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“Tell me something I don’t know,” Maybury quipped.
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli recently released the results of his fiscal stress monitoring system, looking into how governments in New York fared in fiscal year 2012. The system relies on data from annual financial reports submitted by local governments to the Office of State Comptroller.
The Town of Lewisboro was also deemed to be susceptible to fiscal stress. No Westchester municipality is facing significant or moderate fiscal stress.
“All town in Westchester are facing this,” Maybury said. “At one point or another they will all be susceptible to fiscal stress.”
Maybury blamed the state for the town’s ills, pointing out the massive unfunded mandates handed down from Albany. Municipalities across the state have faced rising pension and health-care costs, while having to deliver budgets within a two percent cap on the property tax levy.
“If Albany doesn’t do anything, more towns are going to be facing this,” Maybury said.
Mount Pleasant has laid off 20 employees in recent years and has vowed to not approve a contract with wage increases. Maybury said the town is doing what it can to cut expenses while hoping for an economic turnaround that would see sales tax and mortgage tax revenues increase.
“It is what it is,” Maybury said. “It’s no surprise.”
Maybury said she found it insulting that the state was telling municipalities they are under fiscal stress.
“We know what our problems are,” Maybury said. “We don’t need them to tell us. Pension costs go up hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, it’s ridiculous. The state has to take the burden off of the towns are we will continue to be in this mess.”
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