County Executive Ken Jenkins signed a 2026 operating budget that closes a projected deficit by cutting nearly every department roughly 8% and eliminating about 180 positions. The Board of Legislators cut the proposed property tax levy increase from 5.27% down to 3.7% before adopting it.
Westchester County's 2026 operating budget totals roughly $2.5 billion and was built to close a large projected deficit under significant federal fiscal pressure. As proposed, it reduced almost every county department budget by about 8% and eliminated roughly 180 positions.
The property tax levy is the part District 11 households feel directly. The County Executive's proposal carried a 5.27% levy increase. The Board of Legislators reduced that to 3.7% before adopting the budget, and the County Executive signed the revised plan. The county has described the final budget as compliant with the New York State tax cap.
Why this matters in District 11: the county portion is only one line on a Westchester tax bill, but it is the line county legislators actually vote on. Every percentage point is a choice, and residents are entitled to a plain-language explanation of what each one buys.
Read the county's own announcement at the link below, and see the Board of Legislators' summary of the adopted budget.