County Executive George Latimer released Westchester County’s proposed 2019 operating budget to the Board of Legislators on Friday.

The Board of Legislators will begin its budget deliberations on Tuesday, November 13, kicking off a series of committee meetings and public hearings.

This year's process will be unlike any other in recent memory.  With new leadership at the Board and a new County Executive, the process begins in a spirit of cooperation and transparency that has not been the case for many years. It also will be undertaken with an increased sense of fiscal responsibility as we work together to improve our county’s finances.

The administration’s operating budget proposal is $1.94 billion.  Unlike budgets of the last two years, the proposal does not require any use of the county’s savings account (fund balance).  It includes an increase of 2% in the county property tax.  The county property tax, on average, represents about 15% of the property tax bill of county residents.  The proposed 2019 operating budget is balanced by using new and non-recurring revenues, which allows the county to maintain a stable fund balance, critical to our credit ratings.

Information on the budget is available now on the Board of Legislators website, www.westchesterlegislators.com.  Visit the FY2019 Budget Dashboard on our site, where you can see the budget meeting schedule and view the proposed operating, capital and special districts budgets.

The dates and location of the public hearings on the 2019 budget are listed below:

  • Tuesday, November 20, 2018 at 7 p.m. – Yonkers Riverfront Library, 1 Larkin Center, Yonkers
  • Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at 7 p.m. – Ossining High School, 29 South Highland Avenue, Ossining
  • Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at 7 p.m.  – Board of Legislators Chambers, 148 Martine Avenue, 8th Floor, White Plains

If you would like to speak at any of these meeting, please note that sign-up begins at 6:15 p.m.