Nancy Barr is in her fourth two-year term as County Legislator representing District 6, comprised of Port Chester, Rye Brook and Harrison. Legislator Barr brings an acute awareness of the challenges faced by our County and its residents, a collaborative, forward-looking mind-set with a focus on building relationships, and honed problem-solving skills to meet these challenges with innovative solutions.

Legislator Barr is committed to addressing climate change, storm mitigation and infrastructure improvements. She also prioritizes responsible development to benefit Westchester’s economy, protect small businesses and provide affordable housing. Quality of life issues such as protecting workers’ rights and equal rights for all Westchester residents, increasing access to childcare, healthcare and mental health services, and improving Westchester’s treasured parks system are equally important.

Legislator Barr currently Chairs the Human Services Committee, Co-Chairs the Board’s Families Task Force and serves as Vice Chair of the Budget & Appropriations and Public Works & Transportation Committees. Legislator Barr also serves on the Law & Major Contracts and Parks & Environment Committees, and is Board liaison to the County’s Airport Advisory Board. Legislator Barr previously served as Vice Chair of the Board, Chair of the Law & Major Contracts and Environment & Health Committees, and as Vice Chair of the Planning, Economic Development & Energy Committee.

Legislator Barr has followed through on her commitment to help Westchester families by introducing and voting for legislation designed to protect the health, safety and economic well-being of the County and its residents. This legislation includes the Immigration Protection Act, the Wage History Discrimination Act, and laws banning gun shows on County property, spurring the hiring of service-disabled veteran-owned businesses in County contracts, and raising the age for sales of tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21.

Legislator Barr co-sponsored the County’s expanded polystyrene (aka Styrofoam) ban, lobbied strongly for Westchester County to take a role in helping municipalities make food scrap recycling affordable and composting accessible, and co-sponsored the Upon Request/Single-Use Foodware legislation. She also supported Clinic Access, Fair Housing, Right to Counsel, Co-op Disclosure, Earned Sick Leave, Flood Disclosure, Food Allergy Safety and Reporting of Hate Incidences laws, amongst others. Legislator Barr was also instrumental in creating the People with Disabilities Advisory Committee, which advises the County Executive and Board of Legislators on issues relating to people with disabilities including recommending legislation, funding priorities and programs. For more on Legislator Barr’s role in shaping County policy and helping her constituents, see her annual newsletters.

In addition to her legislative duties, Legislator Barr remains active in her local community. She serves on the Council of Community Services of Rye Town, Port Chester and Rye Brook, is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Port Chester/Rye Brook and is an inaugural member of the Lions Club of Port Chester/Rye Brook. Prior to becoming County Legislator, Ms. Barr served on the Blind Brook School Board for six years, including as President and Vice President, on several school district committees, and coordinated meals for Blind Brook/St. Peter’s Soup Kitchen in Port Chester for over a decade while her children were growing up. In all these roles, Ms. Barr has gained insight into the problems faced by residents, and has worked hard to find solutions to community challenges via advocacy and mobilization.

After earning her Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University, Ms. Barr worked for the American Kennel Club in their Education and Public Affairs department. She later graduated from Yale Law School, where she volunteered in the Yale Law Immigration Clinic. She spent a summer at the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) Children’s Rights Project. Before moving to Westchester, Vice Chair Barr was a Trusts and Estates attorney at the Manhattan law firm Milbank Tweed Hadley and McCloy.

Ms. Barr was born in Queens and grew up in Stony Brook, Long Island. She and her husband Tom Kratochvil have lived in Rye Brook since 1996 and have two adult children.