Budget Backlash

Members of the Legislature overrode County Executive Robert Bondi’s veto of the $137 million fiscal spending plan Monday evening by an overwhelming 8-1 vote.

For the first time in county history, an executive vetoed the entire budget because Bondi charged that the legislators had failed to “address the concerns of taxpayers during difficult economic times.”

In his veto message, Bondi called the changes made to his original budget “fiscally irresponsible, while not being in the best interests to the people of Putnam County or to the mission of county government that delivers effective and affordable services to our residents.”

Bondi told the Courier: “More than ten percent of county residents are unable to pay their taxes or are in the process of having their homes foreclosed, yet this legislature saw fit to pander to special interest groups, restoring millions of dollars of county budget cuts in return for promises of political support. I can’t go along with that.”

Two weeks ago, by the narrowest of margins, the Putnam County Legislature approved the budget and sent it back to Bondi for his review. Legislators Vincent Tamagna, Richard Othmer, Mary Ellen Odell, Dini LoBue, and Tony Fusco voted in favor of the budget while Legislators Dan Birmingham, Mary Conklin, Sam Oliverio, and Chairman Tony Hay cast negative votes.

Six votes were needed for a veto override, and, prior to Monday’s meeting, questions arose if that sixth vote would be forthcoming. However after 45 minutes of discussion and debate, the body overwhelmingly supported the override, with only Chairman Hay casting a negative vote.

Hay called the 2010 budget “totally out of whack. My colleagues have put off the inevitable. Cuts were not made properly. The county executive’s budget took into account our future. The legislature’s budget has taken into account today. Our future is more important than today.”

The majority saw things differently. Freshman Legislator Richard Othmer of Kent said if the veto had not been overruled, “our 2010 budget would have been a one-man budget and not a true county budget. Nine different opinions and decisions went into this difficult process.”

The legislature’s vice chairman, Vincent Tamagna, of Nelsonville, agreed: “We have a good budget, since the priorities of the people were considered, ranging from libraries to senior centers and from reducing manager’s salaries to protecting the workforce. Additionally, this legislature has decreased the tax rate from the original 4.6 percent to 4.1 percent. For the first time in 15 years spending has been reduced in Putnam County.”

As outlined last month, Bondi’s initial budget proposed eliminating 49 full-time positions as well as the laying off of the county’s part-time STOP-DWI administrator; 15 percent reductions in contributions to outside agencies such as libraries, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Putnam Historical Society, Southeast Museum, and the Putnam Humane Society; eliminating Friday trolley service in Cold Spring; eliminating adult day care programs in Patterson and Mahopac’s Saturday program; and closing the Cold Spring Senior Center.

Members of the legislature met two dozen times in committee reviewing Bondi’s recommendations before restoring each of the executive’s cuts while slashing a number of positions on their own accord.

The legislators not only reinstated the STOP-DWI administrator post filled by Naura Slavinsky but also saved the recycling director’s position occupied by Walt Thompson.

The legislature eliminated the office of Community Affairs Director occupied by Patricia Perez before creating a $25,000 part-time position under the auspices of the Health Department. The nine-member body also cut the $97,000 salary of the executive’s Chief of Staff. The post has been vacant since early spring, when Lisa Denig left county employment.

The legislature did restore a receptionist for the Probation Department as well as a counselor in the Youth Bureau.

Legislative counsel Clement Van Ross issued an opinion charging that under the county charter Bondi had “no authority to veto the entire budget adopted by the legislature. The practical implication of granting the county executive the authority to veto the actual budget resolutions would be effectively removing the legislature from the budget process. The efforts of this legislature from Sept. 5 through Oct. 15 would be meaningless if the executive could wipe them all away with one veto, especially when the charter gives the county executive line item veto power.”

Instead of taking the matter to court and further delaying the process while costing taxpayers additional fees for litigation, Van Ross recommended that the legislature override the veto, which he said would “preserve the authority of the Putnam Legislature.”
YEA
Vincent Tamagna
Richard Othmer
Mary Ellen Odell
Dini LoBue
Tony Fusco
Dan Birmingham
Mary Conklin
Sam Oliverio
NAY
Tony Hay