Rethinking Westchester County Government

$41,000 on cell phones, food and travel in 2008: Westchester County Board Likes To Spend

  The Journal News had a front page story that says it all.

Board's expenses rose in '08

The 2008 records, obtained by The Journal News under the state Freedom of Information Law, surprised some observers.

"One would hope that in times of austerity the belt-tightening would take place not just with paid staff, but with elected officials as well," said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, a leading government watchdog group. "They should be trying to set an example."

In all, taxpayers were billed for $20,929 in travel expenses in 2008, including for legislators to attend conferences in Arizona; Kansas City, Mo.; Niagara Falls; Albany; Washington; and elsewhere.

The records show an additional $12,089 in cell phone and Blackberry use and $7,359 in food costs, primarily for purchases at local eateries that provide meals for legislators and staff prior to board meetings and other functions.

County Government has to be scrutinized, penny by penny.

The Westchester County Board of Legislators spent more than $41,000 on cell phones, food and travel in 2008 - $11,000 more than it spent in 2007, when it set a one-year record on expenses.

The Journal News also found that Blackberries make up the board's second-largest expense, not counting their $49,500 base pay and the stipends they are paid for various board chairmanships and leadership posts.

They like their toys, at the taxpayer's expense.

Taxpayers Anonymous: Where You Can Talk Openly About County Government

Welcome to our online blog forum for Westchester County taxpayers to discuss Rethinking Westchester County Government.  It has no formal name, though some members of the press have already called it "Taxpayers Anonymous" ... but, to be fair, the taxpayers aren't the ones raising taxes like drunken sailors.

People will be welcome to comment, both anonymously and with their real name.

... And it's just that; rethinking, listening and learning from the taxpayers about what you feel needs to be changed to downsize and/or eliminate this costly bureaucratic operation called county government.

It's all become too big and expensive -- less efficient and in too many instances not effective at sustaining services without pushing its fiscal debt upon all taxpayers.

So don't be afraid to speak your mind here.  You will be heard.  As the attached articles attest, we have been in the news a bit in recent months.

On Monday, from 12:00-1:30 pm, in front of the County Office Building,
members of Rethinking Westchester Government will announce
the launch of our website and this blog.

You're encouraged to register on the website, so that we can send up updates on meetings and join us as we try to at least change the thinking of county lawmakers.

We need volunteers to get the word out to your local community.  We need coordinators in each city, town and village throughout Westchester.  We welcome your suggestions on forurms and speaking engagements. 

Most of all, we need your input on what you would like changed around the county, to save the taxpayers money and improve the quality of life for Westchester residents -- through fiscal responsibility and common sense.  Whether the solution is a top to bottom or bottom up approach of budget-cutting and/or consolidation, the growing consensus is that Westchester's lawmakers in the County Building need to change how they do business.  Some believe every county in New York State has to change too.

Particularly, dare your local elected officials to get involved with us.  We're proud to be a non-partisan organization reaching across all party lines.  The founders of this group were Democrats, so it's not about politics as we politely ask the Democrat-controlled County Board of Legislators to watch how they spend our tax dollars.

It's about keeping Westchester County an affordable place for all residents to live.

If you have any questions about posting information or comments of any kind, please feel free to e-mail us at info@RethinkingWestchesterGov.com where I can be reached as editor or other members of our committee can help you.

Post early and often!!!

Bob Fois
Editor
Rethinking Westchester Government

Westchester Still Highest Taxed County In America: U.S. Census Bureau

Westchester is the single highest taxed county in America, according to the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief.

Those numbers are drawn directly from the United States Census Bureau.

Westchester’s median property tax of $8,422 is now more than four and a half times the national average of $1,838.

In terms of property taxes as a percentage of household income, four of the highest taxed counties in America are in New York.  Westchester's costly rank went from tenth to fifth, Putnam from eleventh to eighth, Rockland seventh and Nassau County being the worst in that category.

All but three New York counties are above the national average, with several of the state's county governments being among the highest taxed local governments in the nation.

... The above numbers demonstrate the the fiscal flaws of county government in New York are endemic -- but that Westchester's lawmakers seem to pride themselves on spending more than any other county operation across the Empire State.

Westchester Over-Estimates Sales Tax Revenue: Homeowners Facing Higher County Taxes

Inaccurately forecasting that property tax would only need to be raised a little over one percent (and insisting then that there was no way the County budget could be further cut), Westchester County Government officials now face nearly $10 million dollars less revenue from sales tax in the last fiscal quarter.

It's a loss in sales tax receipts that County lawmakers apparently didn't see coming but this is an over-estimate of holiday retail sales that comes in defiance to a recessionary spiral that would have been hard for most people to miss after Wall Street's mid-September drop.

Reported by The Journal News, Westchester County Government will be faced with the prospect of raising property taxes to recoup a loss in revenues that they assumed would be in their hands before the end of the fiscal year.

"Counties across the state suffered a 5.5 percent decline in sales-tax revenue during the last three months of 2008, prompting county officials across New York to warn that property taxes could be raised or services cut if conditions persist."

In the article, County officials incorrectly characterized a $9.8 million drop for the last three months of 2008 as "flat" -- and offer no details on what precisely will be cut by the Westchester County Board of Legislators to cover that loss in revenue.

Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano had a "deputy" deliver the bad news -- claiming no need to "panic" -- and further spinning that Westchester might be "in better shape" than other counties.

The "highest taxed county in the United States" is in better shape than other counties?

Andrew Spano's office described themselves as "now working on a savings plan that mandates department heads to cut costs in 2009" -- but there were absolutely no details on where they had cut costs to compensate directly for the loss of sales tax revenue nor was there a breakdown of where additional positions would be left unfilled to hold off increased property tax.

The fact that County bureaucrats are scurrying around "now" to cut costs-- rather than doing so before the budget process last December (before Election Day) -- demonstrates how much probably could have been cut in 2008.

Additionally, it's hard to fathom why Andrew Spano's fiscal wrecking crew dared lobby for more raises late last year.

Attorney General Maps Out Consolidation Plan

Not a bad idea for Westchester.

Cuomo offers plan to reduce entrenched bureaucracy

Citizens would be empowered to eliminate costly and redundant layers of government.

Medical Center Debt Compounded By Executive Hires: County Obligations Ignored

Taxpayers should be warned to file the following under outstanding debts and fiscal obligations, since Westchester County is responsible for the bills if the Medical Center ever defaults.

County Inks Cooperative Agreement With Westchester County Medical Center

"It’s encouraging to see the Medical Center’s steady progress toward financial stability,” remarked County Board Budget & Appropriations Chair José Alvarado (D-Yonkers). “This year, the Medical Center had a positive cash flow and showed a profit.”

... And they hired more six figure executives, ostensibly giving the administration of that hospital a raise, with no consideration for the fact that the facility is still ridden with debt.

Hospital paid top executives $8.5M in 2007:  The Journal News

"The medical center is struggling to close a projected $60 million budget deficit in its 2009 budget, which is due next month."

Oversight?

County Executive Withdraws Pay Raises

Our presence was acknowledged.  Rethinking impacted budget decisions.

Spano "yanked" those pay raises (The Journal News)