County Legislative Delegation heads to the 2014 National Association of Counties Annual Conference

Press Release From Matt Richter of Westchester County.
For Immediate Release: Friday, February 28, 2014

County Legislative Delegation heads to the
2014 National Association of Counties Annual Conference

Westchester County Legislator and Board Majority Leader Catherine Borgia (D – Ossining), will head to Washington, D.C. next week for this year’s annual National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference. Joining Borgia will be Legislators Ken Jenkins (D-Yonkers), Pete Harckham (D-North Salem) and Benjamin Boykin II (D-White Plains).

“It’s important that we have a strong presence on both the state and national levels, on behalf of Westchester residents,” said Borgia. “This is where many policies affecting counties are born. The best way to make sure the needs of Westchester County are heard is to be involved at the inception,” Borgia stated.

Legislator Jenkins, who chairs the County’s Committee on Federal & State Affairs added, “the NACO conference is an important opportunity to hear items of common interest from around the Country and bring those ideas back to Westchester in order to reduce the cost of government while providing high value services for the people of Westchester.”

According to the four lawmakers, they plan on attending the General Session, along with several other committee discussions to lobby on behalf of County residents for numerous items including the following proposed Resolutions:

1) COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - supporting FY2015 Appropriations for HUD for CDBG and HOME programs;

2) ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND LAND USE - ensuring energy remains affordable by using existing resources; and

3) TRANSPORTATION - supporting innovative transportation financing mechanisms designed to leverage federal dollars.
(more)

“The National Association of Counties offers a wealth of beneficial information and assistance to county officials aiming to strengthen the communities in which they serve. This year’s conference will focus on a number of important issues impacting Westchester right now, including transportation and infrastructure investments as well as job creation and economic development. The challenges ahead for our municipalities are formidable, so I look forward to learning what I can do to help forge legislative policies and smart solutions in the years ahead,” said Legislator Harckham, who chairs the County Board’s Committee on Labor, Parks, Planning & Housing stated.

“I look forward to attending the NACo conference and learning about best practices that may be appropriate for my constituents in District 5 and all of Westchester County,” said Legislator Benjamin Boykin II, chair of the Legislature’s Appointments Committee.

“Working cooperatively and effectively with other levels of government is an absolute necessity for both the short and long-term betterment of our County,” Borgia concluded.

NACo holds a Legislative Conference each year in the nation's capital in order to provide county officials with opportunities to discuss legislative issues facing counties, to hear from prominent experts and national leaders and to interact directly with members of Congress and Administration officials. Among this year’s guest speakers at the Conference’s General Session are Secretary Anthony Foxx of the U.S. Department of Transportation and Secretary Sally Jewell of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

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