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Westchester County is offering up to $10 million to repair existing affordable apartment buildings, and any owner who takes the money must extend affordability for 50 years. Who can apply, what the money covers, the December 1 deadline, and what the county's announcement does not say.

Also: Westchester County takes over running its Youth Detention Facility on January 1, 2027.

In This Episode
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:18) Deep Dive: The county's $10 million Affordable Housing Preservation and Rehabilitation Initiative
(2:54) What's Happening in Westchester: Youth Detention Facility transition
(3:48) Close

Sources:
- Westchester County press release, "Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins Announces $10 Million Program To Preserve and Rehabilitate Affordable Housing," October 19, 2026
- Westchester County press release, "Westchester County Announces Transition to Direct Operations of Youth Detention Facility," October 22, 2026

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I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

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Email: jimjockle@iliveheremedia.com
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
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Five of the 17 seats on the Westchester County Board of Legislators list only one candidate on the ballot, according to The Ballot Brief. Who they are, what the count can and cannot tell you, the full early voting schedule, and what we could not verify.

Also: the county's final two Household Recycling Days, in Peekskill on November 1 and Rye on November 7, and a guide to our conversations with Cait Conley, Rep. Mike Lawler, Joe Cinquemani, Dan D'Amico and Shu Yang of Elections Simplified.

In This Episode
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:14) Early voting: dates, hours, and sites
(1:20) Deep Dive: Five county legislator seats with one candidate
(2:50) What's Happening in Westchester: Household Recycling Days
(3:20) Our candidate conversations: Conley, Lawler, Cinquemani, D'Amico, Elections Simplified
(4:08) Close

Sources:
- Westchester County early voting page (citizenparticipation.westchestercountyny.gov), 2026
- The Ballot Brief, Westchester County Legislator district pages, Districts 1 to 17
- Westchester County Board of Legislators, 2026 committee leadership announcement
- Elections Simplified (electionssimplified.com), District 6
- Westchester County press release, "Residents Encouraged to Take Advantage of Free Recycling Events in Peekskill and Rye on Nov. 1 and Nov. 7," October 19, 2026

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Support the show

I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: jimjockle@iliveheremedia.com
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
Follow us on Instagram: @iliveheremedia

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In the 17th Congressional District, both major candidates have taken in about $10 million in total receipts this cycle, while some Westchester state candidates have reported about $6,000 in contributions. In the 40th State Senate District, public matching funds are about 46% of one candidate's money and 24% of the other's, by our math. Federal figures run through Sept. 30; state figures cover reports filed through Oct. 2 and are unofficial. Candidates' own committees only. The county legislature is not on this year's ballot.

In This Episode:

0:00 Cold Open

0:25 Intro and Context

1:05 The Data

3:15 The Surprise

4:45 What This Means for You

5:30 Close

Sources:

FEC, Lawler for Congress, Inc. (C00815415), Q3 2026 report filed Oct. 15, 2026: https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00815415/

FEC, Cait for New York (C00900431), Q3 2026 report filed Oct. 15, 2026: https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00900431/

FEC, Latimer committee (C00859041), Q3 2026: https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00859041/

FEC, Cinquemani committee (C00944686) filing list: https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00944686/

NYS Board of Elections, Aggregated Contributions and Expenditures by Office and District (unofficial, accessed Oct. 16, 2026): https://publicreporting.elections.ny.gov/

NYS Board of Elections, Transaction Types handout (Public Funds Receipts, Schedule S): https://elections.ny.gov/transaction-types-campaign-financial-disclosure-reporting-handout-updated-april-2023

NYS Public Campaign Finance Board, Public Campaign Finance Activity (accessed Oct. 16, 2026): https://pcfb.ny.gov/

NYS Public Campaign Finance Board program handbook: https://pcfb.ny.gov/

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Support the show

I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: jimjockle@iliveheremedia.com
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
Follow us on Instagram: @iliveheremedia

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New York has announced that SUNY Reconnect, its free community college program for adults, will open to people who already have a college degree, starting with the spring 2027 semester. We explain what the state says, what Westchester Community College in Valhalla has and has not published, and what to ask before you plan around it.

In This Episode

(0:00) Cold Open

(0:20) Deep Dive: SUNY Reconnect expands to adults with a degree

(3:00) What's Happening in Westchester: Stormwater Advisory Board meets today

(3:25) Close

Sources:

- Governor Kathy Hochul, announcement of SUNY Reconnect expansion, October 5, 2026: https://www.governor.ny.gov

- SUNY Westchester, SUNY Reconnect page: https://www.sunywcc.edu

- SUNY, Chancellor visits SUNY Westchester as part of the SUNY Reconnect tour, November 14, 2025: https://www.suny.edu

- Westchester County calendar, Stormwater Advisory Board: https://meetings.westchestergov.com

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Support the show

I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: jimjockle@iliveheremedia.com
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
Follow us on Instagram: @iliveheremedia

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A 208-apartment building in Yonkers has city approval, but its developer says construction cannot start until a second building is approved. We walk through the Bridgewater project's second building, the financing condition the developer described to the Yonkers Planning Board, and what the reporting does not say.

Bridgewater South would add 177 apartments, with 18 priced as affordable according to the developer. The company is due back before the Planning Board in November. Also: dates for the Board of Legislators' public input sessions on the county's 2027 budgets.

In This Episode

(0:00) Cold Open

(0:16) Deep Dive: Bridgewater South and the financing condition in Yonkers

(3:26) What's Coming Up in Westchester: Budget public input sessions

(3:50) Close

Sources:

Westfair Communications, "Ginsburg proposes second building for Bridgewater project in Yonkers," October 18, 2026

Westfair Communications, "Ginsburg revises plan for Ludlow development," January 2023

Westchester County Board of Legislators, FY2027 Budget Meeting Calendar

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Support the show

I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: jimjockle@iliveheremedia.com
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
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Early voting in Westchester County opens October 24. Shu Yang of Elections Simplified says his own ballot ran seven pages of names he mostly did not recognize, which is why he and a small team built a voter guide that lists candidates' track records. Jim asks how it works, where AI fits, and what it can and cannot tell a voter.

In This Episode

(0:00) Why Jim invited Shu on

(1:09) The ballot problem behind the site

(3:41) A team with very different politics

(7:09) Why most races are not partisan

(10:55) From candidate filing to a record on the page

(12:32) Where AI works and where people review

(15:11) Incumbents versus newcomers

(17:16) What the vote power rating measures

(20:08) What to do when a record looks wrong

(20:50) How to use the site before early voting

(21:45) Who is behind it and what comes next

Source: Elections Simplified, electionssimplified.com

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Support the show

I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: jimjockle@iliveheremedia.com
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The Social Security Administration announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, and we calculate it adds about $15.5 million a month in benefits across Westchester County. We walk through the county's 184,955 beneficiaries, what the Medicare Part B premium could take out of the raise, and why the official 2027 premium is still to come.

The Social Security Administration says the average retired worker's monthly benefit rises by about $75. The Medicare trustees project a Part B premium of $209.50, up $6.60. Whether property tax or utility bills change your net depends on whether you own or rent. The Westchester County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board also meets today in White Plains.

In This Episode

(0:00) Cold Open

(0:16) Deep Dive: The 3.6% Social Security raise, Westchester's $15.5 million, and Medicare Part B

(2:56) Local costs and what to watch

(4:04) What's Happening in Westchester: Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board meets in White Plains

(4:23) Close

Sources:

- Social Security Administration, OASDI beneficiaries by state and county, 2025 (New York): https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/oasdi_sc/2025/ny.html

- AARP, Medicare Part B premium for 2027: https://www.aarp.org/medicare/medicare-part-b-premium-2027/

- Westchester County, calendar of events, week of October 19: https://homes.westchestercountyny.gov/calendar-of-events/week/10-19-2026

If this episode was useful, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share it with a neighbor.

Support the show

I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: jimjockle@iliveheremedia.com
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
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Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins proposed a $435.7 million capital budget for 2027, with $75 million for housing and $5 million for flood mitigation. We walk through where the money goes, how the proposal compares with last October's, and what the Board of Legislators does next before the end-of-December deadline.

The capital budget covers borrowing for physical projects, separate from the operating budget due in early November. Public input sessions are planned for November, and Budget and Appropriations Chair Tyrae Woodson-Samuels says her committee will go project by project.

In This Episode

(0:00) Cold Open

(0:20) Deep Dive: Westchester County's proposed 2027 capital budget

(3:50) What's Happening in Westchester: Department of Health housing webinar

(4:05) Close

Sources:

- Westchester County Board of Legislators, "Receives FY 2027 Capital Budget," October 15, 2026

- County Executive Ken Jenkins, "Releases Proposed 2027 Capital Budget," October 15, 2026

- Westchester County Board of Legislators, "Receives Proposed 2026 Capital Budget," October 15, 2025

If this show is useful to you, subscribe to the newsletter at iliveheremedia.com.

Support the show

I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: jimjockle@iliveheremedia.com
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
Follow us on Instagram: @iliveheremedia

Subscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.