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Review Period Sought Before Vote On Westchester Budget

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Republican legislators want 48 hours before voting to review majority Democrats' deletions to Westchester County's budget, Sheila Marcotte (R-District 10) said Tuesday.

Westchester legislators (from left) Sheila Marcotte (R-District 10), Gordon Burrows (R-District 15) and Michael Smith (R-District 3) want two days before voting on the 2013 budget to look at a list of the Democrats' deletions.

Westchester legislators (from left) Sheila Marcotte (R-District 10), Gordon Burrows (R-District 15) and Michael Smith (R-District 3) want two days before voting on the 2013 budget to look at a list of the Democrats' deletions.

Photo Credit: Brian Donnelly

County Executive Robert Astorino proposed his budget Nov. 15 and county legislators must adopt a final budget by Dec. 27. However, budget additions must be proposed by the first Monday of December. Kenneth Jenkins (D-District 16), who chairs the Board of Legislators, said he hopes to vote on the budget by Dec. 10.

If the budget vote is Dec. 10, Marcotte wants Democratic legislators' deletions sent to Republicans  by Dec. 6. A resolution requesting the 48-hour review period was voted down on the floor of the Board of Legislators in early November before it could move to committee, Jenkins said.

“The proposal itself is misplaced. It is a proposed revision that should be submitted to the Charter Revision Commission,” Jenkins said.

In a press conference Tuesday, Marcotte, the principal sponsor, said she has met with the Charter Revision Commission and hopes this will result in a permanent change.

“We have made this request in past years and it has been ignored,” Marcotte said. “This year we decided to make this request formally.”

The three Republican legislators said they were given just 29 minutes last year to review the Democratic legislators’ budget revisions before voting. Jenkins said the deletions were presented nearly a full day before the budget went to a vote. 

“I think they doth protest too much on that particular portion about the additions and deletions of the budget,” Jenkins said.

Along with Marcotte, Minority Whip Gordon Burrows (R-District 15) and Michael Smith (R-District 3) sponsored the resolution.

“I don’t think what we’re asking for is unreasonable, because it’s not,” Marcotte said.

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