How to save John Jay Homestead?

March 5, 2010
by Christine Yeres

Here’s the kind of sticky situation that representatives at every level of government face: What to fund, and where to find the money.  Newly-elected State Assemblyman Robert Castelli, who represents New Castle, is holding a press conference and rally today at 11:00 a.m. at John Jay Homestead in Katonah, home of one of the nation’s founding fathers and the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. His purpose: To save this historic site from Governor Paterson’s budget axe.

Governor Paterson and the New York State legislature are currently in negotiations over the details of next year’s proposed budget. In a cost-cutting measure, the governor has proposed closing 55 parks and historic sites across the state and reducing service at 24 more. Four of these places are located in Westchester County. The nearest is Philipse Hall Manor in Yonkers, dating from around 1682.

Another 34 parks, which include John Jay Homestead, will also have to post “Closed” signs next year unless the legislature approves the shifting of $5 million from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) to the Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (OPRHP).

Castelli is in favor, he says, “of spending smarter, not harder.  You could say, ‘We can add taxes to keep these parks open,’ or we can look at money already available and move it from point A to point B.  If we can move $5 million from the EPF without harming it, and it allows us to save these parks and historic sites rather than raise taxes in the middle of a fiscal crisis, then I’ll consider it.”

Environmental Protection Fund monies pegged to real estate transfers

Since its creation in 1993, the EPF’s monies have come from the real estate transfer tax at the rate of two dollars per $500 of the sale price. With the dramatic reduction in real estate sales over the past two years, this fund has suffered. According to Jessica Bassett, a spokesperson for the New York State Division of Budget, the EPF received $225 million in 2006-07, $250 million in 2007-08, $255 million in 2008-09, $212 million in 2009-10, and the governor is proposing $143 million this year. The $5 million he wishes to shift to Office of Parks, Recreation & Historical Preservation would come out of that already substantially reduced $143 million.

Of the EPF’s $143 million proposed budget, around $13 million is earmarked for solid waste, $63 million for open space preservation, and $67 million for parks and recreation. The fund is dedicated to environmental protection only, confirmed Alison Jenkins, Fiscal Policy Program Director of Environmental Advocates of New York. Even the fund’s “Parks and Recreation” category, clarified Jenkins, “means things such as waterfront revitalization, zoos and botanical gardens, farmland protection, municipal recycling, invasive species eradication and historic preservation.”  And that funding category is, in fact, for “historic preservation,” Jenkins explained, “not for keeping parks open generally.”

“While I’m not happy in diverting any of the EPF funds from their originally intended use,” explained Catelli, “I am aware that this may be the only option available, and it certainly is the only one on the table at this time. But I pledge to look at all viable options that will enable us to save John Jay Homestead.  Beyond its historical value, for this upper part of the county it serves a very diverse group of people in many ways, providing space for social functions, lecture series, recreational pursuits and educational programs.”

How communities use historical sites

According to Wendy Ross, executive director of Friends of John Jay Homestead, the Friends raise around $500,000 each year and run a vibrant program of lecture and hands-on educational programs.  She has mounted a letter on the Friends’ website alerting visitors to the homestead’s predicament. Her message reads, “We want to continue with our active schedule of education programming, special events and restoration projects that affect the lives of many thousands of New Yorkers. With short-term stability, the Friends will be able to continue the job we have been doing so well for 30 years – supporting the long-term growth of this important site while contributing to the cultural and economic life of our community.”

“The state owns the site,” acknowledge Ross, “and if they close it there’s nothing we can do.  As trustees, we’re always looking for ways to keep it operating.  But we’re encouraged that the governor recognizes the importance and value of the site by devising a budget that includes its remaining open.” Ross explained that the combination rally and press conference tomorrow that Assemblyman Castelli is attending “is about encouraging legislators to craft a budget that ensures the site and park remain open.”

The cost of keeping John Jay Homestead open

Dan Keefe, Deputy Press Officer of the state’s Office of Parks, Recreation & Historical Preservation confirmed that until now the government has not tapped EPF funds to keep parks running.  According to Keefe, the Homestead needs $130,000 this year to stay open. And even closed, the Homestead requires funds for minimal maintenance and continued payment of permanent staff members who would be reassigned to other OPHRP jobs.

There is a hiring freeze in effect, he noted, so that the statewide permanent parks staff of 2,000 will decline by about 70 people this year.  The governor’s budget does not propose park staff firings this year, he added.

Jenkins of Environmental Advocates of New York is sympathetic to the state’s dilemma, but described this strategy as “pitting the Environmental Protection Fund and ‘keep-parks-open’ advocates against one another.” Environmental programs as a whole have been cut disproportionately, she said, pointing to the $69 million reduction from $212 this year to $143 million in the proposed budget.

Ross stated that although the EPF is used “for all kinds of projects across the state,” she realizes that it has not been asked to supply Parks and Recreation shortfalls before. And she pointed out that John Jay Homestead was recently approved for a $139,000 grant from the EPF for a new education and visitor center now in the planning stages, very near the amount the governor proposes the EPF should supply to OPRHP for continued operation of John Jay. 

Shifting the $5 million from EPF to OPRHP, Jenkins noted, “threatens the $139,000 [John Jay Homestead] needs for their construction project, since that’s $5 million taken away from the usual EPF projects.”