In his 12th annual State of the County Address, Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano proclaimed the county was in the best financial position of any county in New York State while touting the many essential services the county provides for its residents.

“I believe that county government is doing exactly what it should be doing, working for you,” Spano said in a televised 45-minute speech in the chambers of the Board of Legislators in White Plains. “Working to improve your lives, working to protect your families, and yes, working to save you tax dollars.”

Spano, who is seeking a fourth four-year term this fall, said county taxes over the last five years have averaged a 2.6% increase, while cutting spending by $23 million the last two years. He also said that since 2005, three new, vital departments have been created, Senior Programs and Services, Information Technology and Emergency Services. Meanwhile, there are 146 less county employees than when Spano was elected in 1997.

“In times of trouble, more people rely on government to help them,” he said. “This is especially true when it comes to the most vulnerable: victims of domestic violence, the very poor and hungry, the frail elderly, children without parents to care for them, young people in trouble and those who need our attention to stay out of trouble.”

As for the criticism by some that county government should be “rethought” or eliminated, Spano said counties can only be abolished by an act from the State Legislature, noting every county in the state would be erased by such a decision.

“We don’t need to rethink county government, we have been thinking all along,” Spano said. “But more importantly we have been doing. We have reduced, we have modernized and we have excelled.”

However, Minority Leader George Oros (R/Cortlandt) and the Republican caucus maintained the Spano administration is out of touch with the economic pressures many residents are facing.

“Today, more than ever, we need to refocus our county government,” Oros said. “We need to make Westchester more affordable. We need to make county government smaller. We need lower taxes. We need to make Westchester a place where small business is welcomed and encouraged.”

Calling for true reform, Oros said the Republican caucus proposed spending cuts to the 2009 budget that would have reduced county taxes without cutting any vital services.

“We also need to restore a sense of trust in government, a trust that has been shattered by acts of greed, self righteousness and deplorable conduct,” he added. “The true response to the State of the County must come from the taxpayers.”