Link opens a new window for larger view of 2012 Mandate Chart imageWestchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino said that the county's ability to provide local services will remain seriously threatened unless Albany takes immediate steps to rein in unfunded mandates.  

 

Astorino said that Gov. Cuomo was moving in the right direction by starting to focus on mandate relief in his 2012 proposed budget, but that the reforms failed to address the urgency of the situation.   

In 2012, nine state mandates – bills from Albany over which the county has no say or control, will consume $449 million or 82 percent of the county's $548 million tax levy. While the governor's budget targets four mandates for reform – Medicaid, pensions, early intervention and pre-school education – those mandates alone will cost the county an additional $30 million next year.

"I applaud the Governor's effort to address mandate relief, but counties, cities, villages and school districts need help right now and the help has to feel like help," said Astorino. "It's hard to see how sending Albany an additional $30 million for just four mandates spells relief. Every dollar we are forced to send to Albany – to pay their bills – is a dollar less to pay for local services like police, roads, buses and parks for the people of Westchester. It's time for the Legislature to deliver some immediate mandate relief to local communities."

Sheila Marcotte, the vice chair of the county Board of Legislators' Budget and Appropriations Committee, echoed the concern that local services were being put at risk by unabated increases in mandate costs.

"The 2012 county budget that we just passed required some very difficult cuts and next year's budget is going to be even more challenging," said Marcotte. "We need mandate relief now. It is our fundamental duty as county legislators to ensure that we can continue to provide essential services and I am committed to doing that without increasing the tax levy. But I find it difficult to imagine that we will be able to put together a county budget in 2013 that does not include significant cuts, including to the county workforce, without real help from Albany."

Astorino said that the rising costs of mandates underlie the weakness of the state's 2 percent tax cap. Under the cap, Westchester has the option to raise taxes by up to $11 million. But, the county busts through the cap on just a few mandates.

"How do you stay under a 2 percent cap when just four state mandates automatically increase your costs by 8 percent," Astorino said. "This kind of Albany math is just completely irresponsible. The cap on taxes can't work unless the state applies equal discipline to spending."

Even though it doesn't offer any immediate relief, Astorino said he was very supportive of the governor's idea to add a Tier VI for pension benefits for new employees. The new tier, which includes changes to public employee pension contributions and payouts, is expected to save the state an estimated $79 billion over the next 30 years.

"There is no question that Tier VI is necessary," said Astorino. "It is now up to the legislature to follow through and pass it."

The new tier will have no effect on current employees. Westchester's pension costs are projected to increase from $68.5 million in 2011 to $107.4 million in 2015.

Under the governor's proposed budget, the cap on Medicaid costs to counties would be reduced from its current 3 percent annual increase to 2 percent in 2013 and 1 percent in 2014. After that costs would be frozen at 2015 levels. New York spends more than $50 billion a year on Medicaid. This is twice as much as California – even though California has almost twice as many people – and more than the states of Texas, Florida and North Carolina combined. New York is one of only a few states that requires counties to pay part of the costs. Westchester's Medicaid bill from the state is $216.5 million this year. When the county's costs are capped in 2015, the bill is expected to be $224 million.

Relief is expected sooner with respect to the mandates for early intervention and pre-school education. These respective costs to the county are $13.5 million and $44.5 million this year. It is estimated that reforms to the two mandates will save Westchester about $1 million in 2013.