NEWSROOM

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

"Transparent Government is Accountable Government"

 

White Plains, NY-Sept. 30...Reform Westchester County Executive candidate Rob Astorino (R-I) today announced a multi-pronged plan to create a more open budget process in the County to eliminate waste and help save taxpayers money.

The Westchester County budget has ballooned by a billion dollars over the past 12 years-from $800 million to $1.8 billion-making county taxpayers the highest taxed people in America. Mr. Astorino says the budget process itself is partly to blame.

"Westchester has a budget process in dire need of reform," Mr. Astorino said. "The more than doubling of our budget in the past dozen years has proved that it's too easy to sneak through pork and waste under the current system. If we want to get serious about reducing the tax burden on Westchester residents, it starts with budget transparency."

As county executive, Mr. Astorino will:
1. Release the county's proposed budget by Oct 15-a full month earlier than is done now-to allow greater access to the public, county legislators, the news media, and good government organizations;
2. Post county invoices, contracts, travel expense forms, and other pertinent documents online for full public viewing;

3. Post external and internal audits online;
4. Ban campaign contributions from firm or firms auditing the County;
5. Hold regular Town Hall meetings so that people have better access to the County Executive, and
6. Release an annual accounting of County cars.

Mr. Astorino said his open-book policy would make government officials more careful about spending public dollars and far more accountable in their every-day duties. Several states and counties around the nation already are doing this successfully. An example of how it is done in Missouri is provided here: www.mapyourtaxes.mo.gov.

Mr. Astorino's transparency policy would be in stark contrast to the current administration's policy of demanding arduous Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests for virtually any document.

"Transparent government is accountable government," Mr. Astorino said. "The days of secrecy and information road-blocks in Westchester County government end under my administration. "