Editor's Pick: Astorino's Year In Review For 2017

WHTIE PLAINS, NY — Gun shows, Playland, immigration and the budget were only a few of the issues on the plate of Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino during 2017. He didn’t know until November that it would be his last year in office. Astorino, 50, and a Mount Pleasant resident, was first elected to public office at age 21 as a member of the Mount Pleasant Board of Education. He spent 12 years as a town councilman and was elected to the county Board of Legislators in 2003. He took office as County Executive Jan. 1, 2010.

Here are some of the stories from 2017 with Astorino at the center:

In January, Astorino vetoed a law banning gun shows on county property, but there were not enough votes in the county Legislature to override. The bill only passed by one vote.

Plans to revitalize Rye Playland with a $60 million investment to restore the park got a reprieve in March when a judge ruled against a City of Rye Article 78 lawsuit that said the city should have been given lead agency status on any improvements. Astorino and the Board of Legislators reached an agreement in May of 2016 to have Standard Amusements take over management of the county-owned park.

After seven years, the county got good news in July that the federal government had determined that Westchester’s zoning was not exclusionary. The county met the requirements of the affordable housing settlement in December 2016 by having financing and building permits in place for 750 units. The county spent about $30 million more in compliance than the $51.6 million required under the terms of the settlement.

In August, County Legislators passed, with a bipartisan vote of 10-5, the Immigrant Protection Act. Legislators said it was not a sanctuary bill, but ensured county law enforcement focuses on Westchester public safety while complying with federal law. Astorino vetoed it a few days later, saying that it endangered public safety, violates federal law and jeopardizes federal public safety grants. In September, Astorino signed an Executive Order on immigration that he called a compromise. He said it was designed to foster trust within the immigrant community, while not providing sanctuary to criminals. Astorino said the EO should calm fears of undocumented immigrants who say they cannot report crimes or seek medical aid for fear they will be deported.

Astorino scored a legal victory in September when a state court judge ruled that a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the agreement to close Indian Point until a full environmental review is conducted can be heard in Westchester County instead of Albany. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state officials wanted the case in Albany because they felt that it wasn’t “material” that the plant is located in Westchester and that it would be more convenient for state officials to hear the case in the state’s capital.

Also in September, Astorino announced that he was launching a “Hurricane Relief for Puerto Rico” drive in the county. He said that the county was home to more than 44,000 Americans of Puerto Rican heritage and he hoped to make “a meaningful contribution to the people and communities most in need.”

Astorino sought a third term as county executive but was defeated by state Senator George Latimer, D-Rye. The campaign was bitter and personal at times, with some political pundits saying it was a referendum on President Donald Trump, who Astorino supported and calls a friend. Latimer ended up with 57 percent of the vote to Astorino’s 43 percent.

And the campaign for county executive was expensive, with candidates spending more than $7 million. Astorino outspent Latimer, shelling out $4.4 million to his challenger’s $1.6 million. A Robert Mercer-funded super-PAC chipped in another $1 million to Astorino.

Shortly after being defeated for re-election, Astorino unveiled the final budget of his tenure, that would once again not raise the county tax levy. His spending plan was 1 percent more — at $1.838 billion — than the previous year’s. County Democrats said it would hamstring the county executive-elect. Revenue in Astorino’s budget was contingent upon $30 million from an as yet unapproved public-private partnership to operate the county airport. The Legislature came back with their own budget that raised property taxes by 2 percent and eliminated the $30 million in revenue. Astorino vetoed the budget, but the Board of Legislators unanimously overrode the veto. Catherine Borgia, the majority leader, said the increase for a home valued at $500,000 would be about $31 a year.

Photo caption: Robert Astorino. Photo credit: Westchester County.