Eastchester REVIEW THE
November 30, 2018 | Vol. 6, Number 49 | www.eastchesterreview.com
Westchester promotes county civil service careers
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BLUE SHIRTS Empire City Casino is having viewing parties for Rangers away games, starting on Dec. 1. For more, see page 6.
Westchester County financial ratings released
Westchester was notified by S&P and Fitch that the county’s financial outlook has been downgraded to AA+. Moody’s assigned Aa1 to Westchester County. “These downgrades are certainly no surprise,” County Executive George Latimer said. “As we have said these past few months, the county is in serious financial stress. We have had to make hard decisions in drafting the 2019 proposed fiscal budget; we are saving wherever we can, such as renegotiating contracts such as the Liberty Lines deal. Regardless of the many
steps we are taking to improve our footing, these problems were not created overnight and they will not be solved overnight.” In the report, S&P stated that the rating action reflects the view of the county’s narrow financial reserves at fiscal year-end 2017, and the paying of the union contracts when no money had been previously budgeted to do so. Latimer took over county government in January 2018 after defeating two-term incumbent Rob Astorino. Astorino served eight years as the county executive. Additionally, the report com-
mends Latimer’s efforts to formulate a structurally balanced budget and recognized the county’s “strong management, with good financial policies and practices under our financial management assessment methodology.” Meanwhile, Fitch put the rating outlook at “stable” based on the county’s continued reliance on one-time budgetary actions. S&P stated that, “should the county successfully implement additional revenue measures, as well as continued evaluating expenditure reductions to produce structurally balanced operations
while constraining long-term liability growth, we could revise the outlook to stable.” Moody’s report also stated that, “The rating also reflects the county’s deteriorated financial position that is likely to improve in the near-term given strong financial management.” “We are going to right this ship,” Latimer said. “My goal is to have the county’s AAA bond rating, by Moody’s, S&P and Fitch, return before I leave office. But, we are going to have to face up to the necessity of tough choices in the days ahead.” (Submitted)
Many jobs with the county require applicants take a civil service exam—and if you are looking for one of those jobs—you’re in luck. Many exams are available online and applications can be submitted electronically. Civil service exams are often part of government employment. In order to get a job, be promoted, move to a different department, you need to take a test. So why are these jobs—and therefore the tests—worth it? Just look at a current Westchester County employee as an example. Francis Karintholil decided to serve the county because he wanted something new. He had worked for the Bank of New York until 1990, when he got a job at Westchester Community College as a registration clerk. “I didn’t expect to stay here, but I liked the environment and I was working with a lot of really nice people. Plus the benefits are really good,” he said. Karintholil went back to school eight years after he started with Westchester Community College and got an MBA from Long Island University. The county helped him pay for that education, and accommodated his trips to school after work. After 28 years, between 10 or 15 tests and seven promotions, Karintholil is an assistant commissioner of human resources for Westchester County. “My advice for anyone looking to work in civil service is to take as many tests as possible; especially tests for more general positions. Spanish language and technology skills are frequently requested, so if you have either of those, you’ll most likely be eligible for something,” he added. Any test for a county or municipal job in Westchester is designed by the state. The people who develop the tests typically base them on a job description and a list of prerequisites. The other guidelines they follow are
the expressed intent of the exams: According to the New York State Department of Civil Service, the intent is “… [to test] according to merit and fitness.”Not all of the county’s positions require a college degree. Many employees go back to school for free at Westchester Community College or use the tuition reimbursement program to attend other institutions. Working for the county promises other benefits. The healthcare plan is top-notch and there are many opportunities for upward mobility for good, hard-working employees. The permanency system is an especially appealing feature. For 12 weeks to a year following appointment to a position, an employee is on probation. At the conclusion of a successful probation, an employee gains permanency. After becoming permanent, an employee who tests for a new job and moves to that position is free to return to their ‘permanent’ position if they find the new job does not suit their skills. The county uses these policies to improve its workforce, ensuring that Westchester is served by qualified professionals. Although the tests can be difficult, study guides and assistance are readily available. Questions on the exams may repeat because there are similarities among various jobs such as “Supervision”— the questions in this subject are generic and cross all positions where supervising staff is a requirement of the position. This helps multiple-time test-takers score highly on the exams. The tests are undeniably a challenge, but many employees such as Karintholil have enjoyed long careers in civil service. And over the last few years, the number of test takers has increased. Vacancies occur when an existing permanent employee retires CIVIL continued on page 8