Westchester County Board Committee Meetings – July 27, 2026

On July 27, 2026, the Westchester County Board of Legislators committees met jointly, beginning with roll call about 10:26 AM and adjourning in stages by 12:40 PM. The committees approved tax exemptions, capital appropriations, bond acts, inter-municipal agreements, receive-and-file items, and minutes, including the Ice Casino Improvements II capital amendment. All substantive items were approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition and referred to the full Board of Legislators.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of the July 13, 2026 Parks & Environment meeting were approved unanimously.
• Receive-and-file items approved unanimously: Saw Mill River Sewer District 398 addition (2026-320); memo of legislation on drainage field assessment and redevelopment initiative (2026-332); memo of legislation on first-generation homebuyer down payment matching act (2026-333); memo of legislation on commercial conversion readiness act (2026-335); accessory dwelling unit property tax abatement receive-and-file (2026-206); small business and MWBE microgrant pilot program receive-and-file (2026-207).
• Committee minutes from June 8, 2026 and June 29, 2026 were also approved.

Discussion Items

Property Tax Exemptions

• Active-duty combat zone exemption (2026-323/324): Administration officials presented a new state opt-in exemption of up to $20,000 or 25% of assessed value for primary residences of active-duty service members who served in a designated combat zone in the preceding calendar year. They noted there is no county fiscal impact because the exemption changes how the municipal levy is distributed. Several legislators asked about participation data and noted the remaining taxpayers absorb the shift, but the local law was approved.
• Seriously disabled veterans exemption (2026-325/326): A full property tax exemption for veterans rated 100% permanently and totally disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Officials said this removes an earlier requirement that the home have adaptive modifications. County estimates cited 22,000 veterans, 13,000-14,000 veteran homeowners, 1,200-1,500 service-connected permanently/totally disabled veterans, and about 0.4% of 255,000 taxable parcels. Approved.
• Surviving spouses of police officers killed in line of duty (2026-312/313): A new 50% exemption for surviving spouses of qualifying police officers, with police officer defined under state law. Approved.
• Surviving spouses of volunteer firefighters/EMS members (2026-314/315): Amends an existing exemption to increase surviving-spouse benefits from 10% to 50%; the active volunteer firefighter/EMS exemption remains 10%, and five-year enrollment is required for the survivor benefit. Approved.

Other Discussion Items

• Westchester Community College 2026-2027 budget (2026-345): The Budget Department corrected a tuition/aid scheduling discrepancy in the proposed budget book; bottom-line figures did not change. A legislator flagged that WCC tuition had risen almost 20% in three years but said WCC remains the most affordable community college and supported the budget; officials noted college leadership promised a multi-year sustainability plan. The county contribution remained at $6.2 million. Approved.
• Mount Vernon Summer Basketball Program IMA (2026-319): Legislators praised the inter-municipal agreement with Mount Vernon for the summer basketball program, which serves about 90 children ages 6 to 16, is administered by Bob Sereno and the Department of Recreation, and keeps kids productive and off the streets. Approved.
• Ice Casino Improvements II - Capital Budget Amendment and Bond Act (2026-346/347): Acting Parks Commissioner Peter Tartaglia and Park Planning Director Rob Lopane requested a $4,000,000 increase, amending the total bond to $62,789,000, of which $58,789,000 had been previously authorized. They attributed about $700,000 to a required redesign of dehumidification units because of EPA refrigerant specification changes and an additional fire alarm panel replacement, with the remaining $3,300,000 from cost escalation after a lengthier-than-expected code review of the historic building. A third of the building - housing the studio rink, children's rink, and food concession - has been closed for three years, and the exterior is deteriorating. Consultants identified HVAC, electrical, and plumbing as the biggest bid increases; one variance table showed plumbing up 206%, but they said a full itemized breakdown would be provided. The project has already been bid and the low bidder is holding its price. Legislators asked about contingencies, change orders, bond-sale timing, signage, and federal grant availability; staff said contingency is included in a miscellaneous additional expenses account, bonds are sold based on actual expenditures, signage will be completed as needed, and no specific federal grant was identified. The capital budget amendment and amended Bond Act were signed and referred to the full Board.
• BLR Lab Research Facility Rehabilitation and Upgrade (2026-339): Department representatives requested $3,200,000 to complete design development (60% design) for a new laboratory building on the Grasslands campus. The facility houses the Office of the Medical Examiner, forensic sciences, forensic toxicology, environmental services, and microbiological services. A 2024 feasibility study recommended a new adjacent building as the lowest-cost, least-disruptive option. Value engineering reduced construction cost to $280,000,000 and total project cost to $318,000,000, with gross square footage around 139,000 and an about 8% increase over the existing facility. The transcript also contains an apparent earlier citation of a $115,000,000 construction cost and $370,000,000 total project cost, which is unresolved by the minutes. Officials said reductions involved hallways, ceiling heights, slab thickness, lobby size, and materials, not program space or building quality. A legislator questioned the $43,000,000 gap over the original $275,000,000 feasibility estimate; officials replied that the $275,000,000 figure was construction cost only, while the $318,000,000 figure is the fully loaded project cost, and construction cost is benchmarked to comparable laboratories. Approved.
• County Clerk Legal Division Information Technology (2026-344): Deputy County Clerk John Allen presented a $1,300,000 capital project to replace the cashiering system and rewrite/consolidate Legal Division applications and databases. The cashiering system has been in service since 2009 and was appropriated in 2018 but never upgraded. A contract award is near for less than $330,000 for the cashiering portion, including hardware and integration. A separate phone-system/AI upgrade would cost about $35,000-$38,000 one-time and about $9,000 recurring annually in the operating budget. Legislators supported the project, urged a human fallback in any AI phone system, and asked about e-recording/e-filing and cybersecurity coordination. Approved.
• Countywide Building Management System Upgrade (2026-330): Public Works requested a $2,525,000 design bond for capital project B0129 to replace the obsolete Andover/Continuum building management system, which is no longer supported by its manufacturer, with a Schneider Electric EcoStruxure platform. The system controls HVAC equipment in about 28 county facilities. It will address security vulnerabilities, improve web access and database compatibility, and expand BACnet interoperability with newer controls. Design is estimated at nine months and construction at twelve months. Approved.
• New Bus Radio/Data System Additional Funding (2026-343): The Department of Information Technology requested $2,065,000 in additional funding for the Bee-Line bus radio/data system, to complete the project by the first quarter of 2027. Costs increased due to additional access-point installation, CCTV with audio, replacement of incompatible on-bus routers, farebox integration with the CAD/AVL system, and report development. The new AVL system went live in December, the new omni/radio system in January, and the prior system has been decommissioned. The project does not cover paratransit. Camera footage is retained a minimum of 30 days, with a target of 35 days. Approved.
• South Yonkers Trunk Sewer System Reconstruction - Inspection and Rehab (2026-340): The Department of Environmental Facilities requested $1,000,000 to clean, inspect, and perform minor repairs on about 3,300 linear feet of 60-inch sewer pipe, about two-thirds built in 1930 and one-third in 1995. Inspection methods include CCTV, sonar, and 3D laser profiling. No design is required; the work will be let as a public works contract, and any major repairs would be a separate project. Approved.
• Building Access Control and Video Surveillance System Upgrade (2026-341/342): The county requested continuation funding for the ongoing countywide access control and video surveillance program. Officials cited unanticipated implementations at Playland, 86 Main Street, and Kensico Dam Plaza in connection with the World Cup event. The vendor already under contract is ITG Larson. A legislator criticized New York State for providing no reimbursement for World Cup-related county costs, including police overtime and IT expenses, and asked the county to seek reimbursement. Approved.
• Jail Fire Alarm System Replacement: Correctional staff requested the balance of funding to continue installing the new VESDA pneumatic fire alarm system after a successful pilot in one jail pod. The existing system dates to 1993 and replacement parts are no longer available. During construction, staffed fire watch is maintained around the clock. Approved.
• Inter-municipal Agreements with Peekskill and White Plains (2026-337/338): The county renewed standard IMAs with the cities of Peekskill and White Plains for inmate transportation services for the current and upcoming year. Approved.
• Jail Infrastructure Improvements - Grinder Pump Replacement (2026-329): The county requested $500,000 to replace grinder pumps original to the jail complex. The pumps are failing weekly and are a health and safety issue for staff and residents; they macerate items such as blankets and plastic bags in the sewage system. Approved.

Key Outcomes

• All discussed appropriation, bond, local law, and IMA items were approved by voice vote without recorded opposition and referred to the full Board of Legislators.
• Ice Casino Improvements II received final committee sign-off for a $4,000,000 increase, bringing the amended bond to $62,789,000.
• A legislator requested that the administration seek state reimbursement for World Cup-related county expenses, saying New York State had not provided funding for police overtime or IT costs.
• Receive-and-file items and committee minutes were accepted unanimously.