WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,374,995 VISITS IN ONE YEAR—65,000 VISITS A WEEK BY 985,281 VISITORS

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER, From County Legislator Benjamin Boykin December 19, 2019:

With the conclusion of the 2018-2019 legislative term, Board of Legislators Chairman Ben Boykin (D – White Plains, Scarsdale, Harrison) has released an End of Term Report.

The report, which is attached, details dozens of actions taken by the Board over the past two years to stabilize the County’s finances, restore Westchester’s infrastructure, improve County parks, safeguard the environment, increase affordable housing, protect public health and safety, support working families and make Westchester more fair and inclusive.

“The residents of Westchester elected the most diverse Board in County history for the 2018-2019 legislative term and asked us to confront many challenges,” Boykin said. “Foremost was the need to stabilize the County’s finances, after years of structural budget deficits and dwindling reserve funds. But we also faced a backlog of hundreds of millions of dollars of essential improvements to roads, bridges, parks and facilities, as well as the duty to ensure that our laws and regulations reflect our values. While there is always more work to be done, I’m proud to say that with diligent effort, bipartisan cooperation and a steadfast focus, the Board has been able to achieve these goals.”

Copy of report is attached.  It is also available on the BOL website at: https://westchesterlegislators.com/images/PDF/2019_wcbol-year-end-report.pdf

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link to wpweek of 12-13 on youtube…. https://youtu.be/B56U_-d8lN8

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Statements from the SEIU:

Frank Soults, spokesperson for the SEIU  comment on the effect Teamsters’ refusal to serve buildings where SEIU will picket will have : “They (the buildings) are severely affected, in various ways. It’s been a remarkably strong combination when the Teamsters and janitors strike together.”

Soults confirmed remarks made during the demonstrtation by a speaker the Cleaning Company Contractors have not discussed wages, but have demanded the union agree to lower number of sick days and the contractors wanted to make members pay for damaged equipment or property in any mishap.

Soults released a statement Friday from Tom Carey, President of the Westchester-Putnam Labor Central Labor Body, “We will walk the picket lines with you and we will ask our member unions to honor your picket lines.” Their website is here https://www.wpclb.org/

“We want the contractors and building owners to know that cleaners will not be shut out of the economic success we helped build!” said Lenore Friedlaender, Assistant to the President of 32BJ and the head of the union in the Hudson Valley. “With your authorization tonight, you demonstrate your willingness to walk off the job after December 31, to ensure that your families can continue to thrive.”

“Your fight is our fight!” said Louis Picani, President of Teamsters Local 456. “Every day you go to work, breaking your backs, but your bosses do not appreciate your efforts! Let’s let them know you cannot be broken! Let’s win a good contract now, and never give up the fight!”

White Plains Mayor Tom Roach reiterated the message. “I’m here to let you know I’m standing with you in your fight for a fair contract. I know about and am very grateful for the important work you do for everyone here in White Plains. Businesses depend on you to be viable.”

The 3,000 janitors covered under the contract clean some 250 properties across the Hudson Valley and Fairfield County, Connecticut. That amounts to over 85% of the large commercial buildings in the area, from suburban corporate headquarters to downtown office towers, from small universities to sprawling shopping malls.

“This is a simple issue,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. “Do we want to live in a country of the haves and have-nots, or do we want to build prosperity together? The policemen, the public employees who work in the County Building, the Teamsters, all deserve a fair contract, and so do the building cleaners of the Hudson Valley…. We call on your employers to negotiate a fair contract you can live with!”

At the height of the gathering, 32BJ Secretary Treasurer Larry Engelstein boarded the flatbed to ask, “Are you ready to tell the bosses that if we don’t get a satisfactory offer from them, we are ready to strike?”

With that, 500 hands lifted cards reading YES in bold letters — unanimously authorizing a potential strike — and the workers began a march through downtown White Plains that passed major buildings that the union members clean every day and night.

 “It can be difficult, being in negotiations, but we stand firm together” 32BJ cleaner and bargaining committee member Claudia Rodriguez said from the flatbed before the vote and march. “And what helps us most is the bigger unity behind us. Our great strength is that 3,000 of our brothers and sisters are also united. It’s what you and I do together here, in the streets, and if necessary, in the strike we will take after December 31, that will ensure we get a good contract.”

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARIONLEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators , December 9, 2019: 

This morning, the Board of Legislators voted 15-1 to pass the county’s 2020 operating, capital and special districts budgets.

The $2.1 billion operating budget, which includes a $1 million cut to the county property tax levy, continues work begun last year to strengthen the county’s finances. 

The 2020 budget uses no on one-shot revenues and contains no borrowing to fund operating expenses. It also adds $10 million to the county’s fund balance.  2020 will be the second year in a row that the county has added to its rainy day funds, after years of declines under the prior administration. Rebuilding the county’s fund balance is essential to protecting the county for the future and improving the county’s credit rating, which keeps County borrowing costs low.

The budget strengthens crucial services for Westchester families, especially in the area of child care, including increased support for the county’s Invest in Kids programs. There’s also more funding for nonprofit organizations which provide early childhood support programs. The budget also includes an increase in the reimbursement rate paid to child care providers, to make it easier for parents to find affordable, high quality child care and easier for providers to recruit and retain qualified workers who are being lost to higher paying jobs in other areas, like New York City.

The 2020 operating budget also increases money available for eviction prevention programs, expanding legal help for those facing eviction in Yonkers, and extending that support to Mount Vernon, Ossining and Peekskill. The programs help people remain in their homes, saving the county millions of dollars annually by keeping families out of the shelter system.

There’s also additional help for legal services for domestic violence survivors and for community health centers and criminal justice reform.

The capital budget commits $20 million to County funds that support the creation of new units of affordable housing.  It also continues efforts begun last year to accelerate long-lingering projects needed to repair and improve County roads, bridges, parks, and refuse and wastewater treatment facilities. Among other efforts, these include commitments to renovate Memorial Field in Mount Vernon and reconstruct the South County Trailway.