Westchester County Board of Legislators
Westchester County Board of Legislators | |
|---|---|
 | |
| History | |
New session started | January 8, 2018 |
| Leadership | |
Chair of the Board | Benjamin Boykin (D) since January 8, 2018 |
Vice-Chair of the Board | Alfreda Williams (D) since January 8, 2018 |
Catherine Parker (D) since January 8, 2018 | |
John Testa (R) since January 8, 2018 | |
MaryJane Shimsky (D) since January 8, 2018 | |
Gordon A. Burrows (R) since January 8, 2018 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 17 |
 | |
Political groups | Majority caucus (13)
Minority caucus (4)
|
Length of term | 2 years |
| Salary | $49,200/year.[1] |
| Elections | |
Last election | November 8, 2017 (17 seats) |
Next election | November 5, 2019 (17 seats) |
| Website | |
| Westchester County Board of Legislators | |
The Westchester County Board of Legislators is the legislative, policy-making branch of Westchester County. The powers of the Board are enumerated in the County’s charter. A key power of the Board concerns finances: appropriating funds, approving the budget and levying taxes. It also approves appointments by the County Executive and passes local laws, acts, and resolutions.
The Board’s seventeen members, known as Legislators, are elected every two years and each represent a district approximately 56,000 residents.
Board members
The Board of Legislators has seventeen members, each representing a district of approximately 56,000 residents. As of April 24, 2018, thirteen of them are Democrats, three are Republicans, and one is a Conservative who caucuses with the Republicans. On January 8, 2018, Legislator Benjamin Boykin, a Democrat, was elected Chair of the Board with the votes of the four Republicans present and without the votes of three Democrats who had misgivings about the selection process. Legislator Alfreda Williams was unanimously elected as Vice-Chair of the Board.[2]
On February 16, 2018, County Executive George Latimer announced that Legislator James Maisano, a Republican, would be his appointee for the office of director of the county Department of Consumer Protection. Maisano will resign his seat before February 26, 2018, when he begins his new job.[3]
On April 24, 2018, Democrat Terry Clements was elected to Maisnao's seat in a special election, defeating Republican Jim Freeman.[4]
| District | Legislator | Notes | Residence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Testa (R) | Minority Leader | Peekskill |
| 2 | Kitley Covill (D) | Pound Ridge | |
| 3 | Margaret Cunzio (C) | Mount Pleasant | |
| 4 | Michael Kaplowitz (D) | Somers | |
| 5 | Benjamin Boykin (D) | Chair | White Plains |
| 6 | Nancy E. Barr (D) | Rye Brook | |
| 7 | Catherine Parker (D) | Majority Leader | Rye City |
| 8 | Alfreda Williams (D) | Vice-Chair | Greenburgh |
| 9 | Catherine Borgia (D) | Ossining | |
| 10 | Damon Maher (D) | New Rochelle | |
| 11 | Terry Clements (D) | New Rochelle | |
| 12 | MaryJane Shimsky (D) | Majority Whip | Hastings-on-Hudson |
| 13 | Lyndon Williams (D) | Mount Vernon | |
| 14 | David Tubiolo (R) | Yonkers | |
| 15 | Gordon A. Burrows (R) | Minority Whip | Yonkers |
| 16 | Christopher A. Johnson (D) | Yonkers | |
| 17 | Virginia Perez (D) | Yonkers |
Committees
The Board of Legislators operates under a committee system. Currently, there are thirteen committees, each of which is charged with overseeing a particular policy area.
The following table reflects Committee chairs during the legislative term of 2018-2019.[5]
| Committee | Chair |
|---|---|
| Appointments | Christopher Johnson |
| Budget and Appropriations | Catherine Borgia |
| Environment, Health & Energy | Nancy Barr |
| Intergovernmental Services | Terry Clements |
| Labor and Housing | Damon Maher |
| Law & Major Contracts | Lyndon Williams |
| Legislation | Kitley Covill |
| Parks, Planning & Economic Development | Michael Kaplowitz |
| Public Safety | Margaret Cunzio |
| Public Works | Mary Jane Shimsky |
| Rules | Ben Boykin, Catherine Parker, John Testa, and Alfreda Williams |
| Seniors & Constituencies | David Tubiolo |
| Social Services | Kitley Covill |
References
- ^ "Westchester County 2014 Operating Budget, Section E: Salary Scales" (PDF).
- ^ "Westchester County Board of Legislators January 8, 2018 Organizational Meeting Video & Agenda".
- ^ Lungariello, Mark (February 16, 2018). "Jim Maisano introduced as part of George Latimer's administration". The Journal News.
- ^ Lungariello, Mark (April 24, 2018). "Mayer claims victory in NYS Senate 37th District race, more resultsn". The Journal News.
- ^ "Westchester County Board of Legislators 2018–2019 Committee Assignments".