The Issues Our Community Cares About
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Catherine Parker has worked incredibly hard for the community in her time in the Westchester County Legislature. Here are some highlights of her work; click here to see a longer list.
2013-2023
Holding the Line on County Taxes
Westchester County taxpayers are paying the lowest rates they have ever paid since 2008. Under the Latimer administration, Catherine voted four times to lower our County taxes and these cuts passed. The budget is balanced and taxpayer assets such as parks and roads are being properly maintained. What this means is that Westchester residents are getting good value for their tax dollars.
2022
Flood History Disclosure Law
- Spearheaded legislation to create a Flood History Disclosure Law
- In addition, helped local municipalities working with projects focused on flood mitigation and affordable housing
- Led the successful efforts to pass stormwater reconnaissance plans for every watershed in Westchester County. With data collected from the municipalities in these watersheds, we have been moving forward to prioritize what projects will have the most benefit for our residents and business owners.
Catherine takes flooding seriously, as her own home and business were repeatedly damaged by flooding.
She regularly attends local flood committee meetings to listen to residents’ concerns, and has encouraged local municipalities in the Long Island Sound Watershed to partner together on projects to reduce and redirect runoff. As well, she has helped set up reserve and expand access to County funds for flood impacted municipalities to act proactively, which is vital because the time to act is now, not after there’s a foot of floodwater in people’s basements.
2020
Co-Chair, the Westchester County Pandemic Task Force
- Worked with government officials and 26 industry leaders, representing various business sectors across the county to formulate a recovery plan after Covid
- To relieve restaurants suffering under the shutdown, sponsored legislation to cap food delivery fees charged by third party companies like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grub Hub
As a small local business owner for over 20 years, Catherine understands the pressures on businesses and workers in Westchester.
She helped find $25 million in County funds for economic development and specifically grants for small business, workforce development, and entrepreneurial and tech start-ups.
Most recently, she has been working on helping workers in Westchester develop new competencies, through funding to support Digital Equity and work training. A skilled local workforce helps everyone!
2019
New Fuel Efficient Bee-Line Buses
Catherine worked to set emissions standards and supported funding of energy efficient vehicles that are part of the municipal fleet today, including nearly 80 new Bee-Line buses which will have almost double the fuel efficiency of previous buses.
2015
Office of Energy and Sustainability
Catherine’s successes in combating climate change include establishing an Office of Energy and Sustainability that found opportunities for grants and funding for energy efficient upgrades to infrastructure and net significant savings in energy costs to taxpayers.
She also fought to fund the start of a food scrap recycling program for Westchester County that includes construction of a food scrap recovery and information center; and she co-sponsored laws that reduce disposable waste.
- Banning Gun Shows on County-Owned Property (Feb. 5, 2018)
- Immigration Protection Act (March 12, 2018)
- Probe of Poor Storm Preparation and Response by Con Ed, NYSEG (public meetings with utilities on March 19, June 4, & Oct. 2, 2018)
- Resolution Supporting State Bill to Create Extreme Risk Protection Orders (March 26, 2018)
- Combating Gender and Race-Based Wage Gaps by Banning Salary History Questions in Hiring (April 9, 2018)
- Law to Encourage Hiring of Disabled-Veteran-Owned Businesses in County Contracting (April 23, 2018)
- Resolution Opposing Citizenship Question on 2020 Census Short Form (May 7, 2018)
- Raising the Age for Sale of Tobacco and Vaping Products to 21 (June 4, 2018)
- Ensuring Earned Sick Leave for Workers (Oct. 1, 2018)
- Banning Conversion Therapy for Minors (Oct. 1, 2018)
- Pyrotechnic Children’s Safety Act (Oct. 1, 2018)
- Approving New Contracts for All County Unions for First Time in Seven Years (Oct. 15, 2018)
- Ongoing Program to Honor Military Veterans Now Serving as Firefighters, Police Officers, EMS Workers (Oct. 29, 2018)
- Home Improvement Licensing Law Changed to Protect Workers from “Wage Theft” (Nov. 19, 2018)
- Co-op Disclosure Law Passed (Nov. 19, 2018)
- Fair Chance to Work Act Passed (Dec. 3, 2018)
- Safe Leave Law Passed (April 23, 2019)
- Resolution in Support of NYS Criminal Justice Reforms (March 25, 2019)
- Ban on Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) food containers (May 20, 2019)
- Resolution to Support Emergency Tenant’s Protection Act (June 3, 2019)
- Approval of Lease for New Family Court in New Rochelle (July 15, 2019)
- Displaced Service Employees Protection Law (Sept. 16, 2019)
- $50 million to incentivize affordable housing
- More than 800 New Units of Affordable Housing Approved Countywide
- In Harrison – 14 units affordable housing
- In New Rochelle – 314 units of affordable housing
- Major Public Works Approved
- Cross County Parkway ramps
- Replacing and repairing equipment at wastewater treatment facilities in Yonkers and Mamaroneck
- Purchase of new energy efficient vehicles, including nearly 80 new Bee-Line buses which will have almost double the fuel efficiency of previous buses
- Playland Pathway: Completion of the design and construction of pathway (Rye Metro North Station to Playland)
- Updating technology infrastructure and physical plant repairs at Westchester Community College
- Replacement of Mamaroneck Avenue Bridge over Mamaroneck River
- Expand Saw Mill Sewer District to 800 parcels in New Castle
- Flood mitigation around Avon Circle in Rye Brook and the athletic fields at the Port Chester Middle School
- Rehabilitation of runway at Westchester County Airport
- Replacement and repair of more than 30 signs and sign structures on county roadways
- Rehabilitation of Material Recovery Facility & Transfer Station
- Final phase of rehabilitation of Department of Environmental Services main facility
- Flood mitigation near Pinebrook Boulevard in New Rochelle
- Acquisition of new hybrid Paratransit vehicles; retrofitting of cameras on existing buses for high definition and improved mobile data equipment
- Rehabilitation of Glen Island Bridge in New Rochelle
- Road repairs in district as follows: Highland Road and Union Avenue in Harrison
- Theodore Fremd Avenue and Midland Avenue in Rye, Mamaroneck Avenue in Mamaroneck, Harrison and White Plains
- Vetted and Approved More than 300 Key Appointees to Departments, Advisory Boards and Commissions
- Parks Improvements Approved
- Repair of Glen Island Sea Wall in New Rochelle
- Renovation of Maple Moor Golf Course
- Restoration of Miller House
- Reconstruction and repair of North County Trailway
- Study and design of reconstruction and repair of South County Trailway
- Renovation of playgrounds at Willson’s Woods Park in Mount Vernon
- Repair of former Wightman Mansion at Lenoir Preserve in Yonkers
- Rehabilitation of ballfields at Saxon Woods and Tibbetts Brook Park
- Development and repair of Merestead site in Mount Kisco
- Repair of 3 dams at Blue Ridge Mountain Reservation in Peekskill and Cortlandt
- Replacement of Playland Bathhouse canopy, renovations to the Grand Carousel and Derby Racer, and shoreline rehabilitation
- Repair and renovation of the Sprain Ridge Pool in Yonkers
- A reduction to the tax levy by $7 million dollars
- A new program through our Public Safety Department that focuses on mental health specialists as part of the 911 team
- $25 million for economic development and specifically grants for small business, workforce development, and entrepreneurial and tech start-ups
- An increase from $65 million in 2018 to a projected $300 million in general reserve funds in 2022
- $33 million that will be shared with local municipalities and school districts
- $11 million in reserve to fund the Army Corps of Engineers flood mitigation project in Mamaroneck, if local share is required
- Community Resource Center’s workforce development program
- $60,000 for the Rye YMCA
- $22,000 for Digital Equity Now
- $20,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle for after school program in Larchmont
- $18,000 for Coalition for Understanding Racism through Education in conjunction with the district’s five libraries