See also this post from yesterday - My friend and neighbor Sue Konig, running for County Legislator
No relief to taxpayers | LoHud.com | The Journal News
August 23, 2009
No relief to taxpayers
Susan KonigUnder the pending settlement between Westchester County and the Anti-Discrimination Center of Metro New York, the county would be obligated to build some 750 affordable-housing units throughout the county. As a former village trustee in Croton-On-Hudson - one of the villages that is a possible mandated location for the new housing - and as a candidate to represent two of the targeted villages as a county legislator, I have some questions.
Democratic County Executive Andy Spano called this a lawsuit that should never have been brought. I agree - because it robs towns and villages of self-governance, and mandates from on high a one-size-fits-all housing formula that does not take into account the concerns of local taxpayers.
My village, Croton-on-Hudson, has built a number of affordable units over the years. The decision to build these units was based on factors such as input from residents, environmental reviews, open public hearings, and consideration of the size and cap abilities of the village's infrastructure and the capacity of the village's school system.
This settlement wipes all of that away and takes decision-making away from local taxpayers and their elected representatives and turns it over to one judge in Manhattan.
The Anti-Discrimination Center of Metro New York brought the suit. Who are they? Who funds them? Why did the county executive roll over for a case Andy Spano's spokeswoman originally called "garbage"? This deal calls for the county to spend $51 million dollars on housing over the next seven years. To appeal such an impactful opinion to a higher court could cost a million or two. Why the rush to judgment with no appeal?
If the county wants to make housing in Westchester affordable, I've got an idea. How about starting with reducing the property tax burden on residents - some of the highest in the nation? How about not rubber-stamping bloated budgets with wasteful spending year after year? How about giving the hard-working, over-taxed families of Westchester a break from our years and years of being the highest taxed in the nation to an embarrassing degree?
If this settlement goes into effect, it will be the county's job to tell municipalities how to build housing and for whom.
As reported in The Journal News, officials are calling this agreement that takes power away from local government, while continuing to overtax families year after year, "a seismic shift in . . . housing philosophy." In a democracy, seismic shifts should come only after rigorous, open debate with a healthy input from local taxpayers - and not mandated from on high.
BRAVO!
Posted by: maria c. | Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 02:48 PM