Democrats want Astorino out; Republicans call move political
Eight Democrats on the Westchester County Board of Legislators say the Republican county executive is neglecting his duties and are calling for a special election to replace him.
Rob Astorino is running for governor this year against one-term incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Some Democratic county lawmakers have proposed legislation that would boot Astorino from his post and set a special election to fulfill the rest of his term.
Yonkers Legislator Ken Jenkins, who had sought the Democratic nomination to run against Astorino last year, said the county executive is in violation of Westchester law that dictates the position be full time.
“The people of Westchester didn”™t vote for a part-time county executive and the County Charter doesn”™t allow for one,” Jenkins said. Critical Democrats said that Astorino has made 37 trips out of the county since winning a second term as county executive last November.
Republican legislators called the move a political stunt. Republican Minority Whip Gordon Burrows said, “This is going to be a long campaign, and I hope that my colleagues on the Board of Legislators are able to refocus on the important issues before this board instead of using their positions and this board”™s good will and authority to score cheap political points for the governor.”
Tuckahoe Legislator Sheila Marcotte, a Republican, criticized Democrats for using the legislative process for what she viewed as political posturing. “When people debase their offices by using an official mechanism that is available to us as elected county officials in an effort (to) embarrass other elected officials, we erode the confidence that the public has in this legislative body,” Marcotte said.
The resolution to remove Astorino was introduced at the board”™s Monday meeting and will be referred to the board”™s legislation subcommittee. If the measure ever emerges from committee to be taken as a full board vote, it is unlikely to pass. There are 10 Democrats on the 17-person Board of Legislators, but two of them formed a coalition leadership team with the seven Republican legislators, resulting in an unofficial majority.
Astorino is expected to accept the Republican nomination for governor next week at the party”™s nominating caucus to be held at the Hilton Westchester (formerly the Rye Town Hilton).
Despite the fact that he is not yet officially the Republican nominee, state Democrats have already launched a media offensive that includes television commercials accusing Astorino of “civil rights violations” as a result of an ongoing standoff with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development over the settlement of a 2009 affordable housing lawsuit.
The ads”™ tagline is that Astorino is “so far right, he”™s wrong for New York.”