Westchester County Public Safety & Veterans Committee Meeting – May 5, 2026

This joint meeting of the Public Safety and Veterans committees convened at 3:06 PM on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in the Michaelian Office Building, White Plains, and via Webex. Chair David Tubiolo presided. The primary agenda item was the revival of the county’s FAVOR (discount) program for veterans, with updates from the Westchester County Veterans Service Agency (VSA). Legislators expressed strong support and offered collaborative assistance.

Discussion Items

FAVOR Program Revival

• Director Josh Gaccione and Program Administrator Travis Melby presented a plan to reestablish the FAVOR veteran discount card. Instead of a photo card with rank, they will issue a barcoded card similar to the county parks card, with an initial order of 5,000–10,000 cards. The card will be rolled out by Veterans Appreciation Day at Playland (August 9, 2026).
• Registration will be online through a secure IT portal (due to Social Security numbers) to verify veteran status. The county IT department is involved for security compliance.
• Businesses will not be required to have barcode readers; a simple visual check and a sticker indicating participation will suffice. The program aims for low barrier to merchant adoption.
• In tandem, the VSA will create a comprehensive veteran-owned business directory on the county website, leveraging merchant outreach to identify and list veteran businesses. This directory may also include a barter system concept for veteran businesses to support each other.
• Legislators offered to help promote the program through their newsletters, chambers of commerce meetings, and at events like Kensico Dam Sunday gatherings.
• Legislator Nolan noted that initial communication could include QR codes for veterans to register, and suggested partnering with chambers of commerce and American Legion posts to identify veterans and merchants.

Veterans Service Agency Update

• Gaccione reported record performance: 925 client interactions in the last quarter of 2025. The VSA now serves veterans from Putnam and Rockland counties for pension work, as no other office in those counties handles pensions.
• Staffing: nine employees total, with three VSOs (one vacancy for a grade 12 position). Gaccione stated the agency is “past capacity” with current workload, and adding at least one more grade 10 VSO would help with community outreach and project development.
• Veteran population estimate: between 40,000 and 60,000 in Westchester County, with a conservative 40,000 figure favored by Gaccione.
• Digitization of records: Interns through a VA Work Study program are digitizing paper records from 1980 to present, with two concurrent efforts—one for inactive records (archives pick-up) and one for active files uploaded into the VETPRO system for faster claims processing.
• A new intern, Desmond, joined through a military internship program (SkillBridge-like) that allows him to leave active duty 120 days early to work at VSA while remaining on military pay. He will then spend two weeks outprocessing before transitioning to civilian life.

Veterans Advisory Committee

• The committee has lost some initial members. Gaccione acknowledged delays in getting new members sworn in. Legislators committed to working with the County Executive’s office to appoint qualified candidates, with appointments flowing through the Appointments Committee. Legislators offered to identify candidates from their districts.

Community Outreach and Partnerships

• Legislator Smith suggested partnering with the Business Council of Westchester and local chambers. Gaccione agreed to a meeting with Sherry (county executive liaison to chambers).
• Legislators offered to attend events in their districts and help connect VSA with local Legion posts.
• A legislator mentioned the Reserve Organization Association (ROA) as a potential partner for reaching Hudson Valley veterans; Gaccione welcomed the contact.
• The VSA’s upcoming events: Memorial Day ceremony (May 22), and a Veterans Town Hall & Job Resource Fair (September 26).

Key Outcomes

• FAVOR card rollout: Target date of August 9, 2026 (Veterans Appreciation Day at Playland). Online registration portal being built; physical cards with barcodes to be printed. No merchant hardware required.
• Merchant and veteran business directory: To launch simultaneously, with a low-barrier registration for businesses. Legislators will share marketing materials and QR codes in their districts.
• Staffing need: Director Gaccione requested an additional grade 10 VSO position in a future budget cycle. Committee members acknowledged budgetary constraints but expressed openness to exploring the request.
• Digitization: Ongoing via interns and VA Work Study; archives pick-up of old files, active files being uploaded to VETPRO.
• Veterans Advisory Committee: To be reconstituted with new members; legislators will help identify candidates and expedite appointments through the Appointments Committee.
• Partnerships: VSA will engage with Business Council of Westchester, local chambers, and ROA. Legislators will connect VSA with their local Legion posts and chambers.
• Votes: The meeting committee approved minutes from previous meeting and adjourned unanimously (all present: Vice Chair Clements, Legislators Cunzio, Smith, and Chair Tubiolo) at 6:51 PM.