[UPDATE] Astorino Budget Calls for No Layoffs; Flat Tax Levy Increase

There were few surprises when Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino gave his annual mid-November budget presentation Friday.

“It’s an interesting budget,” Astorino said. “It’s a budget as you will see, I hate to say, is kind of boring.”

Astorino said the budget goals going into this year’s budget process were to keep the tax levy flat and to refrain from using the fund balance.

“We are also in a better position today than we were four years ago when we inherited a $166 million deficit,” Astorino said. “It was very difficult and challenging, but we met those challenges head on by making decisions then that have put us in a much better position today.”

The budget projects continued growth in sales tax revenue, with sales tax revenue expected to grow from This is up from the $382 million expected in 2013 to $398 million in next year.

Mortgage tax revenue is expected to come in at $19.8 million, an increase from the $14.1 million budgeted in 2013 and the $17.2 million now projected for the current year.

State aid is expected to be flat, the proposal projects a small increase in federal aid for a $13 million increase.

The cost of Medicaid will be about $223 million, similar to 2013, with the federal government reimbursing the county about $9 million.

The budget also plans to give $32 million for childcare, with parents expected to pay a 27 percent share of non-mandated day care. That is the same amount that parents pay now.

The county’s health care bill for active employees is projected to be $95 million, but the cost will be reduced by $4 million in employee contributions due to negotiations with seven of the county’s eight unions. The Civil Service Employees Union remains the lone hold out, according to Astorino.

Astorino’s proposal also calls on the county to amortize $28 million of the projected $96 million in pension costs projected next year for county employees.

Legislator John Testa, R-Peekskill, said he is encouraged by Astorino’s proposal. Testa was part of the controversial coalition of two Democrats and seven Republicans who approved this year’s budget.

“It’s very encouraging to see how the policies that have been put in place over the last three years have bore the fruit that we knew they would,” Testa said. “To now have a budget where there are no layoffs, social services are intact and all of the areas that are important to our county are all intact.”