Westchester County announced today that in an effort to streamline government and save taxpayers money, the County is ending its contract with New York State to manage a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program as of December 31.

Westchester is currently only one of four counties that have contracts with New York State to administer Section 8 housing vouchers for low-income people and their families.

Saying "It's time to take a stand and say enough is enough," Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino today endorsed Republican candidates in several key State and Federal races.

Saying it's "time to take a stand," Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino today announced plans to introduce legislation challenging the legality of the Metropolitan Transit Authority's payroll tax.

After thirteen years of planning, officials today  dedicated a new 6.5 mile hiking trail that links the North County Trailway with the Briarcliff Peekskill Trailway with the old Croton Aqueduct Trailway.

Teatown spokesman Geoff Thompson says the new trail goes east-west and is known as the Teatown-Kitchawan Trail.

The new trail goes through three county parks, links the big three north-south trails,and ties in with Teatown and its 15 miles of hiking trails.

The Chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators, Ken Jenkins (D-Yonkers) today announced that new projections are indicating a potential $30 million surplus for the County in the 2010 budget. The Board recently received a quarterly forecast report from Budget Director Lawrence Soule and Finance Commissioner Ann Marie Berg.

The Westchester County Department of Social Services has taken the wraps off a new computer application that promises to streamline the application process for clients receiving Temporary Assistance payments and also save the County more than $2 million a year.

The program known as REACH uses state of the art technology to transform the time-consuming paper process used to re-certify the eligibility of people applying for Temporary Assistance.

State and local lawmakers were on hand in Peekskill today to take the wraps off a newly completed affordable senior-housing complex over looking the Hudson River.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino was joined by several Westchester County Legislators as well as Deputy Peekskill Mayor Don Bennett, Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, Greg Watson, the Regional Director of the NYS Division of  Housing and Community Renewal, and officials with Conifer Realty LLC, which was responsible for construction and design of the facility. It features one and two bedroom units. Rent is about $800 a month for one bedroom apartments and $900 for two bedrooms.