LEGISLATORS OROS AND LAMOTTE SELECTED TO LEAD REPUBLICAN CAUCUS
County Board of Legislators: Members of the Minority vote for 2006 leadership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Contact: George Oros, 914.995.2828, Oros@westchesterlegislators.com

White Plains, NY—County Legislators George Oros (R—Cortlandt), representing the 1st District and Ursula LaMotte (R—Bedford), representing the 2nd District, received a unanimous and uncontested vote from their colleagues on the minority caucus to continue their positions of leadership on the County Board of Legislators. For the 2006 term, Oros will keep his current title as Minority Leader and LaMotte will continue to serve as Minority Whip.

Referring to members of the Republican caucus, who are outnumbered on the board by eleven to six, Oros stated, “This is a difficult time for Republicans on the County Board and the next couple of years are going to be extremely important for us. If we are going to be truly effective and have our voices heard within this delegation, we have to have strong leadership and remain completely united.”

Oros has been the Minority Leader for 3 years and has been a strong leader in the fight to keep County taxes down and initiate fiscal reform. He said, “Year after year, County residents are faced with increased taxes. This year alone we have already been presented with a budget that raises County taxes 4.5%. As Minority Leader, I plan to analyze the budget and find out how we can cut spending and protect County residents from being plagued by soaring taxes.”

Oros has a history of eliminating unfair taxes. While on the Board, he was successful in removing a County sewer tax that Cortlandt and Yorktown residents were paying even though they has no sewers. Before serving as a legislator, Oros was a Councilman in the Town of Cortlandt and was Chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Bi-Centennial Committee. He was a special assistant to the Cortlandt Town Attorney and today has his own law practice in White Plains.

“I look forward to the task of keeping this County fiscally responsible,” said Oros. “I am also very pleased that my good friend and very capable colleague, Ursula LaMotte, has been chosen to remain Minority Whip. Ursula is an extremely dedicated member of this caucus. We have always been a great team and will continue to work hard for the people of this County.”

LaMotte has been Minority Whip of the Republican Caucus for the past two years. She was the first woman to ever hold the post. Aside from serving on a number of the Board’s Committees, LaMotte is known for her efforts to preserve open space and keep our drinking water free from contamination. Prior to serving on the Board, she was a Councilwoman in the Town of Bedford as well as Deputy Town Supervisor. She then served seven years on the County Planning Board. LaMotte currently serves as a board member for a number of organizations, including the Children’s Aid Society of New York, the President’s Council of the Northern Westchester Hospital and the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester.

LaMotte has been a representative of the 2nd Legislative District since 1995, she said, “I’ve served as a member of this Board for over ten years and I’ve seen many changes in the way that County government is run. This position reflects my commitment to making sure that the County budget, our policies and the work that is done on a County level is fair, effective, and in the best interest of Westchester residents.”

“I take the responsibility of being Minority Whip very seriously,” said LaMotte. “I’ve already taken the initiative to see that our caucus is informed about every aspect of the 2006 proposed budget.” LaMotte noted that one of the most important responsibilities of the Board of Legislators is to adopt a final version of the County budget. In addition, she said, “I’ve been present at all of the recent meetings held by the Budget Committee. It’s imperative that the proposal undergoes a comprehensive review and that all of the County’s revenue and expenditures are accounted for properly,” said LaMotte. “I’m sure that our Republican caucus will make every effort to provide a final adopted budget that meets all the needs of this County without any added tax levy.”

The Republican Caucus is made up of a six member team that includes, Legislators George Oros, Ursula LaMotte, Rob Astorino, Gordon Burrows, Jim Maisano and Bernice Spreckman.