Westchester County Board of Legislators
The Westchester County Board of Legislators is the legislative, policy-making branch of Westchester County. The powers of the Board are enumerated in the County’s charter. A key power of the Board concerns finances: appropriating funds, approving the budget and levying taxes. It also approves appointments by the County Executive and passes local laws, acts and resolutions.
The Board has seventeen members, known as Legislators, each representing a district approximately 50,000 residents and is elected every two years. (See below Board members)
Board members
The County Board has seventeen members, each representing a district approximately 50,000 residents. As of January 1, 2014, ten of them are Democrats and seven are Republicans. Although the Democrats hold a numerical majority, two of the members of the Democratic conference caucus with the Republicans on the Board to form a majority, similar to the Independent Democratic Conference of the New York State Senate.
| District | Legislator | Notes | Residence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Testa (R) | Peekskill | |
| 2 | Peter Harckham (D) | Katonah | |
| 3 | Michael J. Smith (R) | Valhalla | |
| 4 | Michael Kaplowitz (D) | Board Chair | Somers |
| 5 | Benjamin Boykin (D) | White Plains | |
| 6 | David Gelfarb (R) | Rye Brook | |
| 7 | Catherine Parker (D) | Rye City | |
| 8 | Alfreda Williams (D) | Greenburgh | |
| 9 | Catherine Borgia (D) | Ossining | |
| 10 | Sheila Marcotte (R) | Tuckahoe | |
| 11 | James Maisano (R) | Vice Chair | New Rochelle |
| 12 | MaryJane Shimsky (D) | Hastings-on-Hudson | |
| 13 | Lyndon Williams (D) | Mount Vernon | |
| 14 | Bernice Spreckman (R) | Yonkers | |
| 15 | Gordon A. Burrows (R) | Yonkers | |
| 16 | Kenneth W. Jenkins (D) | Yonkers | |
| 17 | Virginia Perez (D) | Yonkers |
Committees
The Board of Legislators operates under a committee system. Currently, there are nine committees, each of which is charged with overseeing a particular policy area.
The following table reflect Committee chairs during the legislative term of 2012-2013.
| Committee | Chair |
|---|---|
| Budget and Appropriations | Judith Myers |
| Legislation | William J. Ryan |
| Community Services | Alfreda Williams |
| Public Safety | Virginia Perez |
| Government Operations | Catherine Borgia |
| Government Reform, Efficiency & Savings | Lyndon Williams |
| Environment & Energy | Michael Kaplowitz |
| Appointments | MaryJane Shimsky |
| Rules | Peter Harckham |