Astorino Defends Budget Proposal

County Executive Rob Astorino was peppered with questions about his at Monday night's Bedford Armonk Rotary meeting, even as he was exiting the room to attend another community meeting in Somers.

Though the atmosphere was not as charged as on the budget, attendees challenged Astorino on several proposed cuts—including reductions in child care subsidies and the elimination of $1.3 million in funds to the Cornell Cooperative Extension—and demanded explanations on costs associated with employee contracts.

Astorino's proposed operating budget calls for a decrease in spending of $33 million from the $1.819 billion budget of 2010. If no cuts were made, this year's budget would have increased by a projected $116 million. When crafting the budget, he and his staff focused on providing essential services, he said.

Approximately 85 people attended the meeting, hosted by the recently formed Bedford Armonk Rotary Club and held at St. Matthew's Church in Bedford.

Astorino presented his plan in broad strokes and outlined major cost increases expected in employee health care costs and pensions—they'll go from $55 million to $163 million in four years, he said.

"We're only one of four counties in the state where the employees pay nothing toward their health insurance. You—all of you in this room—pay 100 percent of county health care costs," said Astorino.

He was asked about the current terms of the Civil Service Employees Association contract. "The CSEA contract is in year five of six," he said. "They got a four percent increase this year, plus step and longevity increases, so it's like a six percent increase in some cases," he said.

He added that, if the contract expired and new terms had not been negotiated, the four percent increase remained. According to state law, health care costs can be negotiated but pensions are constitutionally guaranteed.

His budget proposal includes laying off 226 workers from county positions to save money. Buyouts would be given to 465 additional workers and 14 positions that are currently vacant would be eliminated from the budget—combined, the reductions represent about a 12 percent workforce reduction.

In addition to cutting positions, Astorino's budget eliminates millions of dollars in social services and non-profits (explained further here), including cuts to the Cornell Cooperative Extension office in Valhalla, through which community education on nutrition, agriculture, sustainability, emergency preparedness and gardening takes place in partnership with Cornell University.

The county contribution equals about one-fourth of the total funding to run the program—if made, state and federal funds make up the rest.

Thea Fry, Katonah resident, master gardener and volunteer with the Cornell program, asked why Astorino would not want to leverage the state and federal monies, in addition to "the thousands of volunteer service hours" freely gained.

"Those hours cost $1.3 million," Astorino shot back. "We don't have the 25 percent to give—I don't know where you want us to get the money from. People can't afford to take the bus and I have to make sure they get to work—horticulture and nutrition programs are offered elsewhere, like Muscoot Farm."

Erin Malloy, former trustee and mayor of Irvington, also voiced support for restoring funding to the program.

"I agree with a lot of your changes, but an 'essential service' is to leverage money to protect the health and welfare of residents," she said. "We need to empower citizens to grown their own food for our health—ask yourself about the multiplier affects of this."

Maris Krasnow, an NYU education professor, spoke on behalf of the Westchester Children's Association, railing against the child care cuts. Under the proposal, families who receive subsidies for day care would see their payments increase from $10 to $16 a day.

"Children need environments in which they can grow—child care in not babysitting…[children who can't go] will not be prepared for kindergarten," she said.

Astorino defended the plan, and said that the misconception is that they'd cut off all child care. "Thirty million is a lot of money, we are far and above more generous than every other county. We are not cutting childcare. This is the only department that is not seeinga year-to-year reduction," he said.

Krasnow told Patch after the meeting that the cuts would begin a cycle of poverty for some children, which could cost taxpayers more in the end. "If parents have to stay home and care for their kids, they can't work and contribute to society—we'll just end up raising taxes to deal with the problems on the backend," she said.

Astorino also addressed the

"Westchester is the only county that operates an amusement park, which is mostly enjoyed by non-residents," he said. "The park loses $5 million a year and poses extraordinary risk to the county."

Proposals for the site's future are currently being accepted by the county, and while they could mean the elimination of the amusement park, the land will retain its  purpose of recreational use, he said.

As Astorino attempted to close his presentation by referring questioners to the county's website and budget FAQ's posted online, one woman interrupted him repeatedly to ask why he "cut all services to immigrants." Before he could answer, another voice from the crowd shouted a response Astorino might have given: because there's no money left.

The next public hearing on the budget is on Dec. 9; the board of legislators is expected to adopt their version of the budget by Dec. 13. The final budget must be passed by Dec. 27.