Jenkins Formally Announces Bid for County Exec Office
At a press conference at the Crowne Plaza in White Plains Wednesday afternoon, Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins (D-Yonkers) confirmed his intention to run for the office of County Executive.
“I am in, and I am in all the way,” he said to a crowd of cheering supporters.
Jenkins, was joined at the podium by his wife Deborah Hudson-Jenkins and Democratic leaders including Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, Assemblyman James Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon), Legislator Alfreda Williams (D-Greenburgh), Legislator Judy Myers (D-Mamaroneck), Legislator Peter Harckham (D-Katonah-Lewisboro), Legislator Catherine Borgia (D-Ossining), State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers), and many others.
Jenkins spoke about a county government going in what he calls “the wrong direction.”
“The facts are these,” he said. “Your property taxes have continued to rise, your fees to county services have gone up, while your quality of life has gone down. Our county government is not doing more with less, it is doing less with less and shifting the burden [to the taxpayer] in other ways.”
Jenkins said that people want to know their tax dollars are not being wasted.
“It is fiscally irresponsible to borrow for operating costs like tax refunds then dismantle the programs and amenities that have made the quality of life in Westchester what it is,” he continued, referring to Rob Astorino’s 2013 budget policy that refused to go to the county’s general fund on tax certs and instead will borrow the money.
In one of the most prosperous counties in the United States, Jenkins said the interests of all the people must be considered so that everyone can take advantage of the good things Westchester has to offer.
During his speech Jenkins referred to lawsuits being filed by the CSEA (Civil Service Employees Union) and childcare advocates to contest the process by which the 2013 county budget was adopted.
Jenkins, says he is “aware of the historic nature of his run.” If he wins he would be the first African-American in the County Executive position.
Jenkins will face former BOL chairman Bill Ryan (D-White Plains) and New Rochelle Noam Bramson (D-New Rochelle) who have also put their names out for election to the county executive office.
