As the race for Westchester County Executive nears an end, Democratic challenger George Latimer and incumbent Rob Astorino have been talking about one issue more than others to the people of Pleasantville, and that is taxes.<\/p>\n
Since taking office in 2010, Astorino has promised to not raise taxes in Westchester. During Astorino’s first term, Westchester took in $560.7 million in property taxes from residents. In his first year, Astorino approved a two percent cut in the county’s real property tax levy. Since then, Westchester County\u2019s property tax levy has remained flat, according to Politifact.<\/a><\/p>\n “What Rob Astorino is most known for is what we call ‘ending the tax madness,'” said Jack Gonbach, Astorino’s campaign manager. “He has kept the tax levy straight for seven years. That is his brand and what he is really known for, because before he was elected taxes were rising, so he wanted to get taxes down.”<\/p>\n Gonbach says that keeping the tax levy flat has particularly helped people in urban areas such as Mount Vernon and Yonkers.<\/p>\n However, Astorino’s opponent, New York State Senator George Latimer, offered a different viewpoint on Astorino’s tax plan. He said that the tax levy is not the only thing that matters in terms of taxes.<\/p>\n \u201cHis claims aren\u2019t true,\u201d Latimer said in a article in The Journal News<\/em>. \u201cThe county levy is only one element of how much you pay in property taxes to the county. You ask people what they pay the county, they don\u2019t differentiate.”<\/p>\n Latimer said that the tax levy doesn’t take into account the county sewer system or the county refuse district. According to the same article from The Journal News, <\/em><\/a>county district taxes have risen from $2.1 million to $146 million under Astorino. Also, sewer taxes are up 56 percent in the Blind Brook and 29 percent in Ossining, according to the county budget.<\/p>\n If elected, Latimer said he will audit the county budget so that he can evaluate proper funding, according to Bridget Gibbons, Regional Coordinator for Latimer’s campaign.<\/p>\n “Mr. Latimer needs to make an audit of the budget,” Gibbons said. “There is no way to make a predictive plan without understanding what the current situation is.”<\/p>\n If Astorino wins again, expect him to keep the tax levy flat for an eighth consecutive year, according to Gonbach.<\/p>\n For the 8th straight year we will not raise the county tax levy. Some people say it\u2019s time to raise taxes. I say no. #AstorinoSOTC17<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/KrOH7UXJ98<\/a><\/p>\n — Rob Astorino (@RobAstorino) April 21, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n