Nonunion county employees, including the county executive, will pay 15 percent of their health insurance if legislation announced Thursday morning becomes law.
Savings could reach $1 million annually.
Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino told an enthusiastic crowd of more than 500 at the 13th annual Westchester County Association Breakfast with the County Executive at the Doubletree Hotel in Tarrytown Jan. 14 he was forwarding the cost-saving measure as his first piece of legislation.
The change would affect elected officials and those appointed to fixed terms and those not covered by union contracts who currently receive 100 percent taxpayer subsidies for insurance. Astorino placed all county health insurance costs at $149 million annually, from $67 million 10 years ago.
Astorino put the potential savings associated with his legislation at about $1 million per year. He said he has signed himself up to pay 15 percent voluntarily.
Acknowledging most in the private sector contribute to their health insurance, Astorino called for an alignment of public and private pay policies. “It”™s a matter of fairness,” he said.
Last week, Astorino said that in three years there will be more county retirees on full health care benefits than there are active county workers receiving health care benefits. There are currently 19,000 county retirees and employees receiving health insurance.
Astorino also has requested reports from all county departments, he said, to be followed by his office”™s scrutiny and portending what he termed “significant cuts.”
The assembled observed a moment of silence for victims of the Haiti earthquake at the behest of WCA Chairman Alfred B. DelBello. Astorino said the county has 5,000 residents of Haitian descent and said county”™s website had joined the effort to raise funds.
The event provided its light moments and afforded Astorino the opportunity to introduce himself as an official comfortable at the microphone, accommodating of tone and word, and self effacing. Fordham University was represented, both officially and via alumni; Astorino requested his Fordham file be sealed. He then ribbed WCA President William M. Mooney ”“ a Manhattan College Jasper ”“ as not being Fordham Ram material. Astorino called the breakfast a hot ticket, saying, “I saw Al DelBello and Bill Mooney out on the street scalping tickets for $200 apiece.”
