Bill Ryan is the leader of the Dem controlled Westchester County Legislature. In the 2008 budget – which raised Westchester’s already monumentally crushing property tax levy by 3% – he tried to sneak himself another breathtaking pay raise ($89k to $124k, for a part-time position) a feat he successfully pulled off two years ago when he managed to get himself a 14% bump. This from someone who has made little to no effort to keep spending at an acceptable level. If you are reading this from outside the Northeast, you should know that property taxes here are routinely between $10,000-$20,000+ annually. It’s weird how property values are declining, but the local pols who spend property taxes don’t seem to notice or care, and make no effort to have the County budget (and the tax burden) reflect the reality of the property market, unless of course, it is going up.