WESTCHESTER COUNTY BOARD OF LEGISLATORS PASSES ’07 BUDGET
--- Legislature Cuts Proposed Property
Tax Hike Down To 3.5%---

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2006

Contact: Betsy DeSoye, Director of Communications
Tel: (914) 995-3277

Westchester’s County Board of Legislators tonight approved, by an 11-6 party-line vote, a $1.7 billion county spending plan for 2007 that maintains county services at current levels and holds the property tax increase to 3.5%. The budget contains a 3% increase in spending which includes a 7.5% increase in funding to contract agencies that provide services to the county’s most vulnerable citizens, primarily benefiting women, children and elderly in a wide range of programs such as nutrition, housing, and child care.

“We kept the property tax increase below the rate of inflation while maintaining, and in some cases, enhancing county services to Westchester residents,” said Bill Ryan (D-I-WF, White Plains), Chair of the County Board. “The Board is tax sensitive and the legislators worked to ensure that property taxes were kept as low as possible without cutting essential services and quality of life programs.”

County Legislator Michael Kaplowitz (D-Somers), Chair of the Committee on Budget & Appropriations, said that the 2007 budget represented a realistic level of spending that was sustainable. “This budget reflects that we’re meeting our public policy objective of creating budget certainty from year to year,” said Kaplowitz. “That means that we’re moving farther away from the wild gyrations in tax increases of past years. In terms of fiscal soundness, that’s an important step forward.”

Ryan pointed out a range of additional budget highlights that included Board approval of:

• A further reduction, from 20% to 15%, in child care co-payments;
• An increase of $500,000 in day care scholarships;
• $5.1 million to implement the Help America Vote Act and its mandate to centralize the elections process;
• No increase in bus fares or reductions in bus service;
• No increase in any county fees or permits.

Ryan noted with concern that state and federal unfunded mandated costs continue to account for about 70% of the county’s budget. “The state’s cap on Medicaid brought about some control in this budget but we’re still looking at an increase of 3.25% or $189.8 million in Medicaid costs in 2007,” said Ryan. “We need to be vigilant. Certain unfunded state mandated programs are starting to show signs of rapid growth. The state can’t be permitted to simply shift these costs to the county, as they do with Medicaid.”