Astorino Presents $1.8B Budget Proposal for 2017

WHITE PLAINS, NY — A $1.8 billion budget for Westchester County for 2017 was unveiled Thursday by Executive Robert Astorino — which for the seventh year has no tax hike.

“This is a budget that says ‘yes’ to the diverse needs of Westchester by calling for no reductions in services, no cuts to nonprofits, no tuition hike at Westchester Community College for the fourth straight year, no raiding of our reserves and no increase in taxes,” Astorino said at a budget presentation.

The proposed 2017 budget is 0.4 percent more than the budget for 2016.

Astorino said the budget operates within what he calls the two “goal posts” of no increase in the tax levy and no taking from the fund balance for day-to-day expenses.

The tax levy will stay flat, Astorino said, at $548 million, and the unrestricted fund balance remains at just under $140 million.

One addition to help pay for the budget will be a $15 million first-time payment from the public/private partnership with Oaktree Capital Management, which Astorino wants to take over Westchester County Airport.

The county executive said the money will make up for stagnant sales tax projections.

Astorino said the county’s biggest financial hurdle continues to be unfunded mandates from the state and federal government, which will be a $1.35 billion part of the 2017 budget, with reimbursements amounting to only $435 million.

“Up until now, the deal from Albany and Washington has been two dollars from us, one dollar from them, and a contract you can never change or get out of,” Astorino said.

The Democratic Caucus of the Board of Legislators complimented the county executive for not continuing to over-estimate sales tax projections but said the spending package relies heavily on the still-under-review airport management proposal.

“Since this budget continues to rely on one-shot revenues and other gimmicks, I think it is a reasonable conclusion that the county budget remains out of balance and does not present a sustainable financial future for the county,” said Majority Leader Catherine Borgia, D-Ossining.

She said legislators have suggested way to make county operations more efficient.

“We will continue to present those during our discussions of the budget and airport alteration proposals,” Borgia said.

Photo credit: Westchester County.