Latimer Releases $2.5B Operating Budget for 2025 With Flat Tax Levy
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Westchester County Executive George Latimer released his $2.5 billion county operating budget for 2025 last week that places continued emphasis on increasing affordable housing, mental health initiatives and public safety while maintaining a flat tax levy.
The budget, which will be Latimer’s last before he moves on to Congress in January, proposes no levy increase for the sixth year in a row.
“It prioritizes vital services for this community and it upholds fiscal responsibility,” said Latimer, who shared making the presentation last Thursday with Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins. “This proposed budget maintains the same tax levy as the 2024 general fund, marking the sixth consecutive year that we have presented a Westchester County budget without a property tax increase.”
In addition, the county has seen the ratings agencies improve its credit standing. Westchester has recently been recognized by Fitch with a AAA credit rating while S&P Global Ratings revised its outlook from stable to positive while reaffirming its AA+ long-term rating on the county’s existing general obligation bonds. Moody’s Investors Service also affirmed the county’s credit position as Aa1 stable.
Latimer said he has proposed $50 million go toward the development of affordable housing, similar to recent years. The county would also create the Office of Housing Council that would provide grants for legal services and eviction diversion, he said.
There is also $500,000 earmarked for planning consultants to help implement affordable housing and flood mitigation projects.
More than $300 million has been proposed to fund public safety, including $78 million toward the county police, $164 million for the Department of Corrections, $46 million for the Department of Probations and $18 million for Emergency Services.
Latimer said Westchester will continue its partnerships with federally qualified health centers and is in the process of creating a health outpatient clinic at 112 E. Post Rd. in White Plains. Furthermore, the county will continue its community vaccination clinics with the Yonkers School District and it would establish a maternal mortality program.
In 2025, the county executive’s office proposes spending $78 million on child care subsidies, a $22 million increase over the current year, Jenkins said.
Allocating financial support for ongoing environmental goals are also part of next year’s budget. The county plans to have a fully hybrid-electric or electric Bee-Line bus fleet before the end of next year by replacing the last 21 diesel buses. The county has 303 buses that are part of its fleet.
Other environment-related projects include paying for 600 new EV chargers around Westchester for the public’s use through the municipal EV charging grant program. There will also be the Climate Action Council’s planning institute technical assistance for grants that would go toward municipalities, expansion of free compost giveaway days, continuation of the municipal food waste program and several new recycling programs that include fats, oil and grease at the Household Material Recovery Facility.
The 2025 operating budget also provides for continued funding for Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) for technical assistance, procurement fairs, programs for expansion of the local biosciences sector, support for entrepreneurs and workforce development programs in health care and clean energy.
Over the next month the Board of Legislators will review the proposed 2025 spending plan, hold two public input sessions and a hearing and eventually approve the document.
Board of Legislators Chair Vedat Gashi (D-Yorktown) echoed the administration’s sentiment that the proposed budget is fiscally responsible while addressing the county’s needs. He said lawmakers realize that expenses have been pressuring many families and county officials don’t want to make the situation worse.
“I’m proud to be part of and presenting a budget that doesn’t seek to unload that burden to the taxpayer,” Gashi said. “We’re doing everything that we can here to make sure that it’s a balanced and fiscally responsible budget at the same time.”
Gashi along with Jewel Williams Johnson, chair of the board’s Budget and Appropriations Committee, and Legislator Terry Clements, formally received the document from Latimer.
There will be two public input sessions this month followed by a formal public hearing on Thursday, Dec. 4 at the Board of Legislators chambers in the County Office Building in White Plains at 7 p.m.
The first public input sessions will be this Thursday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Joseph G. Caputo Community Center, located at 95 Broadway in Ossining. That will be followed by another public session on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m. at the Greenburgh Library, located at 300 Tarrytown Rd. in Elmsford.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
