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Letter to the Editor: Justice George McKinnis Elaborates on Fines Issued by Judges

masterpenandquille


Dear Editor,

With regard to Richard Magat's interesting article on our Bronxville Village Court system, allow me to explain one thing that he wrote:

Town and Village Justices in New York State have never had the right to "pocket fines that they levied," as some or all of each fine goes to either New York State or the Town/Village or in part to each.

I am sure, that Mr. Magat was thinking of the published cases in which some Upstate Justices were removed from office as a result of not being able to account for all of the money that they collected, leaving the impression that some of it was pocketed.

In most of those cases, the tiny communities where this occurred did not have the means to provide their Justice with either a Court Clerk or accounting services. Bronxville Village provides its Justices a quality Court Clerk and the cash accounting overview and auditing services of our Treasurer, Bob Fels, both of which serve your Village Justices well and for which we are grateful.

In addition to our Court's use of inexpensive conference call translators that your article pointed out, another matter that has led to greater efficiency is our use of a State provided portable credit card system that is now used in Court to allow people to pay fines by credit card for which our Village pays no usage charges.

Sincerely,

George C. McKinnis
Bronxville
May 21, 2011

Government & History Directory

Bronxville Overview

Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.

While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.

Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.

The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.

Bronxville Village "One Square Mile" Newsletter and Government Directory

Link to Village of Bronxville One Square Mile Monthly Newsletter

December 2024

Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
337-6500
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends

Bronxville Police Department
337-0500
Open 24 hours

Bronxville Parking Violations
337-2024
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Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400

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