On November 5th, Westchester County voters won’t just consider who to elect for President and other offices–they will also decide the outcome of a ballot referendum on term lengths for county legislators. The Westchester County Board of Legislators has proposed extending the length of their terms in office from the current two years to four years. If the proposition passes, the new term length will take effect starting January 1st, 2025.

The referendum will appear on ballots as the following:

 Statement Form for Westchester County Proposition No. 2024-1

• Should individuals serving in the position of Westchester County Legislator serve four-year terms instead of two-year terms?

If the proposition is approved by voters, legislators will run in 2025 and 2028. The 12-year term limits for legislators would remain the same, meaning legislators would be elected for up to three four-year terms. If the proposition does not pass, elections for legislators will occur in 2025, then possibly again in 2026 to accommodate New York’s new even-year election schedule, although a recent ruling by a judge has thrown that schedule into doubt. 

The proposition was cosponsored by Conservative Minority Leader Margaret Cunzio, who represents Pleasantville, and Democratic Legislator Benjamin Boykin. In a video posted on the Westchester County Board of Legislators’ YouTube channel, Boykin said, “The law proposes extending the term length for Westchester County Legislators from two years to four years. This change will streamline our operations, and align us with neighboring counties.”

Cunzio echoed that “by moving to four-year terms, we’ll reduce the frequency of elections, cut down on costs, and minimize disruptions. This will allow us to focus on crafting and implementing effective legislation.” 

Legislators also content extending their terms would reduce costs for taxpayers and candidates, and reduce the burden of administering elections. Cunzio said the proposal has tripartisan support, approved unanimously by Republican, Democratic, and Conservative members of the Board of Legislators Board at a meeting in July. 

In a press release on the Westchester Legislators website, Chairman Vedat Gashi (D-New Castle, Ossining, Somers, Yorktown) said, “I’ve spoken to voters throughout the county from Yorktown to Yonkers, and they’ve all told me the same thing – they want us to focus on policy, not politics – and this proposal allows us to do that.”

A Yonkers Times opinion article presents some counterarguments. In that article, Yonkers resident Debbie Kozak argued shorter terms for politicians keep them accountable, and more in line with their constituents’ needs. She also questioned how much money taxpayers would actually save.

“SIMPLE TRUTH 2: Prop Two does not benefit the citizen-taxpayers, it benefits politicians,” Kozak wrote. “Were they truly interested in decreasing expenditures, they could propose doubling the size of their constituency, cutting their number by half, and/or limiting total service to eight years.”

The proposed term length of four years is on par with neighboring Rockland County, whose legislators serve four-year terms. Putnam County is also considering lengthening terms from three years to four, to accommodate for New York’s new even-year voting law. Additionally, on  September 12th, Putnam County’s Legislature’s Rules Committee proposed amending term limits. Local town and village boards have similar term lengths, The Mount Pleasant Town Board has a term length of four years, and the Pleasantville Board of Trustees has three-year terms. Members of New York’s State Assembly, however, are elected for two-year terms, with elections every even year.