Nonprofit Westchester Appeals for Fairness at 2027 County Budget Forum
Thomas Scaglione NPW Board member and Vice President, Government & Community Relations for WMCHealth; Westchester County; NPW Executive Director Jan Fisher and Board of Legislators Chair Vedat Gashi, center.
County lawmakers and community leaders gathered in White Plains for Nonprofit Westchester’s (NPW) latest budget forum, meeting to discuss funding priorities ahead of the upcoming county budget cycle.
Eleven Westchester County legislators engaged directly with advocates to evaluate how local government and the nonprofit sector can partner more effectively to address critical regional needs.
The county will be holding public hearings on the budget later this month and in December, in advance of its budget adoption expected on December 14.
“Our policy agenda asks all branches of government to recognize this value more fully by including nonprofits and setting priorities, developing solutions and conducting the work we all depend on,” said NPW executive director Jan Fisher in her opening remarks at the October 22 gathering. “We understand these are difficult times, and asking nonprofits to do more with less has never been fair.”
The focus of the event’s discussions was the impact of federal cuts to human services, and how county governments and nonprofits can best partner to set priorities and address these challenges for Westchester residents. An improved contracting system and nonprofit workforce compensation were also key areas of focus.
To help guide these crucial decisions, each participating legislator was provided with NPW’s 2027 Advocacy and Policy Agenda. NPW’s 2027 agenda emphasizes that Westchester cannot achieve its public goals without a strong, stable nonprofit sector acting as a core pillar of the region’s civic and economic infrastructure.
Legislator Vedat Gashi, the chair of the Board of Legislators, thanked NPW for its policy agenda and pledged to consider the document’s recommendations in upcoming budget deliberations.
“I can’t promise that every program can be funded, or that every administrative hurdle is going to be solved immediately,” said Gashi. “But I can commit to pressing to make measurable progress and asking the hard questions during the budget process and working with my colleagues and our partners to address the problems that the evidence clearly shows exist.”
NPW will continue collaborating with public officials to ensure the final budget reflects a durable, supportive government-nonprofit partnership.
The Westchester County Board of Legislators has scheduled 6 p.m. public input sessions on Nov. 12 at the Doles Center, 250 S. 6th Ave. in Mount Vernon, and on Nov. 18 at the Ford Administration Building auditorium, 1031 Elm St. in Peekskill.
The Board of Legislators will hold a public hearing for the 2027 County Budget on December 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the Board of Legislators Chamber at 148 Martine Ave., 8th Floor, White Plains.
The Board of Legislators is scheduled to adopt Westchester County’s 2027 budget on December 14th.
About Nonprofit Westchester
Nonprofit Westchester (NPW) is the county’s only membership organization solely dedicated to advancing the needs and interests of Westchester’s nonprofit sector, the people and populations served, and the nonprofit workforce. With a membership of more than 370 organizations, NPW represents a diverse range of missions—from human services and the arts to environmental advocacy and social justice. NPW provides a unified voice for the sector through advocacy, professional development, and the promotion of cross-sector collaboration to build a more equitable and resilient Westchester.