WESTCHESTERS OLDEST AND MOST RESPECTED NEWSPAPERS

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Vol 10 Number 44

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Friday, November 1, 2013

The people of Westchester will cast one of their most important votes when they decide Nov. 5 who will be their county executive for the next four years. The issue of immediate concern to the families, taxpayers and homeowners in Westchester County are property taxes, with a recent Marist poll finding 30 percent of Westchester voters thinking taxes should be the top priority for the next county executive. Four years ago, Rob Astorino was elected county executive on a promise to control spending and deliver tax relief to the people of Westchester who pay the highest taxes in the country. We endorse Astorino for re-election Nov. 5 because he has delivered on that promise and we look forward to four more years of Astorinos efforts to make Westchester a more affordable place to live, work and raise a family. Astorino has, in essence, created his own property tax cap of 0 percent for Westchester County government, before Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state legislators passed the 2 percent state tax cap in 2011. Astorinos first budget for 2010, before the state tax cap, had a 0 percent property tax increase, and his approach toward budgeting has resulted in Democrats and Republicans presenting budgets that have resulted in a 2 percent REDUCTION in the county tax levy over three years, and a smaller county budget today than three years ago. Astorinos challenger for county executive, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson, has not campaigned on the number-one issue of concern for Westchester voters property taxes. Instead, Bramson has decided to focus

We Endorse Rob Astorino For County Executive

the voters attention on federal issues of gun control and abortion. While these issues may be important when voting for Congress, president or governor, they were not identified in the Marist poll among the top 10 issues that the next county executive should focus on. Early in the campaign, Bramson said he would respect the tax cap, if elected county executive. But New Rochelles two budgets under Bramson leadership have exceeded the tax cap. Later in the campaign, Bramson came up with a preposterous theory that Astorino was responsible for all of the property taxes that homeowners pay every year, including school taxes, and village, town or city taxes. This tactic was, in our view, meant to distort the truth about both candidates records on taxes and meant to deceive Westchester voters. Westchester residents have paid $800 million more in property taxes over the past three years, said Bramson again and again in debates with Astorino. But the next county executive will be responsible for the county budget, and only the county budget, just as Bramson and the New Rochelle City Council are responsible for their city budget. Bramson has also stated several times: We all know that our property taxes have gone up over the past four years. While obviously true, we wonder how much higher our property taxes would be if Astorino were not county executive? Bramsons hope for tax relief to Westchester taxpayers comes in his call for consolidation of services between county government, local government and school districts. But if 75 percent of all budgets county, local and school are consumed by employee salaries and benefits, any other consolidations except for layoffs through consolidation would result in minimal savings. Controlling spending requires making tough decisions, and Astorino has made tough and sometimes unpopular decisions. Requiring lower-middle-income families to pay $2 more per day for subsidized child care was one unpopular decision Astorino has stood by. Layoffs and eliminating jobs in county government have been other difficult decisions. Astorinos decision to require county employees to pay a portion of their health insurance costs is one of many commonsense solutions that are required of our elected leaders of today. If the overwhelming majority of Westchester residents pay some, or all of their health insurance costs, it is only fair that county employees do the same. Bramson has decried Astorinos county budget cuts as draconian, but to take a phrase from County Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins: The sky has not fallen. In fact, 64 percent of Westchester residents say our county is headed in the right direction, in comparison to 43 percent of New Yorkers and only 19 percent of Americans who say the state and country are headed in the right direction. While the people of West-

chester agree with Astorinos call for contributions to health insurance for county employees, we do not believe that the Westchester voter agrees with the policy in New Rochelle, which provides free health insurance for life to its elected officials who serve more than five years in office. We estimated that Bramsons health insurance for life will cost the taxpayers of New Rochelle close to $1 million, and that is just for one elected official. Astorino has pointed to Bramsons record of raising property taxes by 109 percent over 18 years, for an average tax increase of 6 percent. Bramson has responded by digging up Astorinos record on the Mt. Pleasant Town Board and his votes for tax increases. The most reasonable contrast between Astorino and Bramson, in our view, can be found by comparing their last three budgets. (See chart.) In todays political reality, we need our elected officials to do more with less. One candidate for county executive has listened to the voters in Westchester and made property tax relief and controlling spending his top priority. His name is Rob Astorino, who we endorse for county executive. Westchester has turned the corner from the great recession of 2008. Under Astorino, 27,000 new jobs have been created in Westchester. Now is not the time to turn back.

Year 2013 2012 2011

Astorinos County Bramsons New Rochelle Budget Budget 0 % tax increase -2 % tax increase 0 % tax increase 6.99 % tax increase 5.96 % tax increase 5.9 % tax increase