Westchester County Board of Legislators
Encyclopedia
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
. The powers of the Board are enumerated in the County’s charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
. A key power of the Board concerns finances: appropriating funds, approving the budget and levying taxes. It also approves appointments by the County Excutive
Westchester County Executive
Westchester County Executive is the head of the executive branch of the Westchester County government. The county executive has power to veto acts of Westchester County Board of Legislators-History:...
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 February 16, 2011, twelve of them are Democrats and five are Republicans.
| District | Legislator | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Testa (R) | |
| 2 | Peter Harckham (D) | |
| 3 | John Nonna (D) | |
| 4 | Michael B. Kaplowitz (D) | |
| 5 | William J. Ryan (D) | |
| 6 | Martin Rogowsky (D) | |
| 7 | Judith A. Myers (D) | Majority Whip |
| 8 | Alfreda Williams (D) | |
| 9 | William Burton (D) | |
| 10 | Sheila Marcotte (R) | |
| 11 | James Maisano (R) | Minority Leader |
| 12 | MaryJane Shimsky (D) | |
| 13 | Lyndon Williams (D) | Vice Chair |
| 14 | Bernice Spreckman (R) | |
| 15 | Gordon A. Burrows (R) | Minority Whip |
| 16 | Kenneth W. Jenkins (D) | Board Chair |
| 17 | José I. Alvarado (D) |
Committees
The Board of Legislators operates under a committee system. Currently, there are eleven committees, each of which is charged with overseeing a particular policy area.The following table reflect Committee chairs during the legislative term of 2010-2011.
| Committee | Chair |
|---|---|
| Budget and Appropriations | Jose Alvarado |
| Legislation | John Nonna |
| Community Services | Alfreda Williams |
| Public Safety and Security | Martin Rogowsky |
| Government Operations, Efficiency & Savings | Michael Kaplowitz |
| Public Works, Trans., Labor & Parks | William J. Ryan |
| Environment & Energy | Peter Harckham |
| Generational, Cultural & Ethnic Diversity | Bernice Spreckman |
| Appointments | William Burton |
| Housing & Planning | William Burton |
| Rules | VACANT |