Republican Minority Contests County Budget Process, Proposes 48-Hour Review Period
As deliberations and public hearings regarding Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino’s proposed 2013 budget near a close, members of the Republican minority of the legislature determined to promote their view of appropriate governmental fiscal policy, called a press conference last week to inform the public of a resolution they had put forward.
The measure, submitted September 24th, to ensure the legislature would protect the county’s AAA bond rating, maintain a zero percent tax increase and provide a 48-hour review and analysis period after additions and deletions, never made it to committee.
Legislators Gordon Burrows (R-District 15), Sheila Marcotte (R-District 10) and Michael Smith (R-District 3), with Business Council of Westchester CEO John Ravitz, told reporters the Democratic majority was operating “under a cloak of darkness.”
Marcotte, credited with being a principal writer of the bill, said: “The final budget that is voted on is not seen by anybody but the majority.” In 2011 she claimed the minority only had 29 minutes to review the final document before a vote was taken.
Ravitz, speaking on behalf of the Westchester business community said the BCW supports Astorino’s budget proposal because it does not raise taxes and protects the county’s AAA rating.
Ravitz, who spent 12 years in the minority in the New York State Assembly before working in the private sector, further said: “It is the work of BCW to keep and bring jobs to Westchester County. To do that we have to make the case that the county’s fiscal house is in order.” He supported the three legislators in their resolution and asked why giving a 48-hour period to review the final budget before the vote was not a sensible and logical thing to do.
In response, Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins told reporters the resolution was voted down on the BOL floor because the proposal was misplaced. “It should have been put forward as a charter revision,” he said.
Jenkins further noted that the legislature was executing the budget process as stated in the charter. “There has not been a more transparent process,” he said. “We stream and archive all meetings. County commissioners can be seen talking about everything. Republicans should be participating at the hearings and committee meetings. We understand that some legislators have full-time jobs, but we have given everyone the ability for teleconferencing and videoconferencing in their workplace if they want to participate.”
Jenkins further explained that pursuant to the charter, additions to the budget are made by the first Monday in December, after the legislature receives the budget proposal on November 15th. There have been three public hearings and the BOL cannot make any additions that are not subject to those public hearings.
This is a case of “Thou dost protest too much,” Jenkins said, regarding the 48-hour review period for deletions. “The deletions are only about getting us to the tax levy we want to get to. The minority should be worried about borrowing $43 million to pay for pensions and tax certs. This got Nassau and Suffolk and other places into trouble.”
Jenkins further explained that the County Executive cannot do anything about the deletions. Astorino can only veto additions made to his proposed budget, according to county law.
Regarding a zero percent tax level increase, Jenkins said he was not aware of anyone on the BOL who had taken that position. “We must be focused on having all the accurate information so we can make intelligent decisions,” he emphasized. “After the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, we’ve even seen big tax cutters like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie say we have to pay for this somehow.” Jenkins further noted that county Social Services Commissioner Kevin McGuire had said: “There’s nothing left to cut.”
“We have to focus on making those decisions. Listening to all the information as it comes from the commissioners and make the best decision for the people of the county,” Jenkins said.
As far as the AAA bond rating goes, Jenkins feels the county’s rating is safe. “You have to look at the big picture. We met with the ratings agencies to see how they were devised. It is a red herring for the minority to bring up the bond rating. The priority should not be the rating. It should be our people,” he said.
Jenkins believes it is the fund balance that should be used rather than borrowing to balance the county’s books. “We should not stack up the piggybank when people are getting hurt,” he said.
Jenkins confirmed that the county budget would be ready for a vote by the whole legislature by December 10.
