Westchester County Board of Legislators
Westchester County Board of Legislators | |
|---|---|
 | |
| History | |
New session started | January 6, 2020 |
| Leadership | |
Chair of the Board | Benjamin Boykin (D) since January 6, 2020 |
Vice-Chair of the Board | Alfreda Williams (D) since January 6, 2020 |
Mary Jane Shimsky (D) since January 6, 2020 | |
Margaret Cunzio (R) since January 6, 2020 | |
Christopher Johnson (D) since January 6, 2020 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 17 |
 | |
Political groups | Majority caucus (16)
Minority caucus (1)
|
Length of term | 2 years |
| Salary | $75,000/year.[1] |
| Elections | |
Last election | November 5, 2019 (17 seats) |
Next election | November 2, 2021 (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 February 2020, sixteen of them are Democrats and one is a Conservative who caucuses as a Republican. On January 8, 2018, Legislator Benjamin Boykin, a Democrat, was elected Chair of the Board. Legislator Alfreda Williams was unanimously elected as Vice-Chair of the Board. They were re-elected in 2020.[2]
| District | Legislator | Notes | Residence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colin Smith (D) | Peekskill | |
| 2 | Kitley Covill (D) | Pound Ridge | |
| 3 | Margaret Cunzio (C) | Mount Pleasant | |
| 4 | Vedat Gashi (D) | Yorktown | |
| 5 | Benjamin Boykin (D) | Chair | White Plains |
| 6 | Nancy E. Barr (D) | Rye Brook | |
| 7 | Catherine Parker (D) | 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 Leader | Hastings-on-Hudson |
| 13 | Lyndon Williams (D) | Mount Vernon | |
| 14 | David Tubiolo (D) | Yonkers | |
| 15 | Ruth Walter (D) | Yonkers | |
| 16 | Christopher A. Johnson (D) | Majority Whip | Yonkers |
| 17 | José Alvarado (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.[3]
| Committee | Chair |
|---|---|
| Appointments | Ruth Walter |
| 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 & Recreation | David Tubiolo |
| Planning, Economic Development & Energy | Catherine Parker |
| Public Safety | Colin Smith |
| Public Works & Transportation | Vedat Gashi |
| Rules | Mary Jane Shimsky & Margaret Cunzio |
| Seniors, Youth & Intergenerational Services | José Alvarado |
| Social Services | Christopher Johnson |
References
- ^ Kevin Zimmerman. "Westchester County Board of Legislators approves 52% pay raise for selves." Westchester County Business Journal. December 11, 2019.
- ^ Mark Lungariello. "Ben Boykin reelected Westchester legislature chairman." Journal News. January 6, 2020.
- ^ "Westchester County Board of Legislators 2020–2021 Committee Assignments".