As the public considers and legislators debate County Executive Robert P. Astorino's proposed 2011 budget, the county has compiled a comprehensive list of "frequently asked questions" (FAQ) to help with understanding the budget proposal.
"Budgets tend to be complex documents, but they contain important information of interest to every resident," said Astorino. "By answering these frequently asked questions, we are trying to give residents the facts they need to understand what's in my budget proposal, how it was put together and why certain decisions were made."
The FAQs are available at www.westchestergov.com/budget.
Additional questions and answers will be added in the coming weeks.
Two weeks ago, Astorino released a proposed budget of $1.786 billion that decreases the county property tax levy by 1 percent, cuts spending by $33 million, reduces the county work force by 705 people from a year ago, and still maintains essential county services, including all bus routes. That proposal is now before the Board of Legislators.
Here are some of the questions asked (and answered) in the FAQs:
- What does the proposed property tax levy decrease mean for taxpayers?
- Revenue is up from the sales tax. Won't this offset the county's budget problems?
- Why are layoffs necessary?
- Why does the budget propose closing two homeless shelters when the county is still coming out of a recession?
- Why does this budget cut child care subsidies?
- Why does this budget call for eliminating county subsidies to three neighborhood health centers?
- Why does the budget propose closing the county's four mental health clinics?
- Is Hilltop Hanover Farm being closed?