Westchester Legislators Restore 126 Jobs for 2013 Budget

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  A total of 126 Westchester County employees who were slated to be laid off in County Executive Robert Astorino’s proposed $1.7 billion, 2013 budget will be saved.

The Budget and Appropriations Committee of the Board of Legislators voted on Monday to restore the jobs with money from the county’s fund balance. Legislature Chairman Kenneth Jenkins said there will be no borrowing to retain the positions.

“The committee restored 126 jobs, so we restored all of the jobs,” Jenkins, a Democrat, said. “We eliminating borrowing for tax certioraris and we used fund balance for that. Basically we stayed inside the goal lines of having a zero tax levy increase. That’s where we are committed to.”

Sixty other job slots, which are unfilled, will be eliminated from the budget. A total of $16 million from the county’s $135 million fund balance is expected to cover the costs.

The full board of legislators is expected to approve the amended budget.  Astorino, a Republican, will then have opportunity to veto any of the changes, but the Democrat majority on the board will likely override them as they have in past years.