White Plains, NY – The Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) voted to override all 27 of the County Executive Astorino’s vetoes of line items in the 2012 County Budget today, and in doing so restored funding for neighborhood health centers, child care subsidies, environmental education programs, youth services and support for the arts.

“These veto overrides support a 2012 County Budget that is right for all of the people of Westchester, and the funding that is restored with these votes are all accomplished within the realm of a 0% increase in the County tax levy and without any use of the fund balance,” said BOL Chairman Ken Jenkins (D-Yonkers).

Two of the votes to override the County Executive’s vetoes pertained to funding for three neighborhood health centers in Westchester. A bi-partisan vote approved the BOL’s net appropriation of $1.09 million; this override allows the health centers to receive the same dollar amount in matching funds from New York State.

“Providing Westchester’s low-income working residents with quality health care in the neighborhoods in which they live makes perfect sense in terms of public health and cost,” said BOL Vice Chairman Lyndon Williams (D-Mount Vernon). “Neighborhood health centers promote preventative health services to Westchester’s residents at less cost to the county than if the uninsured went to emergency rooms for initial care.”

Two override votes restore funding for day care subsidies to low-income families in the 2011 County Budget. The addition of $3.5 million for low-income day care and $800,000 in Title XX funding will bring the family share from 15% to 20% of costs—still substantially less than the 35% that County Executive proposed. A large number of Westchester residents spoke out against the share increase at the BOL’s three public hearings on the County Executive’s proposed 2012 budget.

“Working families are an integral part of the fabric in all of the County’s different communities, and maintaining affordable day care for parents and guardians helps people keep their jobs while strengthening local economies,” said Legislator Bill Burton (D-Ossining).

County residents also voiced their support for the funding of the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) service, which provides a myriad of environmental education and nutrition programs to young and old. Not surprisingly, the BOL unanimously voted to override the County Executive’s veto of $990,000 for CCE.

“So many Westchester residents depend on Cornell Cooperative Extension programs that withdrawing our support is unthinkable,” said BOL Majority Leader Peter Harckham (D-Katonah). “It’s important that this funding be made available to the organization without delay, and I hope the County Executive respects the Board’s wishes as such.”

The BOL also voted unanimously to restore $49,000 in funding for the Greenburgh Nature Center.

Bi-partisan override votes also maintained funding for four staff positions at the Westchester County Board of Elections, as well as funding for ArtsWestchester and a small business incubation program run by the Jewish Council of Yonkers.

“Our electoral system can only work if our Board of Elections is properly staffed,” said Legislator MaryJane Shimsky (D-Hastings-on-Hudson). “The Board’s workload in 2012 will be tremendous due to the presidential election year, new voting machines and increased registration. This is a small price to pay for maintaining the integrity of our democratic system of government.”

As for retaining the funding for ArtsWestchester, Shimsky noted that “the arts not only make our lives richer and more worthwhile, but they serve as a vital engine for economic development and help attract new businesses and homeowners to the county.”

A number of programs funded under the County’s Invest-in-Kids umbrella were restored to the 2012 County Budget with veto overrides that relied solely on the Democratic legislative majority.

Acknowledging the votes in support of Invest-in Kids, Legislator Alfreda Williams (D-Greenburgh) said: “This funding truly is an investment in the young people of our county because it provides them with educational enrichment programs, positive lifestyle models and a heightened sense of community. In teaching our youth important people skills, as these programs do, we prepare them to be tomorrow’s leaders.”

Additionally, the BOL voted to continue funding ethnic festivals through the County’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation, as well as for the Route #76 bus line between White Plains and Rye.

“These override votes are largely in support of a human infrastructure that provides important services and programs for Westchester residents and business owners,” said Jenkins in summation. “The investments we make today furnish jobs and untold enhancements to the quality of life in the county. I’m pleased that this Board has taken the steps it did to strengthen our communities and ready them for the future.”