The people of Westchester County are united, the county is in solid financial shape, projects are underway to preserve and enhance landmarks and infrastructure and Covid is no longer the threat it once was, according to Westchester County Executive George Latimer.
Latimer delivered his 2022 State of the County address in the Board of Legislators’ chamber at the County Office Building in White Plains on the evening of April 21. It was the fifth such address Latimer has given since taking office and the first during his second four-year term.
“A war of aggression rages just across the ocean, bringing fear and death. We pray for Ukraine,” Latimer said. “And here, locally on our streets, where our children play, where we close deals and inquire about new opportunities, where we take our parents for care and stop for coffee, in each of these corners of our small patch of land, we must continue to stop division.”
Latimer thanked the people of Westchester for putting their faith in him to manage the county on their behalf and reaffirmed his strong belief in governing through democracy.
Latimer decried autocrats whether in Albany, Washington or “in the Kremlin with the power to execute millions of lives at whim. We are stronger and better when we find ways to work together. United, even in our disagreements.”
Latimer said that an example of Americans caring about each other was found in “the way nearly 90% of Westchester County residents got vaccinated against Covid-19, to protect their families and each other.”
He reported that the County Health Department vaccinated 77,125 people at county clinics, has done 416,593 case investigations for Covid and tested 274,167 students, faculty and staff in the schools. Since March 2020, the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services has distributed 339 gallons of disinfectants and cleaners, 49,951 packages of disinfecting wipes, 1,013,023 face shields, 1,527,050 pairs of gloves, more than 2.4 million face masks and 719,140 Covid rapid test kits.
Latimer reported that the 2020 census puts the county”™s population at 1,004,457, 5.8% growth since the 2010 census.
He said the county closed out 2021 with a $64 million operating surplus and that the 2022 budget of $2.2 billion allows for another property tax cut, the third consecutive one during his administration. He said it’s the largest in a decade, totaling $7 million. He said that he hopes to be able to continue the tax-cutting trend. He pointed out that Westchester County”™s bond ratings now stand as ”stable” by all three major rating agencies.
Latimer recapped the county”™s efforts to attract business and new jobs, including funding the Westchester County Association”™s Healthcare Talent Pipeline Program that will recruit, train, support and place up to 100 job seekers with health care employers over a 12-month period.
He pointed to the county”™s Launch1000 program that has already helped almost 300 start-up businesses and recently added programs in Spanish.
Latimer said that crime is down in the county and 34 of 38 recommendations of a task force on policing in the county have been already put into place. These include steps  enhancing community outreach, providing body cameras to all county police officers, installing dash-cams in all county police vehicles and increasing and diversifying recruitment efforts for county police.
Latimer said he kept his promise to strengthen and revitalize the Westchester County Human Rights Commission and signed into law the Anti-Discriminatory Harassment Bill that expands the type of harassment that can be prosecuted under the law.
On the issue of affordable housing, Latimer said, “After 12 long years, Westchester County is finally able to close the book on the Affordable Housing Settlement (with the federal government). We recently received notification from the court that Westchester County was in substantial compliance with the Consent Decree, and a federal housing monitor was no longer needed.”
Latimer said that than 4,400 units of affordable housing are in the pipeline in Westchester.
“We have allocated millions of dollars in the budget each year to develop and rehabilitate affordable housing units. A combined total of $50 million dollars that was allocated in the 2022 Capital Budget represents the largest single-year commitment to affordable housing in the county”™s history, $90 million dollars over the last three years.”
The Business Journal previously reported that the county airport master plan update would begin in May and during the address Latimer announced that on May 24 at 6 p.m. a session would take place at Pace Law School, with subsequent public input sessions planned for June.
Latimer reported that the county”™s parks have been undergoing upgrades and noted that the county has pledged $10 million toward building a waterfront park in the Ludlow section of Yonkers. He also pointed to the $125 million in construction and rehabilitation that is underway at Playland Amusement Park.
Latimer honored World War II veterans and noted that the county opened a new office near the County Center in White Plains to serve veterans.
The county legislators and invited guests each received a small bag of soil that was created at the county”™s compacting center along with something attached to the bag.
“Attached you will find a small pack of sunflower seeds, the official flower of Ukraine,” Latimer said. “Please do me a favor; use this soil and plant those seeds and think of the men and women overseas when you do.”
