The Republican members of the Westchester County Board of Legislators wish to add their voices to the recent outcry regarding the proposal to increase stipends for our members. This comes, of course, on the heels of our strong objection and negative vote on the recently enacted 2008 County Budget. It is our sincere hope that Westchester’s taxpayers would be just as outraged about the ever increasing property tax burden that has been hoisted upon them by County Executive Spano (who too is seeking a pay raise) and the Democratic members of our Board. Once again this year, the 2008 County Budget raises property taxes above the cost of living at 4%. Since 2000 the real property taxes in Westchester have increased 54%, while the cost of living for the New York metropolitan area increased by 26%. The Republican County Legislators put forth a budget plan with significant spending cuts, and if it had been approved, Westchester taxpayers would have seen a tax increase below 1%. We also put together a spending reduction plan for the 2007 County Budget that also that could have resulted in a zero tax increase; all this without drastically affecting any programs or services.
At a time when technology and innovation is affording many to produce more with less, the Spano Administration has seen fit to increase the County bureaucracy by 8%. In just the last three years 318 new positions were added to the County bureaucracy. These new and unnecessary jobs added over $20 million to the 2008 budget. With generous health care benefits and pension payments, each new government position adds not just salary but an additional 50% of salary to be budgeted for fringe benefits. We all recall County Executive Spano calling pension payments an “unfunded mandate”. While it is true the State mandates that the County make payments to the pension system, the state did not mandate adding 300 new positions.
As for these troubling stipends: the Republican County Legislators object to the magnitude of the increase for the chairman and other leadership positions. We also object that this proposal was forced on the Board at the last minute, in the middle of the budget process and with little input from the legislators or the general public. The chairman’s stipend was increased substantially just two years ago. At the time of the last two salary adjustments (1999 and 2005), the Republican County Legislators proposed reconstituting or strengthening the Committee for Fair Compensation, so that members of the private sector could judge and recommend salary adjustments - if any. The County Code actually includes a provision for such a group. Twice within two years, pay raises were enacted or proposed without any regard to this legal requirement.
Our proposal would have improved this Committee. It outlines specific criteria for determining the circumstances for any raise and sets a strict deadline for action: one that requires legislators to vote on raises prior to an election, not after. The Committee itself would be comprised of private citizens. There is a requirement for public hearings.
It is difficult to measure objectively your own salary increments. In the real world, most people do not have the luxury of setting and raising their own salaries. In most business settings, employees are objectively reviewed by superiors to evaluate pay increases. And if the employee is unhappy there is always the option of going to work somewhere else. Certainly, the County Legislators and County Executive are not self-employed; they are employed by the taxpayers. It is only fair that the tax paying public have much more to say about any increase in compensation. We must remind our colleagues that it is an honor to serve as a County Legislator. This is public service – not a place to pad your income. All candidates knew the salary when running for our seats in the 2007 elections, and if someone did not like the salary, then he or she should not have run for this honorable office.
Despite our calls to employ and improve this Committee twice in the last six years, nothing was done. Now the Board faces the justifiable outrage of taxpayers who feel the stipend increase was done in the dark of night, with no public input and without regard to any standards or benchmarks. As usual, the taxpayers are right, and we are happy to see this public outcry to this blatant money grab for politicians. You can count on the Republican County Legislators to vote and fight against the stipend proposal.
See AOL's top rated recipes and easy ways to stay in shape for winter.