We Endorse Rob Astorino for County Executive

We Endorse Rob Astorino for County Executive

 

 
Westchester County is at a critical juncture, with most of its 950,000 residents feeling pain from the consequences of the economic crisis. As Wall Street thrives —and dives —so too does Westchester, with thousands of residents once employed on Wall Street, and in financial services and banking, now out of work.
For the second year in a row, Westchester County has been named the most expensive county in the United States in which to live, with homeowners paying the highest property taxes in the country.
Westchester residents will go to the polls on November 3 and select the new county executive. They have two clear choices —between incumbent Andy Spano and challenger Rob Astorino.
Spano has served as county executive for the past 12 years, and before that, eight years as Westchester county clerk. His 20 years of service to the people of Westchester should be commended. During the past two decades, Spano has delivered what the people of Westchester wanted, and needed, which was a robust county government, catering to the desires of thriving residents who were not affected by ever-rising property taxes.
But the Westchester of 2009 is a lot different from the Westchester of the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Property taxes have more than doubled for a Westchester homeowner over the past 10 years. Yes, 80 percent of a county resident’s tax bill comes from school and local taxes (village, town or city), but 20 percent of that tax bill also goes to county government.
For most, this results in a total property tax bill of $1,500 or more —which many Westchester residents are having difficulty paying.
The people of Westchester need a leader who will look first to cut the county budget, find ways to consolidate services and look to save taxpayer money.
To accomplish this difficult goal, we endorse Rob Astorino. We believe that Astorino is best suited to help the middle class Westchester homeowner, taxpayer and family.
Astorino has made it clear that he will look to reduce the budget, and he can start by eliminating the hundreds of positions in county government that are unnecessary and/or are no more than patronage jobs —how many Gary Krisses are buried in the county budget?
Astorino is well qualified to lead Westchester and preside over a different and difficult time in the county’s history.
But this election is more about Spano than Astorino, and voters will have to make a decision about whether or not they want four more years of a Spano Administration.
The political history of Westchester, and New York State, points to the electorate’s wanting a change after 12 years of most any candidate — Republican or Democrat. We feel this sentiment this year in Westchester, and respectfully argue that it’s time for new leadership.
If you are content with paying the highest property taxes in the country, then your vote for Spano is understandable, but realize that you should not expect anything different this term.
If, however, you believe, as we do, that we can do better as a county and must attempt do more with less, then a vote for Astorino is well deserved. It’s time for a change.
We endorse Rob Astorino for county executive.