARNETT ISSUED THIS WEEK

A property tax levy increase of 1.37% which is under the NYS Property Tax Cap limit for the 2024-2025
Fiscal Year;

A property tax rate of $244.18 per $1,000 taxable assessed valuation, which is 2.47% more than the 2023-
2024 tax rate of $238.29.

For a residential home with a median assessed value of $13,500, this would
yield an increase in City property taxes of $80 annually;

Appropriations of $212.3 million, $10.8 million (5.4%) more than the 2023-2024 Adopted Budget of $201.5
million;

Debt proceeds are not used as a financing source for tax certiorari or pension amortization;

$16.0 million is appropriated from the various components of fund balance, which is $2.3 million more than
was appropriated in the 2023-2024 Adopted Budget;

Taxable assessed valuation of $278.5 million, a decrease of $3.0 million from the assessed valuation from
the prior year;

A continuation of hiring restrictions where possible.

This is the thirteenth fiscal year that we developed an annual budget in accordance with a real property tax levy
cap (“tax cap”) mandated by Chapter 97 of the New York State Laws of 2011. In all thirteen years, the city has
met this tax cap limit and has not once required an override of the cap. This law limits the real property tax levy
increase over the prior year’s levy by not more than two percent (2%) or the rate of inflation, whichever is less,
plus or minus other adjustments. The rate of inflation utilized by the State for the City’s 2024-2025 fiscal year
was 2.0%.

In addition to the inflation rate, the tax cap formula also includes adjustments to the maximum
allowed levy for special assessments (such as Business Improvement District assessments), a tax based
growth factor provided by the State (such as new construction), certain increases in pension costs (also
provided by the State) and judgments or court orders related to tort actions (tax certiorari are not considered to
be tort actions).

When compared to the current year, the 2024-2025 proposed real property tax levy is
increasing by 1.37%.

The levy as proposed is actually $1,646,581 less than the maximum increase allowed by
the NYS tax cap formula and allows the City to maintain a rollover amount to be used in future budget years.

The real property tax levy of $68.0 million represents 32% of total General Fund revenues and other resources.

Over the past several years, the City has made significant strides in addressing the expenditure side of the
equation. One initiative undertaken by the City has been a “green initiative” to convert less efficient, older
technology lighting over to LED lighting.

In cooperation with the New York State Power Authority (NYPA), the City has converted street lighting to LED lighting and has also installed LED lighting in certain City parking garages and facilities as well as at Delfino Park and City Hall.

The City is now, with the help of a NYS grant, converting the lighting in the White Plains Library to continue this initiative. As utility prices rise, the cost savings aspect of this initiative becomes even more important. This and other “green initiatives” are constantly being looked at as ways to help both the environment and the City Budget.

A second initiative is one in which the City has entered into a 25-year agreement to lease property for solar development. Through this contract, solar energy systems have been installed at eight City-owned facilities and benefit both the City and its residents in addition to helping to preserve the environment. The City should realize approximately $936,464 in the upcoming year with these systems now fully online.

Some more recent initiatives undertaken by the city are the completion of the Battle Hill Pollinator Habitat,
which serves as a shelter and habitat for butterflies, moths and hummingbirds and boasts an impressive array
of native plants. The city’s in-house food waste composting program reduces waste and creates high quality
compost. This compost is then available to be used throughout the city and is distributed to city residents at no
cost. The city has continued to expand its electric fleet, including the ordering of an electric garbage truck which
is expected to be received by the end of the year. The city has also increased its focus on beautifying the
downtown area with additional code enforcement, additional staff to keep the downtown clean of graffiti, lantern
flies and other eyesores and to perform additional maintenance and repairs as needed and continuing the
annual Holiday lighting display.

In spite of the challenge of keeping property tax increases to a minimum, the City continues to provide superior
services to our residents and maintain its infrastructure in peak condition. The 2024-2025 Proposed Budget
includes amounts necessary to fund salaries, benefits, debt service and other costs in accordance with current
contractual or legal requirements. Taxes levied on behalf of the Business Improvement District (B.I.D.) remain
at $900,000.

The City is using its bonding authority to address capital needs where appropriate. Recent increases in interest
rates are expected to put additional stress on the City’s budget in future years. Where prudent, the City has
recently paid for certain Capital Projects with cash instead of bonds. This practice is likely to continue as rates
remain high.

Even with close attention paid to cost control measures by departments in the current and prior
years, and in planning for next year, inflation has led to a 5.4% increase in operating costs when compared to
the 2023-2024 Adopted Budget.

In addition to continued increases in utilities, an increase in the health insurance rates charged by NYS for employees and retirees and pension related expenses also charged by the State as well as approved union contract salary increases are playing a large role in this increase.

The total 2024-2025 Proposed Budget for the Library Fund is $7.4 million, an increase of $253,693 over the
previous year. Property taxes raised through the General Fund will provide $7.1 million (97%) of the funding
needed for Library operations.

The 2024-2025 Proposed Budget of $15.4 million for the Debt Service Fund is $.5 million more than the amount
in the 2023-2024 Adopted Budget. The impact of rising interest rates isn’t expected to be seen until the 2025-
2026 Budget, which will include debt service expenses associated with the upcoming April 2024 bond sale.

The 2024-2025 Proposed Budget provides $11.3 million for the payment of principal and $4.1 million for the
payment of interest on general long-term debt. Transfers in from the General Fund and Library Fund of $14.0
million and $0.6 million, respectively, together with a $650,000 appropriation of fund balance and a subsidy of
$136,648 from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) provide the resources for these
payments.

Including depreciation (a non-cash expense) of $1.7 million, the 2024-2025 Water Fund Proposed Budget
provides for $19.9 million of expenses. Included within these expenses is $0.9 million for capital improvements
or emergency repairs. Expenses in the Water Fund are fully covered by revenue from user charges and other
revenues.

The 2024-2025 Sewer Rent Fund Proposed Budget provides for $4.0 million of expenses, including
depreciation in the amount of $.5 million. Funding is provided for $525,000 in capital improvements or any
needed emergency repairs. Revenues from user charges of $3.3 million as well as other miscellaneous
revenues fund the entire $4.0 million of expenses. The sewer rent surcharge that the City bills residents and
businesses is 18% of the total water bill.

The 2024-2025 Proposed Budget of $6.1 million for the Self Insurance Fund covers current operating costs
needed during the fiscal year for the City’s risk management and insurance program. These costs are charged
back to the other funds of the City through interfund charges.

KEY REVENUE SOURCES

The City’s portion of the total sales tax rate (8.375%) is 2.5%. This 2.5% is comprised of a 1.5% unrestricted
amount, a 0.75% unrestricted amount and a 0.25% amount that was converted from restricted to unrestricted in
2023. While the 1.5% component is permanent, the 0.75% and 0.25% components need to be renewed every
two years. They are currently due to expire on August 31, 2025.

The previously restricted component,  mentioned above, was required by New York State to be deposited into a Contingency and Tax Stabilization Fund. While the restriction was removed for new receipts, the requirement to follow the rules set forth by NYS Law restricting the uses for the monies already in that fund remains.

For the current year, the City estimates that sales tax collections will total $56.3 million, which is slightly less
than what was received in the prior year, but more than the current year’s budgeted amount of $54.4 million.
Sales tax revenues seem to have increased significantly in the past few years due to a strong economy,
inflation and the enhanced State collection of internet sales taxes, but now seem to have leveled off.

In the fiscal year 2024-2025 proposed budget, sales tax revenue is proposed at $56.0 million, which is $1.6 million
more than budgeted in the current year. Going forward, the addition of retail and residential units in the City,
which is now underway, should provide new retail purchases which will also help to strengthen the sales tax
revenues.

Parking related revenues of $29.2 million, including meter fees, parking related fines, red light fines, and permit
charges, represent 13.7% of total General Fund revenues and other resources. Parking revenues fund the total
cost of operating and maintaining parking facilities and help support the costs of services provided to nonresidents visiting or doing business in the City.

As more and more people came back to the City to work and shop after the Covid pandemic, these revenues have increased and are now nearing those pre-pandemic levels. A parking rate increase was approved by the Common Council at the December 2023 Council Meeting for certain parking related fees and fines. The additional revenue related to these increases reduces thereliance on property taxes to fund vital City services including current and future maintenance of our aging parking system.

The 2024-2025 Proposed Budget includes Intergovernmental Grants and Aid of $7.7 million representing 3.6%
of total General Fund revenues and other resources. Revenue from the New York State Aid and Incentives to
Municipalities (AIM) program is proposed in this category at $5.5 million. Local Municipalities have lobbied the
State to increase this funding which has not increased in over a decade and there is hope that this could be
increased at some point in the future.

In the 2024-2025 Proposed Budget the amount of unassigned fund balance appropriated is $14.2 million. This
amount is $2.3 million more than was appropriated in the 2023-2024 Adopted Budget. An appropriation of $1.7
million from the fund balance committed to tax certiorari is also included. There is no appropriation from the
City of White Plains

Contingency and Tax Stabilization Reserve in the 2024-2025 Proposed Budget, although those funds have
been used recently and likely will be used again to fund certain Capital Projects where selling bonds was not
the best choice due to the specifics of those particular projects.

THE FUTURE

The objectives of this and every budget are to contain costs, to seek reasonable and responsible increases or
new forms of revenue and to ensure that our fiscal performance goals meet or exceed best practices. We strive
to achieve the alignment of revenues with activities generating costs to alleviate to the extent possible the
burden on our taxpayers.

We affirm our commitment to maintain and replace our capital assets in a manner that spreads the costs
appropriately over the life of those assets and to those receiving the benefits produced by those assets. This
includes responsible long-term planning for the acquisition, maintenance and disposal of assets and a judicious
funding blend of cash, debt and grants/aid.

The 2024-2025 Proposed Budget offers a plan for the delivery of needed and desired services that preserve our
quality of life while adhering to fiscal policies that will ensure retention of our coveted Aa1 credit rating. The
budget achieves these goals while remaining within the State mandated cap on the property tax levy.

Posted in Uncategorized

MAY AT THE LIBRARY!

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May Calendar of Events for Adults

Join us this May for one of our new or returning programs. Here are a few highlights: Take part in the Rotary Club’s Blood Drive (5/2), Join us for our Foundation’s Spring Gala (5/4), Explore the National Gallery of Art’s American Art from the colonial period to the early 20th century (5/14), and observe Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a screening on K-TOWN ’92 (5/21). Find a full listing of our May programs below with details on attending.

You can reach us Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 914-422-1400, by texting WPPL to 66746, or by emailing us anytime.

Ideas for programs or activities? Send them my way.

Take care,
Brian Kenney
Library Director
bkenney@whiteplainslibrary.org

Note: Most newsletters will be clipped at the bottom when they reach your inbox. Please make sure you click on [Message clipped]  View entire message at the bottom of your email for the full newsletter.
Here are a few highlights from our recent events:
The Library is committed to ensuring accessibility for persons with disabilities.
To attend a virtual event, either register through the provided link or, if attendance is open, visit the link for information on joining on the date the event occurs. Adult events are in pink and events for assorted age groups are in blue. NOTE: To increase security in youth-focused programs, we are now requiring attendees to have a Zoom account to login to the event. Creating an account is easy and free.

✳Lunchtime Meditation

Wednesday, May 1, 8, & 22
12:00–12:45 p.m.
Zoom

Brief beginning instruction followed by meditation. No experience needed. A variety of guest instructors will lead the program. Click here for the Zoom link.

Short Story Book Discussion

Thursday,
May 2 & 16
2:00–4:15 p.m.
Zoom

Join Librarian Barbara Wenglin for our Spring Short Story Series using the rich anthology New York Stories, ed. by Diana Secker Tesdell. For 5/2, read the intriguing and unsettling story “Master Misery” by Truman Capote (p.99). For 5/16, read “Children Are Bored on Sunday” by Jean Stafford (p.307). A copy of the book is held at the Hub/Reference Desk for reading in the Library, with circulating copies available through the catalog. Please register once for the full series here and attend when you can. This program is supported by the Friends of the Library. All are welcome, including newcomers!

✳Future is Female

Monday, May 6
2:00–3:00 p.m.
Zoom

Ellen O’Connell, White Plains resident and retired English teacher, will moderate a discussion of The Cloisters by Katy Hays (Catalog). Click here for the Zoom link. June’s title is Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (Catalog).

✳Beginner Stitching

Tuesday, May 7
2:00–3:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 11
3:00–4:00 p.m.
Museum Gallery
For adults & teens

Learn the basics of knitting or crochet with Kat & Kristen! We will teach beginner stitches and begin to knit/crochet a scarf. Knitting needles or a crochet hook and one skein of yarn will be provided to those starting out. For those returning, please bring your needles/hook and yarn. Registration required; please email Kristen at kthornton@whiteplainslibrary.org to register. Experienced crafters who do not need supplies or instruction are also welcome to attend.

✳History of White Plains in the 20th Century

Wednesday, May 8
12:15–1:00 p.m.
For adults
The Igloo

Learn about the history of White Plains in the 20th Century in the library’s panoramic video room. Technology installed by Igloo Vision and funded by the Library Foundation/Optimum. Click here to register.

Introducción a Bookkeeping en Quickbooks/ Introduction to Quickbooks

Monday, May 14
6:00–8:00 p.m.
Auditorium

Estás buscando formas de mejorar la salud financiera de tu negocio y reducir tus impuestos? ¡No busques más! Nuestra clase te brindará las herramientas y conocimientos necesarios para llevar tu negocio al siguiente nivel. Are you looking for ways to improve the financial health of your business and reduce your taxes? Do not look any further! Our class will provide you with the tools and knowledge necessary to take your business to the next level. Presented in Spanish in partnership with WEDC. Inscripción es necesaria/registration required. (914) 948-6098 ext. 14 / email.

✳Battle of White Plains VR in the Igloo

Thursday, May 16
5:15–5:55 p.m.
For adults
The Igloo

Journey back in time to the Battle of White Plains, a pivotal moment in the American Revolutionary War. Our immersive Igloo presentation brings this history to life with AI-generated imagery, digital battle simulations, and 360-degree camera content. Don’t miss this unique experience! Technology installed by Igloo Vision and funded by the Library Foundation/Optimum. Click here to register.

End of Medical Debt

Wednesday, May 22
10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Zoom

Medical debt has plagued many Americans, including those who are “fully” insured, under-insured and uninsured. This session will focus on ways to conquer medical debt, how to prevent medical debt, and systematic changes needed to assist health consumers who face medical debt. A particular focus will be on surprise billing, hospital facility fees and accessing hospital payment relief programs. Presented by Gail Myers, Deputy Director, NY StateWide Senior Action Council and Carrie Tracy, JD, Senior Director, Health Initiatives, Community Service Society of New York. Click here for the Zoom link.

✳Learn about 3D Printing in the Igloo

Wednesday, May 22
4:30–5:00 p.m.
For adults & teens
The Igloo

Learn about 3D printing and how to use the library’s 3D printing services. Join us for an engaging demonstration session. Technology installed by Igloo Vision and funded by the Library Foundation/Optimum. Click here to register.

✳Visit the Metaverse through the Igloo

Thursday, May 30
12:15–12:45 p.m.
For adults & teens
The Igloo

Learn about the metaverse and what it is all about in the library’s panoramic video room. Technology installed by Igloo Vision and funded by the Library Foundation/Optimum. Click here to register.
We appreciate support from the White Plains Library Foundation for many of our programs. Events funded by the Foundation are noted with an ✳.

BOCES ESL/Citizenship Classes

Monday–Friday
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Rotary Room

In this preparation class, students will learn about the history of the United States. The class will practice the last version of the citizenship exam and the 100 citizenship questions. Please call 914-937-3829 or 914-637-1936 to register.

Poetry Slam & Open Mic

Wednesday,
May 1
7:00–9:00 p.m.
For adults & teens
Zoom

Join Zork and Kristen for our monthly virtual Poetry Slam! If you plan to perform and are performing for the first time, please email Kristen with a short bio at kthornton@whiteplainslibrary.org. Click here for the Zoom link.

English Conversation Group

Thursdays
Community Room
Saturdays
Rotary Room
2:00–3:00 p.m.

White Plains Public Library offers adults who speak English as a second language the chance to converse with each other in a fun, supportive environment! Beginning and intermediate ESL students are welcome. Registration is encouraged but not required.
The Foundation’s Spring Gala will be held on May 4th. Click here for more information.

✳Slow Reading

Monday,
May 6, 13, & 20
2:00–4:00 p.m.
Rotary Room

For 5/6, read “The Springs of Affection” from Maeve Brennan’s collection of the same name (Catalog). For 5/13, read Part 1 from Toibin’s Brooklyn (Catalog). for 5/20, Please read Part II from Brooklyn. Leading the group is Ellen Lambert, who has a Ph.D. from Yale and taught high school English at The Dalton School for over 25 years.

American Art Stories Tour

Tuesday, May 14
11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Zoom

Presented by the National Gallery of Art. Join us as we look closely at American art from the colonial period to the early 20th century, engaging in conversation and exploring different perspectives with these works from our collection. Click here for the Zoom link.

✳Learn about Virtual Reality in the Igloo

Wednesday, May 15
12:15–12:45 p.m.
For adults
The Igloo

Learn about the world of extended reality (XR), including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). Beginner-level presentation. Technology installed by Igloo Vision and funded by the Library Foundation/Optimum. Click here to register.

Book ‘Em

Wednesday,
May 15
2:30–3:30 p.m.
Zoom

Library Director Brian Kenney will lead a discussion of Shari Lapena’s Everyone Here is Lying (Catalog). Who took Avery Wooler? And why? A thrilling domestic suspense. Click here for the Zoom link.

AAPI Month Film: K-Town ’92

Tuesday, May 21
7:00–8:45 p.m.
For adults & teens
Auditorium

OCA-WHV marks Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month by presenting K-Town ’92, an interactive documentary about the riots in 1992 Los Angeles after four LAPD officers were acquitted of beating motorist Rodney King. “K-Town” refers to Koreatown, a neighborhood in Central LA that was hit hard by the civil unrest and where tension between Koreans and Blacks had risen prior to the King verdict. K-Town ’92 looks back decades later and presents viewpoints of diverse individuals who witnessed the events and worked to improve relations among the Black, Korean and Latino communities. Registration recommended here.

Forever Young Adult Book Club

Thursday, May 23
7:00–8:00 p.m.
Zoom

Forever Young Adult is a group for YA fans who are a little less “Y” and a bit more “A.” Whether you’re a regular YA reader or you need a break from your usual “To Read” list, all are welcome! This month’s pick is Skyward by Brandon Sanderson (Catalog). Click here for the Zoom link.

Citywide School Art Show Reception

Thursday, May 30
5:00–7:00 p.m.
For all ages
2nd floor

Reception for the White Plains Citywide School Art Show. Art made by White Plains students in grades K-12 will be on display.
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