Meet county executive Kenneth Jenkins, a proud member of the Democratic Party who assumed his role as county executive of Westchester in January 2025. Jenkins made history by winning this election since he is the first African American to serve as county executive in Westchester. Jenkins already had a thorough and distinct background in politics and serving this county since he was a prominent member of our county even before he succeeded former county executive George Latimer, who became a federal representative after joining the House of Representatives. Jenkins held the role of deputy county executive, where he was a key part of establishing countywide initiatives. Even before that, he was a distinguished member of the Westchester County board serving from 2007 to 2017.
Kenneth Jenkins being sworn into the role of County executive serves a massive purpose for the citizens of Westchester county. In the past, Jenkins made many advancements that fulfilled promises of his campaign to earn his position today. This includes cutting taxes, establishing affordable housing, reducing crime, and securing tax breaks for the veterans of our county. Jenkins, a very dedicated member of our society, has consistently shown that he is devoted to helping the members of our community succeed even through their hardships. He has not lost his devotion to uphold these qualities in his term as county executive. He has openly stated that he remains committed to improving affordable housing and making the county safer. Jenkins has established substantial support throughout his service as he won by a landslide in the election in January this year. This was shown through Jenkins holding 64% of the vote. His support will be tested though as he has to prove to the county that he is worthy of this substantial position as he continues representing our county.
Through his almost full year of service, he has continued to build upon the idea of affordable housing as he almost immediately signed the Land Acquisition Act. This allotted Jenkins 10 million dollars to purchase property in downtown White Plains intended for 108 homeowner units that are designated for first time buyers. Reinforcing his ideas on this topic, he later continued to build affordable housing. He approved legislation to allow for the building of 160 new affordable housing units located in the city of Yonkers. This is huge for the county of Westchester, as members who have previously not been able to afford housing will now have greater access. Jenkins has also established before the start of his term that he is working to better the safety of civilians in Westchester. This is supported by a reported decline in crime rates that was reported directly from Jenkins early on in the year.
Kenneth Jenkins is poised to lead this county to continue its greatness that has stemmed back to federal representative George Latimer. Facts back up how he has been successful in his first term, but can he carry this into the future years of his term? That answer has yet to be seen. However, he will continue to better the county of Westchester through the years of his experience in the fields of the Westchester government.