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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. (EDITED) December 23,2010:

 

County Executive Robert P. Astorino today scolded the Democratic-majority of the Board of Legislators for overriding hundreds of budget vetoes, and adopting a 2011 budget filled with “runaway” spending and “speculative” revenues.  

 

            Astorino said that on Monday he will begin a detailed review of the budget with his budget and finance team to come up with a full assessment of the damage.

           

 

            Astorino in November had proposed a spending plan for next year that cut the county levy by 1 percent, protected the county’s most needy, continued all essential services and protected the county’s three AAA bond ratings.

            After the legislators adopted a 2011 operating budget that restored millions of dollars in funding, Astorino used his line-item authority last week to veto $33.5 million in spending . The board Thursday overrode most of Astorino’s vetoes, restoring $32 million in spending, over the objections of the board’s five Republicans in most every case.

            In the capital budget, the Democrats restored approximately $71 million in pet projects of questionable legality, which Astorino had vetoed.

            “The Democrats had the 12 votes to override my vetoes,” Astorino said. “This is how the democratic process works. They now have to be accountable for their votes.”

            Astorino singled out the Board’s action on the Section 8 Housing Voucher Program for particular criticism.

            In October, the county notified the state that it was no longer interested in running the Section 8 program. Astorino said the county was losing money on the contract to run this state and federal program. Astorino then gave the state the required 60-day notice to terminate the contract, and the county employees who ran the program were given layoff notices. The state has meanwhile begun action to take over the program and has issued an RFP (request for proposals) for a replacement contract. 

            The county executive once again criticized the legislators for taking down the county’s reserve fund to  dangerous levels.

            “That is the kind of reckless action that gets a county’s bonds downgraded. We need look no farther than Nassau County to see that the credit ratings agencies are not fooled by one-shots and gimmicks,” Astorino said.

           

 WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the County Board of Legislators (EDITED) December 23, 2010:

The County Legislature today voted 16-1, overriding County Executive Rob Astorino’s vetoes to deliver a  2011 County budget that delivers a 2% tax reduction for all County taxpayers

However that overall county tax reduction may actually result in some communities in a tax increase, depending on where you live. It is impossible to tell until the actual tax rates come out and tax bills received. WPCNR reported that his actually happened last year in White Plains

In 2009, the county touted a 1.77% property tax increase but in White Plains County Taxes when all three taxes were considered, White Plainsians got socked with a 7.2% increase. See our story on this at http://www.whiteplainscnr.com/article7293.html 

The truth is, when you take into account all three county taxes, the county property tax, the Mamaroneck Valley Sewer District charge, and the ever popular Refuse Disposal charge,  in 2009, the White Plains homeowner tax bill was up 5.69% on the tax levy charge and a  7.18% on the Tax Levy. 

In a bi-partisan vote of 16-1, the budget reduced spending by $28.5 million dollars (from 2010 budget), reduced the County workforce by 10%, restores critical services for most in need, provides transitional timetables as the County continues to recalibrate agencies and presents a more fiscally responsible alternative to the County Executive’s budget proposal.  

Last month, Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino presented his first County budget, which included severe budget cuts to the social safety net and funding for vital services for Westchester’s working families at a time when Westchester needs to invest in the future and move forward.  If the Legislature didn’t override the Astorino vetoes, it would have resulted in a tax increase — from the -2% that we previously approved that all the vetoes amounted to the difference of 2 tenths of one percent.

 

“Westchester County’s budget is balanced and on time, and it will lower the county tax levy. This budget right-sizes government, and not capsizes it,” Board Chairman Kenneth W. Jenkins (D-Yonkers) said. “This year, the County has to make exceedingly difficult decisions.  We took this responsibility with the utmost seriousness and made an effort to ensure that every budget decision was thoughtful and deliberate. Despite these obstacles, the Democratic Majority has presented a budget that will preserve the most critical County services without raising taxes.”

 

 

Highlights of Legislature’s FY 2011 Adopted Budget

 

·   Tax Reduction of 2% to the county tax levy vs. County Executive’s proposed -1%

 

·   Total spending $1.79B =       $28.5M from 2010 budget

 

·   Reduces County workforce by 10% (funded through grants, additional revenue & corresponding deletions)

 

·   Eliminates County Executive’s proposed one-shot to bond tax certioraris = cash vs. credit for operating costs (maintains fiscally responsible fund balance)

 

·   Fairly restores balances and protects public safety, health and essential services

 

·   Identified opportunities for shared services between Dept of Emergency Services & Dept of Public Safety; will continue stakeholder inclusion of merger discussion

 

·   Provides six-months transitional funding for community mental health clinics, pending contracts that must be in place per Section 41.07 of the NYS Mental Hygiene Law

 

·   Restores funding of community health centers & child care services

 

·   Reinstates County’s contract of the Section 8 program