Latimer Calls Washington a "Very Volatile Enviornment"

Latimer at an Earth Day expo at Scarsdale Library prior to the Village Board meeting on 4-22.How is the turmoil in the government in Washington DC impacting Scarsdale and Westchester? That’s what was on the minds of County Executive Ken Jenkins and Congressman George Latimer when they visited Scarsdale at the Village Board meeting on Tuesday April 22, 2025.

Latimer did not bring happy news from the Capitol. He called Washing a “very volatile environment,” where, the President has made a policy decision to change the federal government dramatically.” He said, “We will have to see how it plays out in the courts.”

He said that threatened costs in Medicaid, changes to public health policy, the decommissioning of the Federal Department of Education, cancellation of renewable energy contracts and the elimination of DEI programs could all potentially impact the state, the county and the Village of Scarsdale. He said that decisions are being made without long-term consideration of their impacts. About the tariffs, he said, “We don’t know how the situation will change, but we do know that things will be more expensive,” and he cautioned the Village to budget to allow for increased costs.

He called the atmosphere “hyper-partisan,” and anticipated the next fight over the need to raise the debt ceiling so that the government could continue to meet its financial obligations.

He asked the Village Board to provide him with a list of any federal funding they are due to receive so that he could fight for it in Washington. He said, “There are no assurances that even signed contracts will be paid. All things are in play.”

Latimer said that he has established a district office at 222 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains. He invited constituents who need assistance with passports, identification federal programs or other issues to contact the office at 914-325-5550.

Mayor Arest thanked Latimer for coming and said, “Thank you for representing us in DC but you are still somehow everywhere in Westchester.”

County Executive Ken Jenkins reported, “There are challenging times ahead of us from a budget perspective. $700mm of federal funds can impact the budget.” He said the county would continue their work on investments in flood mitigation and fair and affordable housing. He reported that due to federal cuts, eight employees from the county health department had been cut. He hoped to secure funding for EV charging stations in Scarsdale.

He vowed to, “continue to advance the best things we can do for every Westchester resident and said, “We will keep acting like its normal until its not.”

He reported on first quarter county sales tax revenues which contribute to the Scarsdale budget as follows:

Sales Tax
January was up 20% over the prior year
February was down 10%
March was down 20%
He said, “It is not looking good.”

He said he was looking forward to Bicycle Sundays and the kick-off for Destination Scarsdale and the Scarsdale Farmer’s Market on Sunday May 4, 2025.