Westchester County Budget & Appropriations Committee Meeting – July 27, 2026

This joint meeting of the Budget & Appropriations, Infrastructure & Housing, Seniors & Youth, Legislation, Health, Parks & Environment, and Public Safety & Veterans committees was held on July 27, 2026, from 10:25 AM to 12:40 PM. A quorum was present (Legislators Woodson-Samuels, Holstein, Nambiar, Pierce, Williams, Gashi; absent: Tubiolo, Williams Johnson; Legislator Holstein away for some items). The committee approved 23 items, including multiple tax exemptions, bond acts, and inter-municipal agreements, and received two memos of legislation.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of June 8, 2026 and June 29, 2026 were approved.
• All items on the agenda were approved unanimously by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Discussion Items

• Real Property Tax Exemptions (Items 1–8): Justin Adin (Assistant Chief Deputy County Attorney) presented eight opt-in tax exemptions authorized by New York State. These included exemptions for active duty members of the Armed Forces serving in a combat zone (up to $20,000 or 25% of assessed value), seriously disabled veterans (100% exemption), surviving spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty (50% exemption), and surviving spouses of volunteer firefighters and ambulance service members (50% exemption, expanding an existing 10% exemption). Legislators discussed fiscal impacts, administrative burdens on local assessors, and the lack of data on potential beneficiaries. It was noted that these exemptions shift the tax levy within municipalities, not increase the county levy. All items were signed by committee and referred to the Board of Legislators.
• Westchester Community College 2026–2027 Budget (Item 9): The budget was presented with a correction to a discrepancy between student tuition and aid figures (bottom line unchanged). Legislator Nambiar expressed concern about tuition increases of nearly 20% over three years, though WCC remains the cheapest community college in the state. The county sponsor contribution remained at $6.2 million. The act was approved.
• IMA – Mount Vernon Summer Basketball Program (Item 10): An inter-municipal agreement for $15,000 to support a summer basketball program for 90 youth ages 6–16 from July 6 to August 14, 2026. Legislators praised the program. Approved.
• Ice Casino Improvements II (Items 11–12): Acting Parks Commissioner Peter Tartaglia explained a $4 million increase to $62.789 million total for capital project RP02A, due to code review, updated refrigerant requirements, fire alarm panel upgrades, and cost escalation. A bid has been received and held. The committee approved the capital budget amendment and amended bond act.
• Labs and Research Facility Rehabilitation and Upgrade (Item 13): Chief Administrator Keith Hoffman presented a $3.2 million bond act for 60% design of a new building (estimated total project cost $318 million, reduced from $370 million through value engineering). The new facility will replace aging infrastructure and consolidate lab services. Approved.
• County Clerk – Legal Division IT Upgrades (Item 14): County Clerk Thomas Roach detailed a $1.3 million bond act to replace the cashiering system (in service since 2009) and later rewrite legal applications. An RFP is pending for a system under $330,000. A separate $37,000 AI phone system upgrade (with $9,000 annual recurring cost) was also mentioned. Approved.
• County-Wide Building Management System (Item 15): Robert Abbamont (DPW&T) presented a $2.525 million bond act for design to replace the outdated Andover system with a new ecostructure system across 28 county facilities, citing security vulnerabilities and compatibility issues. Approved.
• New Bus Radio/Data System (Item 16): A $2.065 million bond act to cover additional costs for CCTV, router upgrades, farebox integration, and reporting software. The project is on track for Q1 2027 completion. Approved.
• South Yonkers Trunk Sewer System Reconstruction (Item 17): A $1 million bond act for cleaning, inspection, and minor repairs of 3,300 linear feet of 60-inch pipe (constructed 1930 and 1995). No design needed; work will be publicly bid. Approved.
• Building Access Control and Video Surveillance Upgrades (Items 18–19): Lennox Harris (Deputy CIO) presented a $1.3 million capital budget amendment and bond act (BIT45) to continue expansion of the county-wide system, including new facilities at 86 Main Street and Kensico Plaza for the World Cup event. Legislator Williams noted the state provided no reimbursement for World Cup-related costs. Approved.
• Correctional Facility Fire Alarm System (Item 20): A $7.96 million amended bond act to replace the pneumatic system (installed 1993) with a new Vesda system, after successful pilot. During construction, fire watch will be maintained. Approved.
• Prisoner Transportation IMAs (Items 21–22): Renewals of inter-municipal agreements with Peekskill and White Plains for prisoner transportation reimbursement, retroactive from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027. Approved.
• Correctional Infrastructure Improvements (Item 23): A $500,000 bond act to replace grinder pumps at the jail, which are failing weekly and pose a health and safety risk. Approved.

Receive & File

• Memo of Legislation – Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Property Tax Abatement (Item 2026-206): Submitted by Legislator Woodson-Samuels to incentivize creation of affordable housing through ADUs. Received and filed.
• Memo of Legislation – Small Business & MWBE Micro-Grant Pilot Program ($1M) (Item 2026-207): Submitted by Legislator Woodson-Samuels to support small businesses and MWBEs. Received and filed.

Key Outcomes

• All 23 items on the agenda were approved unanimously by the committees present and referred to the full Board of Legislators.
• The two memos of legislation were received and filed, marking the first step toward potential future legislation.
• No public comments were made during the meeting.