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COMMITTEE ON BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS MINUTES DECEMBER 14, 1998 ATTENDANCE: B & A MEMBERS: Wishnie, Carsky, Kaplowitz, LaMotte, Stewart-Cousins, Swanson, Young OTHERS: Budget Dept.: Kate Tooher, Leslie Bennett, Dianne Kearney; C.E.’s Office: Bill Randolph; Law Dept.: Tom Gardner; CBAC: George Hosey; LWV: Jo Brill BKS: Les Storch, Nick DeSantis; BOL: Legislator Pinto, Legislator Bronz, Legislator Ryan; Chris Chang, Sally Schecter, Barbara Dodds, Robert J. Boland, Tina Seckerson Chairman Wishnie called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. DISCUSSION: (There is a cassette tape on file for more detailed information) 1999 PROPOSED BUDGET: BKS: Messrs. Storch and DeSantis briefed the Committee on the BKS Analysis and Review of the Proposed 1999 Budget (On File).
The Committee discussed proposed deletes to the budget. Expenditures: Revenues: DPW: 468.9 Corrections: 475.0 Debt Svce: 988.4 DPW: 572.9 FICA: 300.0 Hudson River: 587.5 COMMITTEE ON BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS MINUTES – DECEMBER 14, 1998 PAGE 2
Tax Levy: CE Budget: 1,045.0 1,045,066 After Adds: 1,400.0 854,344 After Deletes: 1,752,343 Chairman Wishnie recessed the meeting at 5:20 p.m. until 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 15, 1998. Mr. Wishnie reconvened the meeting on Tuesday, December 15th at 10:10 a.m. Additional attendance included: North County News: Neil Rentz, NY Times: Donna Green, CBAC: Barbara Strauss; BOL: Pat Gorski, Legislator Bronz; Budget Dept.: Diane Nolan Committee reviewed their Committee report with regard to deletions to the budget. COMMITTEE ON BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS REPORT CONCERNING THE 1999 COUNTY BUDGET
Honorable Board of Legislators County of Westchester 800 Michaelian Office Building White Plains, New York 10601 Honorable Colleagues: On Monday, October 19, 1998, County Executive Andrew J. Spano forwarded his proposed 1999 County Capital Budget which the Budget and Appropriations Committee of your Honorable Board immediately began analysis and discussion. A month later, on Monday, November 16, 1998, the County Executive forwarded his proposed 1999 County Operating Budget. Having had the time to essentially complete its work on the proposed 1999 Capital Budget, your Committee on Budget and Appropriations was able to devote full attention to the proposed 1999 Operating Budget upon its arrival. COMMITTEE ON BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS MINUTES – DECEMBER 14, 1998 PAGE 3
Your Committee held two hearings on the proposed budget, the first on Wednesday evening, November 18, 1998 in Mount Vernon and the second on Monday evening, November 23, 1998 in Chappaqua. In addition, the public hearing required by our Charter was held by your Honorable Board on Monday evening, December 7, 1998, in our chambers. These hearings allowed hundreds of people to express their views on all aspects of the budget as proposed. In addition, your Committee has benefited from the testimony of Commissioners and heads of major departments, as well as from analysis of the proposed budgets by our auditors, Bennett Kielson Storch & Company which presented its report to your Committee on Monday, December 14, 1998. On Monday, December 7, 1998, pursuant to Section 167.81 of the Westchester County Charter as amended by Local Law 8-1994, your Committee on Budget and Appropriations filed a memorandum of proposed additions to the proposed 1999 Budgets. As was noted then, for the first time in recent memory, the additions to the Budgets did not result in a tax levy increase. This meant, as the Memorandum also stated, that the only question remaining is not whether the taxpayers of Westchester will realize a reduction in their burden, but how much that reduction will be. Today your Committee suggests to your Honorable Board an answer to that question. Having further considered the proposed Budget and the needs of those who live and work in Westchester, your Committee is proposing to decrease spending by another $719,777, reducing the tax levy an additional .19% to a total of .48%. With this being noted, your Committee commends the following to your consideration.
DELETIONS TO BUDGET OPERATING BUDGET REVENUES Corrections (350000) Department Income-Federal Prisoners (9050) $ 475,000 Total Corrections $ 475,000
This reflects a decrease in federal prisoners from 125 to 115 per day. COMMITTEE ON BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS MINUTES – DECEMBER 14, 1998 PAGE 4
Public Works (460000) Departmental Income (9060) $ 468,953 State Aid (9700) 104,000 Total Public Works $ 572,953 This reflects lower interest rates for financing of the new County Court House and a concomitant reduction in State Aid. TOTAL REVENUE DELETIONS $1,047,953
OPERATING BUDGET EXPENDITURES
Public Works (463200) Rental & Taxes (4320) $ 468,953 Total Public Works $ 468,953 This reflects lower interest rates for financing of the new County Court.
Miscellaneous (520000) Arts in Westchester (2010) $ 587,500 This reflects the transfer of the Hudson River Museum into a separate budget line. FICA (16510 300,000 This eliminates the double counting of Airport employee FICA. __________________________________________________________ Total Miscellaneous $ 887,500
COMMITTEE ON BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS MINUTES – DECEMBER 14, 1998 PAGE 5
Debt Service (510000) $ 602,000 This reflects lower interest costs on a November 1998 bond sale and refinancing. ___________________________________________________________ Total Debt Service $ 602,000 TOTAL OPERATING DELETIONS $1,958,453
SPECIAL DISTRICT OPERATING EXPENDITURE DELETION Peekskill Sanitary Sewer District (601610) Real Property Tax (9010) $ 150,000 This reflects a reduction in real property tax due to Use of fund balance.
COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Having completed its work on the proposed 1999 County Budget, your Committee wishes to offer some remarks and advice stemming from its experiences. As always, your Committee acknowledges with great gratitude the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee which labored tirelessly throughout the year to provide the entire Board with sound analyses and recommendations. Westchester is indeed fortunate to have such dedicated men and women volunteering their time and expertise on behalf of its residents. One of the tasks that the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee undertook, along with the Chair of your Committee, was to work with the Administration on the simplification of the Budget document. This year, the Budget was presented in a way that made it easier to comprehend. While constituting the first rather than the final step, the proposed 1999 County Budget was indeed made more "user-friendly." Nor was this greater accessibility limited to form and content. The County Executive’s decision to make the proposed Budget available to all through the Internet was a critical extension of democratic outreach. The action COMMITTEE ON BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS MINUTES – DECEMBER 14, 1998 PAGE 6
has helped considerably in breaking down the wall of distance that too often separates County Government from those it serves. We would urge that efforts continue next year to further "open up the budget." We would also suggest that work proceed toward ultimately implementing a true programmatic County budget. Your Committee also wishes to note that some encouraging strides have been made in consolidating governmental operations and hopes that these continue for they promise a means of gaining greater efficiencies at less cost.
With this budget, as with every budget, there are honest differences in philosophy that will be aired. Your Committee appreciates that this is healthy and productive. But in the end, it urges that the various sides come together in a compromise that will more greatly empower and enrich residents of Westchester. It is in that spirit of compromise and cooperation that your Committee submits this Report. Dated: December 15, 1998 White Plains, New York
COMMITTEE ON BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS On motion of Legislator Kaplowitz, seconded by Legislator Young, the motion to approve the report was carried by a vote of 10-0 with Legislators Mosiello, Carsky, LaMotte and Swanson signing "Without Prejudice". The meeting was recessed to the call of the Chair at 10:25 a.m. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further items for discussion, on motion of Legislator Young, seconded by Legislator Kaplowitz, the meeting was adjourned at 6:05 p.m. |