The Keep Westchester Thriving Coalition will host a forum called “Our Budget, Our Values: A Community Conversation” at 7:45 a.m. Friday at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in White Plains. Co-sponsored by Pace, the interactive forum will feature two rounds of discussions that aim to provide ideas for elected officials as Westchester County heads into annual county budget deliberations.
“Up until now, public input on the budget has been limited to three public hearings that come too late to discuss larger issues,” said Joanna Straub, executive director of Nonprofit Westchester. “It is our hope that this forum will provide for a robust exchange of ideas and help the community develop a long-term plan for our future.”
Ron Deutsch, executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, will open the program by outlining the challenges the county faces and presenting a variety of options for generating revenue. The program will be moderated by Laura Rossi, executive director of the Westchester Community Foundation.
Keep Westchester Thriving was formed in November 2015 in order to encourage policies and funding that support the well being of the county. The coalition is composed of nine nonprofit member organizations: Campaign for Kids, Child Care Council of Westchester, Community Voices Heard, Federated Conservationists of Westchester County, Interfaith Clergy for Social Action, New York Immigration Coalition, Nonprofit Westchester, Westchester NOW and Westchester Women”™s Agenda.
For more information on the forum, or to register, visit http://bit.ly/budgetvalues.
