Democratic Legislators Applaud Continuance of Federal Funds for Family Justice Center

Continuing validation of Democrats’ budget proposal

White Plains, NY – Several Democratic members of the Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL), though pleased to learn that the County has again been awarded a federal grant for domestic violence programs at the Westchester Family Justice Center, reacted in disbelief and strongly criticized County Executive Rob Astorino today for staging a photo op event around the announcement—after he cut County matching funds for those same agencies his own 2013 Budget.

Today’s event echoed several other occasions this year in which Astorino, after stripping funds for vital safety net programs from this year’s budget and opposing the programs every year he has been in county office, has turned around suddenly and championed himself as an “advocate” for the programs.

“I’m appalled that County Executive Astorino would dare show himself as a supporter of victims and families hurt by domestic violence after cutting the modest sums directed toward programs helping people to heal and regain control over their lives,” said Legislator Alfreda Williams (D-Greenburgh), chair of the BOL Community Services Committee. “This is simply an exercise in hypocrisy, and even worse when you consider other programs aimed at women and children that the County Executive has attacked over the years as wasteful.”

According to Page A-24 of the 2013 Adopted Budget Book, proposed additions from the BOL to the Office for Women for domestic violence training and education programs totaling $24,500, plus $26,000 for civil and legal services for domestic violence victims—all totaled at $50,500—were deleted by Astorino in a budget that was then approved by the Republican BOL members.

Meanwhile, it should be noted that the Westchester Family Justice Center, which opened in May 2010, was an initiative driven by the Spano Administration and financed through a $1 million grant secured by U.S. Congresswoman Nita Lowey from the U.S. Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women.

“Women in Westchester should know who is on their side, and who isn’t,” said Legislator MaryJane Shimsky (D-Hastings-on-Hudson). “Welcoming a federal grant for the Westchester Family Justice Center is not the same as making a public commitment to financially support programs that help and protect victims of domestic violence and their family members.”

Also, the $75,000 BOL add that remained in Office for Women in the 2013 budget reflects a  $5,600 reduction from 2012 services, including programs on human trafficking, child care and counseling. In recent years, BOL Republicans characterized the BOL adds as being part of a “slush fund.” The BOL Advocacy  add was deleted in its entirety for 2013, even though the account included a $20,000 educational initiative for various schools throughout the county to educate students about teen dating and domestic violence.

This summer Astorino announced that his Administration was directing $174,000 toward youth programs in Mount Vernon, but neglected to mention his stonewalling of the Mount Vernon funds in previous years, and that the youth services funds included in this year’s BOL adds were eliminated in his 2013 Budget. Funds for nutrition programs were also similarly deleted from the budget, and then restored with great fanfare.

“The fact that County Executive Astorino could stand today for a photograph with advocates for domestic violence victims and not have the courage to tell them that he eliminated funding for programs that support their work says a lot about him,” said BOL Vice Chair Lyndon Williams (D-Mount Vernon). “With foreclosures on the rise in Westchester, I can only hope his hypocrisy extends to restoring the funds for eviction prevention counseling programs he cut this year as well.”