County Executive Ken Jenkins Addresses Local Summit: Budget, Initiatives and Westchester's Future

By Michelle Calvi

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins painted a picture of fiscal responsibility and community resilience during his December 16 appearance at the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Local Summit, sharing insights on everything from the County's newly signed tax-cap compliant $2.5 billion budget to immigration enforcement, flooding projects, affordable housing, and more.

Balancing Act in Tough Times

Jenkins announced that Westchester's 2026 budget, signed just days before his presentation, required difficult decisions including an 8% cut across most departments and elimination of 180 positions-though notably without layoffs. Despite these cuts, the county avoided dipping into reserves while maintaining critical services. For the average Mamaroneck homeowner, the increase amounts to just $6 a month. "We're still trying to balance things out because we didn't go into our savings account," Jenkins explained, emphasizing investments in parks, infrastructure, flooding mitigation, and affordable housing despite fiscal constraints. The budget was crafted amid uncertainty about federal funding-a particularly pressing concern given that $700 million of the county's $2.5 billion budget comes from federal sources.

Concern about Eroding Public Trust

“What keeps me up at night is that people have lost faith in government,” Jenkins shared. Using immigration activity as an example, he reported that according to Homeland Security, there has only been one actual ICE arrest in the County in 2025. However, as discussed at the November Local Summit program, there has been a high level of ICE activity locally resulting in residents living in fear. The County Executive expressed particular concern about the eroding public trust in government institutions, especially among immigrant communities. Jenkins noted that the current reality is counter to the intention of the County’s Immigrant Protection Act, enacted during the first Trump administration, which was designed to ensure people feel safe reporting to law enforcement crimes such as wage theft without fear of deportation. Jenkins also highlighted increased food insecurity, noting the County contributed an additional $50,000 to Feeding Westchester when SNAP benefits were abruptly disrupted this fall. His administration has worked to ensure safe access to food distribution sites, including creative solutions like vending machine-style ordering systems.

Flooding Progress and Affordable Housing Initiatives

On the long-awaited Army Corps flooding mitigation project, now entering its 19th year, Jenkins reported genuine progress. The County has committed $18 million toward the Ward Avenue bridge component, with work continuing on multiple fronts including downstream improvements at Glen Island that remain on schedule. Jenkins also emphasized his commitment to address Westchester's severe affordable housing crunch, acknowledging the critical need for affordable workforce housing, which includes public employees and volunteer first responders. The County's new “HomeSeeker” program centralizes information about affordable housing opportunities across Westchester, enabling qualified residents to more easily learn about and apply for affordable rental and homeownership opportunities. In another innovative move, Jenkins announced interest in a new program targeting a different housing gap: empty nesters and residents who want to downsize but stay in Westchester. These are people who don't qualify for affordable housing yet struggle to find suitable market-rate ownership options. The County would serve as facilitator, convening developers and municipalities to create condos and townhouses—crucially, without spending county money, but instead bringing private resources together to meet this clear market need. "How do I make sure that people who want to stay in Westchester can do that?" Jenkins asked.

Looking Ahead

Jenkins acknowledged the challenge of protecting "our little bubble here in Westchester" amid federal turbulence, which threatens cuts to critical programs and significant increases to the cost of healthcare coverage for many. He emphasized the importance of municipal partnerships, creative problem-solving, and maintaining services that support both vulnerable residents

and the broader community – from mandated services to the nationally accredited park system to library funding and senior programs. As Westchester navigates these uncertain times, Jenkins' message was clear: through collaboration, fiscal discipline, and unwavering commitment to community values, the County will continue protecting what makes it special addressing the real challenges its residents face.

The Larchmont/Mamaroneck Local Summit is an informal community council that seeks to make a better life for the community by keeping it informed of major issues of concern. On January 13th the Local Summit will host NYS Assemblyman Steve Otis. For more information: https.//www.localsummitlm.org/ . To view recorded programs on LMCMedia: https.//lmcmedia.org/.