White Plains, NY — Calling the first half of 2018 "a period of fast-paced achievement and historic change for the Westchester County Board of Legislators," Board Chair Ben Boykin (D - Harrison, Scardale, White Plains), on Friday released a Mid-Year Report detailing the work of the legislature over the past six months, and highlights from the legislative session to date.
These include:
- Passage of a law prohibiting gun shows on county-owned property
- Approval a range of long-stalled public works projects including:
- Rehabilitation of Bronx River Parkway/Cross County Parkway ramps
- Rehabilitation of Columbus Avenue in Mt. Pleasant
- Replacing & repairing equipment at wastewater treatment facilities in Yonkers and Mamaroneck
- Purchase of new energy efficient vehicles, including nearly 80 new Bee-Line buses which will have nearly double the mileage per gallon of the previous buses and be almost pollution free
- Launch of an investigation into inadequate storm response by Con Ed and NYSEG
- Passage of the Immigration Protection Law
- Passage of a law to combat gender and race-based wage gaps by banning salary history questions in hiring
- Passage of a measure to encourage hiring in county contracts of businesses owned by service-disabled veterans
- Raising the age for sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21
- Election of the most diverse Board in County history, with a majority of women for the first time
Boykin said, "These are challenging times for Westchester. The county's fiscal condition underpins everything we've done over the first six months of 2018, and it will affect everything we do for the rest of the year and for several years to come. But with new leadership and with a new majority, we have begun to face these challenges and to deliver for the people of Westchester."