Westchester County poised to have 3 county executives in 6 days
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - New York's Westchester County will have three different county executives in six days.
It's a transition of power unlike any the county has seen before.
Richard Wishnie took the oath of office to become acting county executive - until Monday.
"It will be business as usual during the orderly succession of leadership as required by the Westchester County Charter," Wishnie said.
Wishnie became acting county executive after George Latimer resigned at noon Thursday so he can head off to serve in Congress.
So why is Wishnie only serving just a few days? Westchester County Board Chair Vedat Gashi said the process is cumbersome.
"There has been some confusion or uncertainty, and that's understandable because it doesn't happen often," Gashi said.
The charter didn't allow Gashi to appoint Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins to succeed Latimer. Only the full board can do that, and likely will when it meets on Monday.
Legislators will also set a February or March special election date to fill the rest of Latimer's term. Jenkins will run in the special election, and it's not clear if the GOP will bother to field a candidate.
"Right now I don't know where the party leaders are with it. I have been approached myself, I declined. <ore interested in running for reelection for my seat," Republican Legislator James Nolan said.
With a special election in February, a primary in June, and then a general election in November, Westchester County voters will be asked repeatedly in 2025, who do you want to be County Executive.
The county has 4,200 employees, and a $2.5 billion budget.
