FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bill O’Reilly, 914-619-5252

ASTORINO PRAISES WESTCHESTER DELEGATION FOR SUPPORTING CUOMO CONSOLIDATION BILL

Calls Passage: "A Small, But Important, Step Forward"

White Plains, NY, June 4...Westchester County Executive candidate Rob Astorino (R-I), who is running for county executive to streamline government services, reduce the tax load on Westchester families and restore a high standard of ethics to county government, today praised the Westchester state senate and assembly delegations for overwhelmingly supporting a bill advocated by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) to give localities the power to consolidate local services and save money. Mr. Astorino called on the delegations in May to vote in favor of the legislation.

The Attorney General's plan will empower citizens to put proposals on the ballot to consolidate governments as a cost saving measure, if they get the signatures of 10 percent of voters, or 5,000 voters, whichever is less. It also gives town officials the power to abolish special districts that serve single functions, such as water and sewer districts. Current law requires action by the State Legislature.

Mr. Astorino has long advocated smart government consolidation as a way to save money for taxpayers. In 1996, as a member of the Mount Pleasant Town Board, he successfully supported merging three separate water districts into one by abolishing the Hawthorne Water Improvement District, Thornwood Water District, and Valhalla Water District into the newly formed Kensico Water District. Hawthorne and Thornwood had separate commissioners, personnel, operations, and taxing authority and Valhalla was run by the Town Board. The consolidation realized many cost efficiencies and is widely hailed as a success.

Mr. Astorino also praised Larchmont Mayor Liz Feld today, who has been raising important points about the bigger reforms New York needs--mandate relief and pension reform.

"The Cuomo consolidation bill is a small, but important step forward for those of us working to streamline redundant government services and deliver tax relief to struggling families," Mr. Astorino said. "I salute the Westchester senate and assembly delegations for helping pass this legislation, and urge them to tackle the larger tasks now of mandate relief and pension reform. Mayor Liz Feld hit the nail on the head this week: the real meaningful tax reforms have yet to be addressed."

Westchester County has more than doubled its spending in the past 12 years-from $800 million to $1.8 billion-and it now has the highest tax burden in the country. In addition to county government, Westchester has 43 city, town and village governments; 46 school districts; and 339 special districts, totaling 383 separate taxing districts.