Department of Emergency Services and Crime Lab Saved from Budget Ax

     Even while cutting taxes -2.2%, slashing spending by $50 million over the past two years, and reducing the county workforce by 10%, the County Board was able to save the Department of Emergency Services and the Crime Lab from the budget ax. The Committee on Budget & Appropriations heard testimony from volunteer emergency responders as to the dangers of cutting the Department of Emergency Services and took testimony from the District Attorney and Westchester police officials who warned of cuts to the crime lab. Nassau County’s crime lab was recently decertified due, in part, to budget cuts over the years. The Westchester County Board recently approved an Inter-Municipal Agreement for the Westchester crime lab to process evidence from Nassau. Said Legislator Harckham, “Protecting public safety is the number one responsibility of government. In our quest to find savings, we have to be careful not to hurt the people who are protecting us on a daily basis.”

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