Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino told members of the public and the county Board of Legislators that Albany was a “giant vacuum” sucking money, jobs and energy from local communities.
“It”™s time to pull the plug,” he said.
Astorino took aim at state government mandates in his annual State of the County address Thursday, two weeks before the state Republican Party is expected to nominate him in the race for governor against incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Astorino listed his track record with the county, which also served as a campaign platform for the state race.
“The issues of Westchester and New York state are really one and the same,” he said.
Astorino said that mandates from the state cost county government $450 million annually, while Westchester only receives $250 million in aid from New York. He likened that to being charged $2 for every $1 the county receives.
“In fact, if this wasn”™t government it would be illegal,” he said.
The county executive pledged to propose a budget this year, Astorino”™s fifth in office, with no tax levy increase. He said the county had either cut or kept flat that levy each year since he has been in office. (The levy is different from the tax rate, meaning a property owner”™s tax bill could increase based on local valuation and other factors.)
New York government now has a tax levy cap in effect, with the goal of forcing counties, schools and local communities to limit the amount of taxes they collect each year.
“But instead of capping its own spending, Albany just keeps sending us bigger and bigger bills,” Astorino said.
State Republicans are scheduled to hold their nominating caucus May 14-15 at the Westchester Hilton in Rye Brook.
