Westchester County Rebuilding From Pandemic: Latimer

WHITE PLAINS, NY — There is more work to do, but, after a year that saw businesses close, the economy tank and thousands of people stay home, the state of Westchester County is strong and getting stronger.

That was the message County Executive George Latimer presented to the public at the annual State of the County Address Thursday from the Legislative Chambers of the Board of Legislators.

"Look at us — look at us vaccinated and fighting back," he said. "We have a long way to go my friends, we still aren't all the way back, but ladies and gentlemen we are getting there, and we are united to move forward."

Latimer said he kept his promise to cut county property taxes for the second year in a row, even in the midst of a crippling pandemic, and said if projections hold true, the county will be able to cut property taxes again next year, for the third straight year.

All county services were maintained in the 2021 budget, even though expenditures were cut by $15.7 million.

Among the initiatives that Latimer touted during the address were:

• A 2020 Budget with no layoffs, furloughs, service cuts or borrowing for pension costs
• A $16 million increase in the county’s general fund balance to more than $200 million by the end of 2021, the largest in the county’s history
• The #SpeakUpWestchester campaign launched with District Attorney Mimi Rocah, designed to encourage those who are the victim or witness a hate crime, bias or hate incident to report it
• A strengthening of the Westchester County Human Rights Commission
• The restoration of several Westchester County Youth Bureaus
• The county’s new Compost & Education Center, to compliment Westchester residents recycling at unprecedented rates
• New appointments in leadership to several county departments, to ensure a diverse workforce for a diverse County
• Dozens of completed, in-progress or approved infrastructure projects throughout the county

Latimer called out Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler and her department, the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Emergency Services for their handling of the new coronavirus crisis.

He also thanked the nearly 1,000 county employees who volunteered their time to work at vaccination clinics.

"Here in Westchester County we started vaccinating on Jan. 5 and that day we started with 10 Department of Health staff members at our clinic just down the block from here in White Plains," Latimer said.

"We were learning and teaching each other how to vaccinate for COVID-19," he said. "From that moment it has been non-stop."

Latimer acknowledged that the pandemic has taken a toll on the county but promised through good government to restore and rebuild Westchester back better than it was before.

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