Election 2017 – Westchester County Legislature – District 5
Benjamin Boykin II
Party: Democratic, Working Families, Independence
Benjamin Boykin is a member of the Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) serving District 5, which includes most of the City of White Plains, Scarsdale and West Harrison.
Boykin served on the White Plains Common Council from 2000 to 2012, was former chairman of the White Plains Shared Services Committee, former chairman of the White Plains Youth Board, and member of the White Plains School Board from 1992 to 1999, among other memberships on service organizations.
Boykin is running unopposed for another two-year term on the BOL.
As a White Plains resident, Boykin spends a good deal of his time in the city, walking around the downtown and meeting with residents and business professionals. “I enjoy being out with the people,” he said. “People will tell you what’s on their mind. In White Plains, they are satisfied with the city. At the county level the fiscal situation is not good.”
Boykin is hoping for new leadership at the county executive level.
As chairman of the Public Safety and Social Services Committee, Boykin is particularly concerned with the safety and security of county residents and businesses. One issue at the top of his mind is the gun show scheduled for the county-owned Westchester County Center in White Plains in January 2018. With the current legislative session ending Dec. 31, Boykin says there appears to be no way to avoid the impending show. Word is that there is no signed contract, but if a contract were in place it would be difficult to break. If George Latimer should win the county executive race, Boykin is confident he would seek an injunction to stop the show.
The situation is similar with regard to immigration. Astorino’s veto of the Immigration Protection Act puts lives at risk, according to Boykin.
Boykin is also critical of the county’s Human Rights Commission for not stepping up to the plate fast enough to deal with Hate literature that was recently distributed on the campus of Westchester Community College, another county-owned property, as well at SUNY, Purchase.
“The Human Rights Commission must be more proactive,” Boykin contends. “All colleges and the local school districts throughout the county should be working with the police.”
Boykin is concerned that all people should have the opportunity to stay in the county if they want to. “We need to create more jobs and provide affordable places to live. The youth and the aging population are not able to live here,” he said.
The opioid crisis is also very much on Boykin’s mind. “It affects all ethnic and economic groups. The BOL voted to join other counties to sue Big Pharma. When the litigation begins, by signing, Westchester would be in a position to be part of any settlements. But Astorino has said ‘we have pharmaceutical companies in the county, we can’t sue them’.” Boykin thinks there would be enough votes to override any veto by the County Executive on that issue, but the window of opportunity to be a co-signer is closing.
Boykin is happy to continue serving the community of District 5. He encourages constituents to call his office at the BOL at 914-995-2827 or to visit the website at westchesterlegslators.com.
Alfreda A. Williams
Party: Democratic, Working Families
Alfreda Williams serves Westchester County District 8, comprised of Elmsford, Greenburgh, Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown and a small part of White Plains.
She is running for re-election uncontested.
