WHITE PLAINS, NY—Westchester County Executive George Latimer signed on Dec. 12 a budget for next year that includes a record investment to build workforce housing.  The total budget is $2.365 billion and includes cutting the county’s property tax levy by $6 million. 

 Among the budget allocations is $687-million for the capital program, which includes $473 million for general county purposes, $200 million for the Refuse, Sewer and Water districts and $14 million for the Westchester County Airport.

The budget includes investments in affordable housing, electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, recreational facilities, flood mitigation projects, numerous sewer and water projects and the paving of the Bronx River Parkway.

The capital budget calls for approximately $50 million for roads and bridges. Among the projects and locations listed were:

• Significant work on Central Park Avenue;
• The Austin Avenue Bridge over I-87 in Yonkers;
• Continued resurfacing of sections of the Bronx River Parkway;
• The Gallows Hill Road Bridge in the Town of Cortlandt;
• Route 22 Bridge in the Town of North Castle;
• Park Avenue Bridge at the Harrison-Rye border
   over the Beaver Swamp Brook;
• Bryant Avenue in White Plains;
• Virginia Road in Mount Pleasant and New Castle;
• Pearl Street in Port Chester;
• East and West Main Street and Division Street in Peekskill.

The capital budget also appropriates $137 million for environmental conservation and flood mitigation efforts.

The plan calls for a total of $42.4 million for capital projects related to the Westchester County Parks System.

The capital plan earmarks a total of $198 million for county environmental facilities, including $25.5 million for continuing the improvements to the Mamaroneck wastewater recovery facility in 2023. Some $20 million is included for the New Rochelle Water Resource Recovery Facility and a total of $46.1 million is directed for improvements to the Yonkers Joint Water Resource Recovery Facility.

The Department of Environmental Facilities said it is continuing to upgrade, improve and modernize all EF-managed facilities.

To support efforts to build workforce housing in the County, the Board also approved $90 million to build affordable housing initiatives. This includes $25 million for land acquisition and $15 million for infrastructure improvements. Another $50 million is included for the Affordable Housing Investment Fund to be funded with monies from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This represents the largest single-year commitment to affordable housing in county history.