Nature Center Funding May Be Restored By BOL

Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary and Marshlands Conservancy may be spared from closing after all. County Executive Rob Astorino's proposed 2012 budget proposal recommended completely cutting funding to six county nature centers-closing any buildings on site and eliminating county positions. But the Board of Legislators did not agree with this particular cost-cutting measure and acted to preserve that county support.  

"I'm happy to report that the funding for the nature centers was restored to the proposed 2012 budget by the legislators," said County Legislator Judy Myers (D-7).

Myers said she received more than 300 letters, postcards and emails from residents of the seventh district in support fo funding the centers.

Of 210 proposed county staff layoffs, the Board of Legislators also replaced funding for 195 positions. Among those jobs spared was that of Read Sanctuary curator Michael Gambino.

"Until the final budget has made it through the veto-and-override stages and a final approved budget exists with the curators and nature centers in it, I can't completely relax," said Gambino. "Though I feel more optimistic at the moment."

If the county executive chooses to counter Board of Legislators' effort to replace the nature centers' funding at Thursday's delete meeting, it could set the stage for yet another stand-off between County Executive Astorino. The county executive still faces an overwhelmingly Democrat-to-Republican ratio among the Board of Legislators. If Astorino blocks any of the BOL changes to his budget proposal, Myers said there would be adequate time for the legislative body to override the county executive's vetoes and approve a budget by the end of the month as required by New York State.