Gov’t Efficiencies, Lower Taxes Focus of County Exec Forum
Reining in taxes, making government more efficient and arriving at the best option for a new Tappan Zee Bridge were among key issues addressed at a forum featuring the Westchester, Putnam and Rockland county executives last week.
The Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress breakfast on April 26 at the Double Tree Hotel in Tarrytown saw Rob Astorino, MaryEllen Odell and Scott Vanderhoef discuss common and unique challenges they face and some of the strategies they are employing to overcome those hurdles. Pattern for Progress is a nonprofit policy and planning organization that promotes regional solutions to enhance growth and vitality in nine Hudson Valley counties.
Astorino said phasing in more public-private partnerships; consolidating operations wherever possible, particularly in law enforcement; and convincing the county’s unions to begin contributing toward health insurance are some of the key steps that his administration has been pursuing.
For the first time last year, nonunion county employees began contributing to their health care. The county spends about $140 million a year on health care coverage for union employees. Astorino said now that the Teamsters have agreed to begin health insurance contributions, he hopes it will serve as a springboard to convince all of the county’s unions to make concessions.
“We have taken a fair stand and we say it’s still needed,” Astorino said.
Odell mentioned how Putnam has also been concentrating on consolidation of various services wherever possible. While there already are certain services shared between the sheriff’s department and the local police departments, the county is targeting a move to combine the Department of Social Services, Mental Health and Youth Bureau, which could save resources.
“We are very focused on consolidation, we are very focused on regionalization, we are very focused on IMAs [inter-municipal agreements],” Odell said.
All three executives agreed that significant Medicaid reform is imperative for long-term solvency for the counties. New York is the only state in the nation that has its counties contribute to the program. Despite the state capping the county’s Medicaid payments, Westchester will still spend $223 million toward Medicaid, while Putnam is spending $36 million in a county of about 100,000 residents.
Vanderhoef said with the passage last year of President Obama’s health care law legislation, the Medicaid rolls are likely to rapidly expand by 2014, making it crucial for the state to eventually assume full responsibility for the program.
“If you don’t deal with Medicaid reform before then, we’re going to be in big trouble,” he said.
Regarding taxes, Astorino and Odell agreed that promoting new business development is a key way to help limit taxes, since cutting spending alone will not save enough and also leave gaping voids in services. Putnam in particular is dependent on having strong contributions from the sales tax.
“If we don’t pay our bill on the sales tax revenue, we have to do it through property taxes,” Odell said.
Having local and county governments and school districts mobilize to apply pressure on state officials to make real progress toward mandate relief continues to be a top priority, Astorino said.
“Hopefully, one of these years, relief from Albany will really be relief,” Astorino said.
Arguably the most pressing issue between Westchester and Rockland is the immediate future of the Tappan Zee Bridge. While they agreed that a new span is critical, the executives reiterated their objections to a project that lacks mass transit. It is similar to the George Washington Bridge, where the lower deck was supposed to be for mass transit, but 85 years later there is no mass transit on that bridge
“If it’s not there on Day One when we cut the ribbon, let’s be honest, it’s never going to be there,” Astorino said.
Vanderhoef said the counties face a major decision whether to support the project. A June 21 date has been set to approve the proposal, but the Final Environmental Impact Statement isn’t scheduled to be released until July.
John Rath, chairman of Pattern for Progress, emphasized to its several hundred attending members that business and government must continually look for new ways to serve the public in light of the demanding economic times.
“It’s unsatisfactory to simply talk or stand still,” Rath said. “We need to act.”
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
