Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino announced Wednesday that despite deep cuts in spending, the County is facing a $130 million dollar deficit in 2011. In March, Astorino announced that the projected shortfall was a staggering $166 million.
The County Executive announced several initiatives designed to find additional cost savings. They include directing department heads to come up with savings plans that would reduce the net costs of their operations by 20%. It's a move he says could save about $94 million.In addition, he renewed his calls to the County's government unions for a salary freeze and higher contributions to their health care so that massive layoffs can be avoided. He says if the union concessions are made, that would save the county $26 million and save 260 jobs. Specifically, Astorino has asked the  unions to contribute 10 to 20 percent to their health care and forgo a 4 percent pay faise for 2011.
Said Astorino,"Time is of the essence. The more work we can do to target areas of savings between now and the submission of the budget in November, the better we will be able to minimize layoffs."
Officials say the key factors driving the budget remain the soarding costs to the county employee pensions and employee medical care as well as substantial drops in State and Federal aid.
In 2010, pensions cost the county $55 million. That number's expected to increase to $75 million in 2011. In addition, health care costs have more than doubled over the past ten years, jumping from $67 million in 2000 to $149 million this year. It's expected to increase another $8 million next year.
Astorino warned that if nothing is done to close the massive projected budget deficit, residents will facing a whopping 23% property tax increase, something the County Executive says he will not allow to happen.