Politics on the Hudson

Legislator Ken Jenkins this week won another two-year term as chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators, making the Yonkers Democrat the de facto lead-horse in a race against Republican County Executive Rob Astorino in two years.

“He’s obviously the front-runner,” said Mike Edelman, a Republican strategist who for years worked with Jenkins as a political commentator on television. “He needs to have the confidence of the Democrats on the board.”

While having the support of Democratic legislators throughout the county goes a long way with local party leaders, it may not translate into “free-sailing” for Jenkins, according to Edelman, since other Democrats such as Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Assemblyman George Latimer and County Clerk Tim Idoni have been mentioned as possibilities for the seat.

There could be a Democratic primary for the post, Edelman said, and a lot can happen in the next year, including the entry of other Democrats.

Jenkins, who will be serving his second term as chairman, will be leading with the board’s new 10-7 dynamic, which means Democrats don’t have a veto-proof supermajority. That should “stop the game playing and brinksmanship,” Edelman said.

“Now, they’re going to look badly” if they don’t compromise and work together, Edelman said.

Politics on the Hudson first reported that Jenkins was a possible candidate a year ago.

Reginald LaFayette, chairman of the Democratic Party, did not return phone calls and Jenkins said his main focus will be his current job.

“Somebody’s going to run, I can tell you that,” Jenkins said. “We have a little while to consider” whether we’re going to run.

“What I have my eye on is offering a different perspective” than the county executive, Jenkins continued. “We have had differing philosophies from the very beginning.”

In an effort to rid the Westchester County Board of Legislators of that “magic number” of 12 Democrats, the county executive on Monday backed a slate of “reformers” who share his vision.

“Right now we have a county government at the Board of Legislators level that has blocked just about every reform possible,” Astorino said, standing in front of the Westchester County Center alongside two Republican incumbents and five challengers. “People voted in 2009 to make changes. We’ve done the best we can. … In order to do that, we need a true partner with the eighth floor, the Board of Legislators themselves.”

“This is a dysfunctional legislative body that seriously believes that it has lowered taxes twice” what the county executive proposed, Michaelis said. “We need new leadership to make real cuts. Saving $30 million a year isn’t going to cut it.”

County Executive Rob Astorino’s slate of reform candidates:

District 1: Legislator John Testa

District 2: Peter Michaelis*

District 3: Michael Smith

District 4: Terrence Murphy

District 5: Iris Pagan*

District 6: David Gelfarb

District 7: Suzanna Keith*

District 9: Susan Konig*

District 10: Legislator Sheila Marcotte*

District 11 : Legislator James Maisano

District 14: Legislator Bernice Spreckman

District: 15: Legislator Gordon Burrows*

District 17: Carmen Gomez Goldberg*

• Present at Monday’s news conference

When it comes to spending, County Executive Rob Astorino said he’d sooner trust mob boss Tony Soprano than the state Legislature.
In a video posted to the county website, Astorino called on the state to couple a property tax cap with mandate relief — otherwise, it’s a deal that taxpayers can refuse.

“Albany legislators are spending addicts,” Astorino, a Republican, said during a more than 3 minute video.

Passing a 2 percent cap on property taxes without relief on mandates — those state required programs that often don’t come down the Thruway with the funds to pay for them — is like running up a credit card on a fixed income.

“It’s going to bankrupt you fast,” he said.

Read more here.

Tax Cap from Westchester County Government on Vimeo.

The chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators today blasted County Executive Rob Astorino for firing 38 Section 8 workers and again called on the county attorney to represent the board even though he thinks it’s a conflict.

Chairman Ken Jenkins, D-Yonkers, released a statement indicating that he believes County Attorney Robert Meehan — an Astorino appointment — cannot recuse himself from a lawsuit with the Civil Service Employees Association and that taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay any tab for outside lawyers.

Republican legislators and the Astorino administration don’t see it that way. They’ve basically said Jenkins is off the mark and out of line. Read what The Journal News had previously reported here.

“Westchester County taxpayers should not pay a dime for the Astorino Administration’s failure to follow the law.  New York State County law section 501, subsection 2 states clearly that if there is a conflict between the County Board and any official paid their salary from County funds the County Attorney shall represent the County Board and the County.  New York State County law allows for the officer, in this case the County Executive, to hire outside counsel at their own expense.

Jenkins said no more dollars for outside counsel for these matters between the County Board and Administration will be authorized.

“I will not vote to spend another dollar for this Administration’s failure to follow the law,” he said.

For anyone interested in the county charter, read here.

You could say that County Executive Rob Astorino was on his home turf this morning, outlining a strategy of getting off what he dubbed as a medal podium for dubious distinctions: You know, having the highest taxes in the country.

“The simple and direct answer is that government needs to get cheaper,” Astorino told a crowd of several hundred business leaders at the Westchester Marriott Hotel in Tarrytown that met as part of the Westchester County Association’s annual breakfast with the county executive.

“Spending has to be cut. Really cut.”

After a year of budgets, vetoes and other battles, Astorino said more are on the way in 2011. And all those skirmishes you’ve been reading about, they are part of a healthy process, he said.

“We’re on the right path,” he said. “Bumpy as it is, we just have to stay on it.”

Astorino spoke for about 45 minutes. His address was followed by a question-and-answer session from business leaders. The speech summarized his first year in office and outlined goals for 2011.

One year after he first announced his hope of having nonunion managers pay a portion of their health coverage at the same forum, Astorino made a similar pitch for unions: Spiraling pension and health care costs must be dealt with, he said.

“2011 is going to look a lit like 2010. Any economic recovery is most likely to be puttering and sputtering. There will be less financial help than ever before from Albany and Washington. The challenge therefore will be for Westchester County to become as self sufficient as possible,” he said. “The watchwords will be less is more. Less spending; more sharing. Less bureaucracy; more performance. Less taxes; more prosperity.”

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino endorsed Republican Dr. Nan Hayworth in her run for Congress against Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains. From the Hayworth campaign:

“We have right now, in Washington and Albany, a train wreck,” Astorino said Thursday with Hayworth and other Republican candidates at his side. “The politics in Washington, the politics in Albany, are destroying the dreams of a lot of people. We have a chance in five days to change that.”

Astorino, also a Republican, upset a long-time incumbent to take over the county executive’s job. Many believe that his election was a portent of greater Republicans wins across New York, after years in which the trend was headed the other way. Across the state, the 19th seat is emblematic as one of those that could shift and help Republicans regain the majority in the House.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino endorsed Assemblyman Greg Ball, a fellow Republican, in his bid for state Senate. Ball is battling Democratic Westchester County Legislator Mike Kaplowitz in the race for the 40th Senate District.

“This is a time where people have to make a stand and say enough is enough,” Astorino said. “Whether its a senior citizen or whether it is a person who is just getting married and trying to build roots in this county or in the Hudson Valley, or people who are firmly in the middle class with children in school and trying to keep their head above water, policies in Albany have been destroying the dreams of a lot of people. We have a chance now to change that. We have a chance to stop this trainwreck. We’ve got to take that stand.”

“Rob, a real fiscal conservative, served alongside my tax and spend opponent in the county legislature, and I am deeply honored to have his endorsement. Rob Astorino is doing the tough work in Westchester, undoing years of excessive spending and taxation, and I pledge to be his strongest partner in the Senate,” Ball said.

Westchester will join other suburban counties that are suing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority over a tax on payrolls.

County Executive Rob Astorino today said that since county residents pay the highest taxes in the country and are already kicking-in roughly $165 million to the authority, they shouldn’t have to bail it out with a mobility tax.

“This was a poorly thought-out and hastily implemented decision by the state that makes no sense given the economics we live with every day,” Astorino said. “Yes, the MTA is hurting, but so are we. They’re just adding insult to injury by piling on one more tax and giving businesses another reason to leave the state.”

The announcement, made at the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce event in Ossining, came as the MTA board approved a 17 percent increase on Metrocards as well as higher bus, subway and Metro-North fares.

Astorino introduced legislation today to join other counties that have filed suit and there is bi-partisan support on the Board of Legislators.

Nassau filed suit in late July and was joined by Putnam County and three Orange County town. Nassau claimed the tax was unconstitutional because it violated home rule authority of municipalities.

Rockland County filed its own action in state Supreme Court over a $42 million gap that residents pay for the authority compared with what they receive in services.

There is bi-partisan support on the Board of Legislators.

Read the full story tomorrow.

In an e-mail to supporters, County Executive Rob Astorino today said county government can “be reinvented in Westchester County” and then took a shot at county legislators.

In outlining his fiscal platform and proposals, Astorino said achieving those goals is not so easy since the Board of Legislators “tries to block my reforms at every turn.” He promised to make the tough, but necessary calls and included a link regarding his recent proposal to merge police and emergency services.

The note, which featured a banner “Westchester Taxpayer Watch” was sent by Thornwood-based Friends of Rob Astorino.

Here it is:
Dear Friends:
I ran for Westchester County Executive on a platform of fiscal responsibility, and this past week my administration took another step forward toward meeting that goal.

My proposal to consolidate the County’s police force with the department of emergency services makes sense for three reasons: it will save taxpayer dollars, enhance emergency management and preparedness, and send a clear message to naysayers that government can, in fact, be reinvented in Westchester County. (Read more about my proposal here)

Thinking outside the box to create smarter, more efficient government services is increasingly essential across the nation, and I believe that Westchester County can lead the way. The budget crisis we face is sobering: We need to close a $166 million deficit on a $1.8 billion budget, but we can get through this if we are honest about the magnitude of the challenge and confront it head-on.

Through our initiatives and cost cutting measures, we already have reduced the deficit by $36 million, but we still have $130 million to go. My administration will continue identifying opportunities to tackle that deficit and create the leaner, smarter government you demanded.

This task is not always easy – the County Board of Legislators tries to block my reforms at every turn – but I was not elected to represent them. I was elected to represent you, and I will make the tough but necessary calls.
Thank you for your continued support and loyalty. These are difficult times, but as New Yorkers and Americans, we have never shied away from a challenge. By working together openly, honestly, and diligently, we will get to where we need to be.

In a signal that legal tussles lie ahead, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino wants new lawyers on the federal housing desegregation settlement.

County lawmakers yesterday took up the request to replace Epstein Becker and Green — a firm the county paid $3 million to defend, and later settle, a class-action lawsuit with the federal government and the Anti-Discrimination Center of Metro New York — with another $300-an-hour firm with offices around the world, Winston and Strawn.

Read the full story here.