WHITE PLAINS – Westchester County Executive George Latimer delivered his annual state of the county address in the Legislative Chambers of the Board of Legislators. He delivered his third annual briefing virtually as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
The county executive said that while “the storm clouds still hang over us, we know this squall is far from over – but I am here to tell you tonight that the State of our County is fierce.” He told his fellow residents that “we will not let any storm, no matter how heavy the rain or how vicious the winds, claim victory over us. Ever.”
The address highlighted several initiatives the Latimer Administration accomplished over the past year, including:
- Passing a 2020 Budget that included a one million dollar cut to the Westchester County Property Tax Levy
- Reestablishing the Urban County Consortium, and the Community Development Block Grant Program
- Breaking Ground on the Memorial Field Reconstruction Project in Mount Vernon
- Furthering Fair and Affordable Housing in Westchester
- Creating a robust Census outreach and awareness campaign
- Funding for various environmental initiatives, and a Food Scrap Recycling Program
Latimer commended Dr. Sherlita Amler and the Westchester County Department of Health, who rose to the task from the onset of COVID-19, acknowledging that Westchester was one of the first known hot-spots in the country.
Latimer also touched on a series of initiatives focused on economic recovery that have been rolled out over the past few months, to help the county’s economy build back stronger.
“We set aside $10 million in funding to create an initiative to support small businesses and nonprofits facing challenges due to COVID-19. Westchester County Business FIRST: Financial Investments for Recovery and a Sustainable Tomorrow is a new grant program designed to offer immediate financial relief to organizations in Westchester that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic,” he said.
