News Item
Nonprofits heap praise on legislature's budget adds (The Journal News)
...Monday, during adds day, legislators also moved to add back parks curators and positions in the department of public works and the county executive's office. Many of the social program adds were small in the context of the larger budget — $1.7 million for health services for children with special needs, $400,000 for senior programs, $132,000 for youth bureau staffing, $145,000 for the Invest in Kids program, among others.
David Sachs, a professor at Pace University, works on the Telehealth Intervention Program for Seniors, which screens seniors for health issues and forwards any issues to caregivers and physicians. He said the program was on the verge of expanding into other states. The legislature added $220,000 in funding for the program.
"It could be a national model and I think that's good for Westchester," Sachs said. “I think you should be proud of what you’ve done so far. I think you should continue to do it.”
The legislature has until the end of the year to approve a new budget. Tuesday, Astorino said he would not support a budget with any tax hikes.
Should he veto the budget, and the legislature does not have the 12 votes to overturn his veto, County Executive Elect George Latimer would enter office with the 2017 budget rolled over into 2018.
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