WPCNR County Clarion-Ledger.. By John F. Bailey. August 10, 2010:

County Executive Rob Astorino in chatting with WPCNR after addressing the White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations in White Plains Tuesday night, said he would deliver a balanced budget to the county legislature by November 1, with no increase in the county property tax.

County Executive Rob Astorino addressing the Council of Neighborhood Associations Tuesday at Education House.

He said his administration had already cut $36 Million from a deficit of $166 Million, and had identified $40 Million more in savings, projecting the present deficit as $90 Million. He told WPCNR that if the County Board of Legislators added back spending, he would exercise his line item veto, telling WPCNR, “They have made it clear they have no problem raising taxes, so I will veto.”

County Executive Rob Astorino spoke with WPCNR after he made to this reporter’s knowledge the first appearance ever by a Westchester County Executive before the White Plains Council ofn Neighborhood Associations.

Addressing the audience of 45 persons, beginning at 8:50 P.M. Mr.Astorino covered a range of subjects, mostly having to do with budget issues.

 In his general remarks beginning with Playland, say it would not close, but held out the possibilities of less rides, or possibly more rides, licensing a private vendor to run the park and adding other uses to the historic park, citing the success of the Tiki Bar on the Boardwalk that had amazing success. He said that 70% of the users of the park are not residents of Westchester County, and “that has to change.”

He said that the county needed to cut the  $32 Million it spends in child day care by raising the qualifications to participate in county day care services.

In response to a question whether the county would exercise a countwide revaluation of real estate, (to equalize property tax burdens),  Astorino said he would not unless a majority of the cities and municipalities asked for it, echoing his predecessor, Andy Spano, on that question..

Astorino said he did not feel the County Police force could be trimmed significantly because of the services it provides for villages and municipalities which do not have detective services, bomb squads, and lab facilities, but did say he had achieved significant savings in overtime by transferring county police personnel back to patrol duty.

The County Executive also said he was working through commissioners to get them to come up with savings in their departments, saying, “I do not have all the answers, but I can ask a lot of questions.”