Westchester legislators override Astorino’s budget veto

The Westchester County Board of Legislators voted unanimously last week to override County Executive Robert Astorino”™s veto of a $1.8 billion budget that included a 2 percent tax hike.
“After years of fiscal mismanagement in the name of ideology, we believe the unanimous (17-0) support of this budget speaks for itself,” members of the board”™s Democratic Caucus said in a statement. “We are putting Westchester back on a responsible financial path by working to plug the roughly $100 million budget hole left by the outgoing administration while funding vital services all Westchester taxpayers rely on.”

Astorino, who has kept the tax levy flat since he took office in 2010, vetoed the board”™s amended budget, taking issue with the increase in taxes. He also criticized the board”™s omission of the $30 million in revenues that would be gained from entering into a public-private partnership with an outside firm to operate the Westchester County Airport. Instead, legislators proposed pulling $21.5 million from the county”™s fund balance.

Astorino announced in November that Macquarie Infrastructure Corp. was selected to operate Westchester Airport in a $1.1 billion public-private partnership. The Manhattan company was recommended by a six-member task force composed of members of Astorino”™s administration and the county Board of Legislators.

As part of the deal, the county would get more than $1.1 billion over 40 years, including $300 million up front. It would be reimbursed $10 million for airport police, with payments increasing 2.5 percent a year for a total of $674 million. The county expects to receive an annual revenue stream of $6.5 million that could be applied to the budget.

However, during a Budget and Appropriations Committee meeting earlier this month, Board of Legislators Chairman Michael Kaplowitz said the airport revenues were “too speculative” to be used in the budget.

Kaplowitz said soon after Macquarie”™s selection that any decision on an airport deal with a private partner should be delayed until the incoming administration of Democrat George Latimer, who defeated the two-term Republican incumbent Astorino, has researched the competing proposals.