WPCNR County Clarion-Ledger. Exclusive Interview with George Oros. March 14, 2006: George Oros of the County Board of Legislators reacted strongly  to WPCNR to fellow Legislator Majority Leader Martin Rogowsky’s accusation that he was blocking senior housing on the Board of Elections parking lot  when Mr. Oros refused to let the bill come to the floor out of committee to the Legislature Monday evening.

“I  didn’t block anything,” Oros told WPCNR Wednesday. “All I did is hold over a communication which is a procedure that is used by legislators all the time to slow down a process, that’s all. It wasn’t scheduled for a vote. It was submitted by the County Executive. None of us had been briefed by the County Executive on it. I knew nothing about it. So I held it over. You’re not allowed to debate it or give a reason or anything, you (as a legislator) say when the matter comes up, you want it held over.”

Oros said the proposal will come to the floor next meeting. “It’s (the holdover)  not a big deal. I did not get a copy of what he (Rogowsy) said. I think he’s a little over the top here. They’re (Rogowsky, Majority Leader of the Democrats) is in the majority, sometimes we in the minority have to take action in order to slow things down so we have an opportunity to know what we’re voting on.”

Notes Absence of White Plains Approval of the Project.

“Generally with these types of projects (senior housing) that we’ve done in the past, and I’ve supported senior housing before, generally there is in the packet  that we get from the County Executive a resolution from the local municipality(White Plains) that they support the project. That was not in this packet. So, quite frankly, I don’t know the positions of White Plains regarding this project, and I’d like to find that out before I start deliberating this in a committee meeting in the legislature. I don’t know. I have not discussed this with Mayor Delfino (Joseph). He and I served on the legislature together. I think, if for no other reason I think this Board of  Legislators owes it to him and his City Council to at least hear their side of this. This is a major project going on within their boundaries.”

Says White Plains Has Right of First Refusal.

Oros said it’s White Plains call: “We have a law that requires a right of first refusal, that if we sell county property to a third party, that whatever municipality that property is in, they have the right to take that property and convert it to park land which they can do for $1 or they can buy it a market rate and do something other than a park land. All I’m trying to do is that the City Council, the Mayor and the duly elected people of this city aren’t ramroded by a larger government.

“This is sort of like eminent domain to me. People are all up in arms and rightfully so about eminent domain and bigger governments taking private property or local property because they know better, and putting something there. I’m concerned about something like this, and I just wanted to slow the process down so the citizens of White Plains, the city council and Mayor have an opportunity to weigh in on this before they take any action.”

A WPCNR NewsCall has been placed to the White Plains County Legislator,  Bill Ryan to get his “take” on how he feels White Plains feels about the issue.

Municipality Should Have Seat at the Table.

Oros sounded a familiar complaint legislative bodies seem to have about proposals like this.

He has not had the proposal long enough to evaluate it.

 “It’s not like we’ve had this stuff for six weeks,” he said, saying he did not know the cost of the proposed project. “I haven’t had the opportunity to do everything. Again, that’s why I held it up. It has nothing to do with the merits of the issue. It has to do with my strong belief in home rule. The municipality should have a seat at the table.”

Accuses Legislator of Ramrodding.

“I see the Majority Leader, (Martin Rogowsky) says that I am callous. I’m disappointed he would stoop that low to that kind of hyperbole when he knows full well that all I want is that the City of White Plains has the opportunity to be at the table before this thing is ramrodded through. ”

Oros said he likened it to the way the Democratic majority on the Board of Legislators orchestrated pay raises through in December, “sans public input”:  “I get concerned about things like this that will have a major impact on the White Plains downtown. This picture you showed me, this looks huge. Is this how big they’re going to make it? Wow.”

Asked if he was opposed to it, Oros said “No. I’m not trying to derail the project. It is incumbent on us to make sure. If this was in Peekskill which I represent, or if it went down in Port Chester which Mr. Rogowsky represents, I would want the same thing, let the local officials there charged with the planning zoning and development of their communities be the ones to make these kinds of decisions.”

He said the lack of a local resolution endorsing the project raised a couple of red flags for him.

Silence from City Hall.

A WPCNR NewsCall was placed to Paul Wood, the City Executive Officer, to ascertain the Mayor's latest position on the senior housing project. WPCNR awaits clarification from Mr. Wood.