THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. December 17, 2011:

 

Federal Judge Kathy Siebel this week ruled a federal lawsuit against the city, trying to protect full medical care benefits for prior 1995 police officers can proceed to trial.  

 

But police retirees who joined the city before July 1, 1995  got surprise bills for thousands of dollars from the city owed for their share of medical benefits this week, the week before Hannukah and Christmas as part of the judge’s ruling that the retirees case as merit.

 

The retirees (retired police officers) are fighting the city effort (invented during the first year of the Adam Bradley administration) to force police department retirees hired before 1995 to pay 15% of their health benefits effective July, 2010. The Retirees claim this is a violation of their contract.

 

 

Albert J. Pirro (pictured, July 2010) who filed the suit on behalf of the police officers told WPCNR Friday the judge ruled the retirees’ case may proceed to argument in federal court, rejecting city efforts to have  the suit dismissed.

However, as part of Judge Siebel’s ruling, close to one hundred city retirees received bills from the city for 15% of their health care premiums due for what WPCNR believes is the last 18 months (6 quarters of fiscal 2010-11, 2 quarters of fiscal 2011-12, and perhaps the next quarter, January, February, March.

 

Pirro said Judge Siebel lifted the restraining order he had obtained in July 2010,  prohibiting the city from collecting the premium portion from retirees the last 18 months.

 

Officer Robert Riley, President of the White Plains Police Benevolent Association,  confirmed bills had gone out.  “One retiree has received a letter and a bill for $2,000 from the city, and that employee makes $17,000 in his pension,” Riley said. “I think it is a disgrace for the city to do this to the retirees who helped make this city what it is.It is unfair financially.”

 

Riley said he is watching the progress of the Retirees suit carefully, because he said he has 66 active police officers who joined the city before 1995, who will be affected by the outcome of this suit.  Riley theorized that the lifting of the injunction obtained by lawyer

 

In a WPCNR  interview Friday evening, with Albert J. Pirro, the attorney for 97 police retirees, said Judge Kathy Siebel ruled that there is merit to the retirees’ suit on constitutional grounds, and she will allow the suit to be argued in federal court.

 

The city had argued that the case should be dismissed. Now, Pirro believes the case will begin to be heard in March.

 

Police retirees, the exact number is not known, confirm having received bills for their medical benefits this week.

 

One WPCNR phone call, requesting a statement and an e-mail asking further questions to John Callahan, city Chief of Staff and Corporation Counsel, have not been responded to as of midnight. The Mayor has not issued a statement.

 

Unclear is how many bills have been sent out to those retirees, the average amount they are being billed for, whether payments the retirees make will be held in escrow by the city and interest accrued, and what the retirees pay per plan, and whether lump sums past due are now due, and whether all had to pay.

 

Pirro indicated that some retirees who were in circumstances that made it hard for them to pay the new medical benefits were excluded, but did not have time to give details because he was rushing to file court papers by 5 P.M.

 

 

 

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. December 14, 2011 UPDATED 1:20 P.M. E.D.T.:

 

County Executive Robert P. Astorino sent down 27 vetoes Wednesday, totaling about $10 million of the just-approved $1.689 billion budget. The number is about 10 percent of the 247 vetoes he issued last year.

 

While continuing to express overall satisfaction with the 2012 budget negotiated with the Board of Legislators, County Executive Robert P. Astorino today issued a targeted series of vetoes that express his concern over items in the budget that he considers wasteful, harmful to the funding and operation of county government, or not in the best interest of taxpayers.

Tara Martin, spokesperson for the County Legislature issued this statement on the veto burst: “Although the County Executive delivered the vetoes after the legal deadline, the Westchester County Board of Legislators has accepted their formal communication in the same spirit of good faith displayed last week upon passage of the bipartisan County budget. “

            “That the number of vetoes is much smaller than last year is indicative of the fact that the 2012 budget was forged with bi-partisan support,” Astorino said.

 

 “Republicans and Democrats delivered a budget within the broad goals I set – do not raise the tax levy, preserve essential services and protect the county’s triple A credit ratings. But the public also needs to know that there are areas where I think stronger or different actions were needed to address, rather than merely postpone, some of the county’s fundamental financial problems.”

 

Martin speaking for the legislature responded in her statement:

 

“We were well aware that the County Executive did not agree with certain items within the budget, and we expected the vetoes; however, we still remain committed to a new working partnership between the executive and legislative branches here in Westchester.

“The Board of Legislators is scheduled to hold a special meeting on Thursday, December 22 to reconsider the vetoes presented by the County Executive, finalizing a budget that reflects our priorities and commitment towards a 0% tax increase, being fiscally responsible, protects the county’s triple A bond rating and preserves essential investments in our infrastructure and prioritizes the maintenance of important programs that protect public safety, public health and the environment.

“In short, the Board of Legislators will continue to deliver a budget that is right for Westchester.”

 

Though he had initially proposed 210 layoffs, Astorino said he would not veto the roughly 180 jobs restored by the Board of Legislators. He hoped this action would be taken for what it is – a good-faith gesture intended to bring a sense of urgency and seriousness to the bargaining table – and not an excuse for the unions to delay talks until the brink of budget negotiations late next year.

 

“Once again I am renewing my offer of jobs for savings,” Astorino said. “The unions need to know that every month without healthcare contributions means more potential layoffs next year. The math is the math. Union members have to start contributing in a meaningful way for their healthcare – just like everyone else. Otherwise, layoffs are inevitable and the number will be determined by a board that no longer has a Democratic super majority.”

           

 The vetoes for the 2012 budget targeted the following items:

 

·        The board’s addition of $1.9 million for a non-mandated subsidy to three non-county neighborhood health centers, while cutting $848,000 from the Health Department’s mandated budget for Early Intervention. The non-county health centers all receive federal, state and private funds and have been operating with surpluses.

 

“To take money from county programs that are mandated and give it to outside agencies for non-mandated programs just doesn’t make sense,” said Astorino.

 

·        The board’s addition of $4.3 million for non-mandated day care subsidies, while cutting $5.1 million from the Department of Social Services budget, including $1.3 million from Emergency Assistance to Families and $1.9 million from Child Welfare, both mandated programs. Overall the county will spend $26 million on day care subsidies in 2012.

 

To stretch those dollars to meet the demand, Astorino had proposed raising the parental portion to 35 percent from 20 percent, which would increase by 622 the number of children who could be served. DSS has warned that by keeping the level at 20 percent, it is likely to run out of money for the program in October.

 

·        The board’s addition of $243,436 to restore the Route 76 bus line. The county had been losing $8 per rider on this route which only serves 160 passengers. The County Executive had proposed having the route largely absorbed by Route 13. The move would have affected only 30 passengers on Route 76, while eliminating the losses and adding a direct service between Rye and White Plains.

 

·        The board’s addition of $990,000 for Cornell Cooperative Extension. Astorino continues to argue that the programs run by CCE duplicate other county-run programs and are non-essential.

 

·        The board’s addition of $378,000 for Invest in Kids. Astorino leaves intact funding for $1.3 million in Invest in Kids programs (generally as proposed in his original budget), but vetoed funding for a number of programs run by outside agencies that had either not participated or passed muster during the county’s RFP (request for proposal) process.

           

            Overall, Astorino reiterated his concern that the entire budget process could be more transparent and less rushed. Of specific concern is the board’s practice of having a budget vote the same day that it issues its final recommendation for budget deletions. “Until the deletes are presented, there is no way to have meaningful discussions on the final budget,” he said. He urged the board to change this “self-imposed” practice and allow sufficient time for the public and press to evaluate and comment on budget changes.