A total 162 Westchester County employees opted to take part in an incentive program and leave their jobs by July 31 , a move that will save the county nearly $3 million.
In a news release, County Executive Robert P. Astorino estimated the cost of the incentive to be $800,000, with net savings projected to be $2.97 million.
Under the plan, employees receive $1,000 for every year of completed county service. The incentive was introduced earlier this year as a way to save the county money heading into the next fiscal year. The county budget office is projecting a $56 million deficit for 2016, which Astorino attributed to weak sales tax collections in the first quarter of 2015.
“This is a win for everybody,” Astorino said. “Employees are rewarded for their years of service and taxpayers benefit from the savings generated from our ability to streamline the workforce. These savings will be applied to reducing the $56 million deficit the county is facing in 2016.”
Worker compensation, Astorino said, is the county’s biggest budget expense; the average compensation for county workers is approximately $130,000 per year. He added that as jobs are refilled, the county can further save money through contract modifications and changes in state law, which will make the cost of new hires less expensive.
The 162 employees account for 3 percent of the county’s budgeted workforce of 4,867.
