MINUTES
OTHERS: Budget Dept.: Kate Carrano, Leslie Bennett; C.E.’s Office: Bill Randolph; CBAC: Barbara Strauss; West/Put Legal Services: Lewis Creedmore, Barbara Finkelstein; My Sister’s Place: Julie Domonkos; Westchester Women’s Agenda: Toni Downes; BOL: Legislator Ryan, Legislator Bronz, Legislator Mosiello, Legislator Pinto, Legislator Maisano, Steve Bass, Tara Bernard, Sally Schecter, Barbara Dodds, Robert Boland, Chris Chang, Tina Seckerson
Chairman Wishnie called the meeting to order at 1:45 p.m.
DISCUSSION:
2002 PROPOSED BUDGET: MEMORANDUM OF ADDITIONS:
Chairman Wishnie explained the process of making additions to the budget and reviewed the list of proposed additions. (worksheet on file). He noted that by adding these items in now, it gives the Legislators additional time to complete their review.
It was noted that the Greenburgh Nature Center-should be in PRC not Planning
Neighborhood Health Center: 2 expanded programs of Medicaid at the state level that will insure a great number of people in Westchester that were not insured. Leave in Child Health Plus to pick up additional aid. Put money back in to help protect the health centers.
DA specifically asked for $5,000 for office supplies
Discussions resulted in the attached Memorandum of Additions. On motion of Legislator Kaplowitz, seconded by Legislator Young, the motion to approve the Memorandum of Additions was carried by a vote of 8-1 with Legislator Swanson being recorded in the negative and Legislators Kaplowitz, LaMotte, Stewart-Cousins, Abinanti, Noto, Carsky, and Young signing “Without Prejudice.”
December 3, 2001
Board of Legislators
County of Westchester
800 Michaelian Office Building
White Plains, New York 10601
Honorable Colleagues:
On Monday, October 15, 2001, County Executive Andrew J. Spano forwarded his proposed 2002 County Capital Budget which the Budget and Appropriations Committee of your Honorable Board immediately began analyzing and discussing. A month later, on Thursday, November 15, 2001, the County Executive forwarded his proposed 2002 County Operating Budget. Having had the time to essentially complete its work on the proposed 2002 Capital Budget, your Committee on Budget and Appropriations was able to devote full attention to the proposed 2002 Operating Budget upon its arrival.
Pursuant to Section 167.81 of the Laws of Westchester County as amended by Local Law 8-1994, your Committee on Budget and Appropriations, within a specified time period, has the authority to file with the Board a memorandum of any proposed additions to the Proposed Budget.
For the first time in four years, the County Executive’s proposed budget contains a tax increase. For the first time in four years, there is no County property tax cut. Your Committee is well aware of the many factors that have contributed to this situation, not the least of which are the horrific September 11 attacks on our nation. The need to incorporate new measures of vigilance and security to protect our people has wrought significant fiscal consequences. Some of these are reflected in the 2002 Proposed County Operating Budget.
At the same time, Federal and State mandates continue their rise without a concomitant offset in revenues. This has become an unfortunate fact of life for counties across New York State, one that also impacts their ability to fund the so-called "discretionary" items that are, in reality, often central to core concerns.
Yet while your Committee is cognizant of the adverse shift in the financial environment, it still intends to do everything within its power to make this environment more sustainable for Westchester taxpayers. During those years when we were assured of a property tax cut, your Committee pledged to work right up to the start of the Budget Adoption Meeting to make that decrease as large as possible. Today it reaffirms its pledge to follow the same schedule, only now with the intent of making any unavoidable tax increase as low as possible. Your Committee does not offer false hope. Instead it offers unstinting and responsible efforts to minimize, if not totally eliminate, further tax burdens on our residents while preserving their quality and equality of life.
In keeping with Board policy, your Committee notes that any addition contained in this Memorandum, as well as any other item, may still subsequently be reduced or entirely deleted from the proposed 2002 County Budget prior to its adoption.
As is its practice, during the process of considering additions, your Committee has called on various County departments and agencies to testify. It has also relied on the expertise of its auditors and has taken into account the views of all Legislators, the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee, numerous groups and organizations, and individual citizens. All of these perspectives have been taken into account and incorporated into
this Memorandum, ensuring that, in keeping with your Honorable Board’s policy of open door democracy, it is the product of government decision-making truly shared by all those affected.
Based on its own projections and those of reliable others, your Committee has increased certain revenues. In so doing, your Committee believes it has presented a more realistic assessment of the County’s income position. For the last five years, your Committee has made similar cautious and reasoned adjustments to revenues and these have proven prudent.
Through its issuance of this Memorandum, your Committee hereby complies with the Westchester County Charter. While obviously it believes the actions contained within this Memorandum are prudent and beneficial, that evaluation must ultimately be made by your Honorable Board. Likewise, the county tax rate can only be changed by the majority of the Board when it passes a budget and/or acts on a County Executive’s vetoes on specific, Charter-allowed items.
With these understandings, your Committee hereby recommends the following additions to your Honorable Board for its full deliberation and ultimate decision:
ADDITIONS TO THE BUDGET
REVENUES:
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (110710)
Departmental Income (9050) $100,000
(Film Bureau Revenue)
Total Economic Development $100,000
Finance (150000)
Hotel Tax (9034) 150,000
Auto Use Tax (9035) 135,000
Austin Avenue (9921) 750,000
Investment Income (9522) 500,000
Misc. Revenue (9670) 500,000
Total Finance $2,035,000
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (160000)
Departmental Revenue (9050) $1,040,000
(Income from I.T. services and cell tower
space rental)
Total Information Technology $1,040,000
LAW (180000)
Departmental Income (9050) 185,000
(6N Lawyer)
Total Law $185,000
COUNTY CLERK (210300)
Departmental Revenue (9050) $200,000
(Land Division)
Total County Clerk $200,000
SOCIAL SERVICES(220000)
State Aid (9700) $1,000,000
Federal Aid (9800) $1,000,000
Total Social Services $2,000,000
LABS AND RESEARCH (310000)
Departmental Income (9050) $100,000
(Additional testing due to 9/11)
Total Labs & Research $100,000
PUBLIC SAFETY (384000)
Departmental Income (9050) $120,000
(drug testing)
Total Public Safety $120,000
PARKS, RECREATION & CONSERVATION (420000)
Departmental Income (9050) $1,450,000
(additional user fees and restoration of Playland
Ice Casino)
Total Parks, Recreation & Conservation $1,450,000
PUBLIC WORKS (460000)
Departmental Income (9050) $500,000
(trending)
Total Public Works $500,000
TOTAL REVENUE ADDITIONS $7,730,000
OPERATING BUDGET EXPENDITURE ADDITIONS:
BOARD OF LEGISLATORS (100000)
Annual Regular (1010) $230,700
Employee Benefits (521650) 69,300
To add the positions of 3 Program Coordinators
Grade XIII.
Total Board of Legislators $300,000
YOUTH BUREAU (110400)
Expenditure:
Contractual (4380) $5,000
To Provide transportation for students in summer program.
Total Youth Bureau $5,000
OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (110700)
Expenditure:
Contractual Services (4380) $190,000
To fund Economic Development Initiative $120,000, African
American Chamber of Commerce $35,000, Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce $35,000.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Total Office of Economic Development $190,000
OFFICE FOR WOMEN (110900)
Expenditure:
Contractual Services (4380) $ 65,000
To enable women to be self-sufficient – Life Skills
Total Office for Women $ 65,000
PLANNING (190000)
Expenditure:
Technical Services (4420) $150,000
To fund Housing Opportunity Commission $50,000,
Technical Assistant Housing $25,000, Bridge Loan
$25,000, WRO – Home Ownership $25,000, and
Homeless Prevention $25,000
Total Planning $150,000
SOCIAL SERVICES (220000)
Expenditure:
Indirect Services(5960) $210,000
To fund Child Abuse Prevention Center $150,000 and
Hispanic Coalition – immigration $60,000.
_____________________________________________________________________________
TOTAL SOCIAL SERVICES $ 210,000
SENIOR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES (240000)
Expenditure:
Comprehensive Program for the Aging (4957) $ 107,000
To fund Elder Law $25,000 and Civil legal services
for the elderly $82,000.
_____________________________________________________________________________
TOTAL SENIOR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES $ 107,000
MENTAL HEALTH (260000)
Technical Services (4420) $ 80,000
To Fund CASA $5,000 and School Based Outreach $75,000.
TOTAL MENTAL HEALTH $ 80,000
HEALTH (270000)
Neighborhood Health Centers (4370) $ 300,000
To restore funding to the 2001 level.
TOTAL HEALTH $ 300,000
DISTRICT ATTORNEY (370000)
Annual Regular (1010) $ 52,540
Office Supplies (3600) 5,000
Employee Benefits (521650) 17,262
To add one Investigator, grade XI-1 and provide
supplies.
TOTAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY $ 74,802
PROBATION (390000)
Expenditure:
Crime Victims Assistance $ 170,460
To transfer from the Miscellaneous Budget.
Pre-Trial Services (4944) $ 75,000
To fund additional services.
Contractual Services (4380) $ 28,000
To fund supervised visitation.
TOTAL PROBATION $ 273,460
PARKS, RECREATION AND CONSERVATION (420000)
Expenditure:
Hourly (1200) $ 104,982
Overtime (1400) $ 27,500
Differential Payments (1540) $ 3,133
FICA/Medicare (1651) $ 10,135
Equipment Replacement (2300) $ 17,100
Automotive Supplies (3010) $ 630
Books and Periodicals (3070) $ 115
Water (3180) $ 10,430
Utilities (3200) $ 118,515
General Supplies (3240) $ 31,295
Medical, Dental & Labs (3530) $ 900
Printing (3600) $ 5,070
Equipment, Service & Rental (4070) $ 2,500
Membership Fees (4100) $ 250
Travel and Meals (4110) $ 3,500
Repairs and Maintenance (4200) $ 36,945
Contractual Services (4380) $ 27,000
To restore funding to Playland Ice Casino.
Contractual Services (4380) $ 40,000
To allow Greenburgh Nature Center to reach out to schools.
TOTAL PARKS, RECREATION & CONSERVATION $ 440,000
MISCELLANEOUS (520000)
Expenditure:
Westchester Library System (2180) $ 180,000
To fund additional activities.
Special Studies (2120) $ 105,900
To fund Hispanic Project Setup for tech and
Literacy programs.
Historical Society (2175) 25,000
To fund additional activities.
In Rem Proceedings (2075) 300,000
Additional Mt. Vernon Foreclosures.
Water Agency (2160) 99,575
Support for the Water Agency.
TOTAL MISCELLANEOUS $ 710,475
TOTAL OPERATING ADDITIONS: $2,905,737
CAPITAL BUDGET ADDITIONS:
Tuckahoe Road – Pines Bridge Road $ 110,000
To provide necessary infrastructure improvements.
Pleasantville Road $ 100,000
To provide necessary infrastructure improvements.
Byram Lake Road – Weaver Street $ 110,000
To provide necessary infrastructure improvements.
Security – Parking Garage $ 1,100,000
To provide required security in parking garage.
Post Road Sidewalk Construction – White Plains (RB086)$ 570,000
To provide necessary infrastructure improvements.
TOTAL CAPITAL BUDGET ADDITIONS $,990,000
SPECIAL DISTRICTS OPERATING – ADDITIONS
Revenues:
601610 – Peekskill Sewer District
Fund Balance (9650) $100,000
600110 – Environmental Facilities
(Contribution from
General Fund) (9695) $ 99,575
TOTAL ADDITIONS $199,575
SPECIAL DISTRICTS OPERATING – EXPENSES
600110 Environmental Facilities
Annual Regular (1010) $ 99,575
To add a grade XVI-5 – Director of
Water Agency
TOTAL EXPENSES $ 99,575
COMMITTEE ON BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS
MINUTES – DECEMBER 3, 2001
PAGE 10
ADJOURNMENT:
There being no further items for discussion, on motion of Legislator Kaplowitz, seconded by Legislator Stewart-Cousins, the meeting was adjourned at 2:34 p.m.