WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. January 8, 2007: Proposals to give tax relief to county property taxpayers and to better ensure public safety dominate the list in a proposed state legislative package that County Executive Andy Spano released today.

Highlights of the package include proposals:

·        to reform  the pistol-permit licensing process,

·         to decrease distracted driving by teens by barring them from using, while they drive, any cell phone or mobile device  (including hands-free),

·         to continue the cap on Medicaid costs and to add a new cap on costs of programs to educate handicapped pre-schoolers,

·        to require the state to issue a fiscal statement on any proposal that might impact local governments,

·        to strengthen the county’s ability to go after dead-beat parents.

The package has been sent to the county Board of Legislators for review and additions. It will then be given to the county’s Albany delegation as a joint package from the county executive and the county legislature.

 “Each year we closely examine what actions we should advocate for on the state and federal levels,” Spano said. “This package includes some new proposals and some that we have sent to Albany in the past. We know some proposals take time to accomplish. I am hopeful that Albany will be receptive to our many ideas that will protect public safety and give our residents critically important tax relief.”

Here are some of the specifics:

• Extension of the county’s Property Tax Stabilization and Relief Act: This 1.5 percent sales tax has t

since its inception in 1992 provided revenues of $541 million to the county, $692 million to municipalities and $235 million to school districts for a total of $1.5 billion. Without an extension, this sales tax would expire and the county, local governments and school districts would have to raise property taxes to make up the revenue.

• Pistol permit licensing: Currently, the process for issuing licenses to carry and possess firearms in  Westchester is administered by the office of the County Clerk despite the fact that all background investigations, the bulk of the responsibility with respect to license applications, are performed by the County’s Department of Public Safety.  The purpose of this legislation is to transfer all aspects of the licensing functions relating to pistol permits to the Department of Public Safety. Consolidating all of the functions related to the issuance of a license to carry or possess a firearm in the Department of Public Safety is both efficient and sensible. The change is supported by the County Clerk Tim Idoni, District Attorney Janet Difiore and District Administrative Judge Francis Nicolai.
• Teen driving: Westchester was at the forefront in the state – and the nation – in adopting a law that banned the use of hand-held cell phones by drivers. Spano would like to go further by banning the use of any cell phone or any mobile devise (hands free or otherwise) by drivers under the age of 18. According to auto industry research, teen drivers are four times more distracted than adults by cell phone use. As a separate but related measure, Spano is proposing to increase the number of supervised driving hours required before a teen may get a driver’s license.
• Underage drinking: Spano is continuing to advocate for a number of proposals aimed at reducing underage drinking. These include ones to suspend the liquor and lottery licenses of merchants who sell  alcohol to minors and to expand penalties for underage drinking.  
• Fiscal disclosure notes: Each year the state passes numerous bills that have a financial impact on local governments and local property taxpayers. There is currently no requirement that the local fiscal impact of a bill be analyzed in any systematic way. This proposal would require that every proposed state law  that would affect the revenues or expenditures of local governments include a written statement fiscal impact statement. In 2004, County Executive Spano issued an executive order requiring that a fiscal impact statement accompany all legislation submitted by the county administration.  

• Medicaid cap: Spano worked hard to get the state to enact a cap on the costs to local governments of Medicaid, and this has provided significant relief to county taxpayers and stabilized future growth in expenditures. The Medicaid cap must be permanently authorized in statute. This cap has already helped counties such as Westchester stabilize property taxes.
• Other caps: Similar to the Medicaid cap, Spano is calling for a cap on the costs to local governments of the state- and federal-mandated programs to educate handicapped pre-schoolers. Between 1997 and 2007, the cost of this program tripled, from $25.9 million to an estimated $83.1 million. The burden on Westchester property taxpayers increased even more dramatically -- by 3.6 times. The tax levy burden shot up from $10.8 million to $39 million in this ten year period, a 261 percent increase
• Medicaid tracking and health insurance: A county survey of employed Medicaid recipients released last year revealed that many are not provided adequate health insurance by their employers and have turned instead to the government for health care, at an estimated cost to Westchester taxpayers of $11.5 - $34.5 million. Spano wants the state to better track this information so appropriate legislative remedies can be found.
• Deadbeat parents: Westchester has an aggressive approach to finding deadbeat parents using telephone records. This proposal would ask the state to take the lead in expediting the release of these records. 

·        Wireless network security: Westchester last year adopted a unique local law to require that commercial 

entities that provide public Internet access to the public via wireless or local area network connections provide 

minimum security measures to prevent the disclosure of electronically stored personal information. 

Spano believes the state should adopt a statewide law similar to that of Westchester.

·        Sex offenders:  Spano reiterated a call for a law that would allow convicted sex offenders to be 

held in civil confinement.