Your Con Edison bill is going up $5.32 a month. The county is fighting back. Here is what it actually means.
Your Con Edison bill is going up about $5.32 a month. That's a 3.6% bump for the average Westchester residential customer using 425 kWh. Earlier this month, County Executive Ken Jenkins and the Board of Legislators filed a joint brief with the New York Public Service Commission opposing the increase.
Here is the context most coverage is missing. Con Edison originally asked for 11.4% on electric and 13.3% on gas. The settlement knocked those figures down by approximately 87%. The approved package includes $156.5 million in efficiency savings and expanded affordability protections. That is the regulator's framing — significant reduction from the original ask.
The Jenkins administration is framing it differently. The county's position is that any rate increase now is too much. Metro-North fare hikes landed in January. Property taxes continue to climb. Roughly half of Westchester residents spend more than 30% of their income on housing. The $5.32 isn't the crisis. The cumulative weight is.
Jenkins is also demanding in-person PSC hearings in Westchester after initial hearings were held online only. State Senator Shelley Mayer is backing the position. A parallel joint brief is active on the NYSEG and RG&E rate cases.
Why it matters: Jenkins just signed a county budget that closes a $197.7M gap with 8% cuts across nearly every department and 180 positions eliminated. The county is cutting itself while publicly pressuring the state to hold utility costs down. The State of the County address is May 6. Expect affordability to be the dominant frame, and expect the Con Ed case to be the concrete example Jenkins leans into. The increase takes effect regardless. The political question is whether Westchester's voice is actually heard in how these cases get decided.
Quick Hits
Pleasantville Bond Vote May 19. The Pleasantville Board of Education is heading toward a May 19 referendum on a $17.5 million school bond. The flashpoint is Proposition 2, a package that includes artificial turf and four 80-foot light poles on the main high school field. Expect contested public comment in the next month.
WMC's $25M Capital Campaign. Westchester Medical Center has launched "Possible Starts Here," a $25 million capital campaign to complete the Brenda Fareri Pavilion in Valhalla. The 162,000 square foot critical care tower opens later this year and expands ICU, stroke, cardiac, and trauma capacity for the Hudson Valley.
Café Nelo Opens in Bronxville. Chef Giuseppe Fanelli, formerly of Tredici North in Purchase, is opening Café Nelo in Bronxville this month. One of five named-chef restaurant openings landing in Westchester this quarter — an unusually concentrated cluster.
State of the County Address May 6. County Executive Ken Jenkins delivers the annual State of the County address on Wednesday, May 6. Expect affordability, utility costs, and the county's fiscal posture to be the dominant frames.
One More Thing
Reader question. If Jenkins gets the in-person PSC hearings in Westchester, would you show up? And what would you tell the commissioners about your utility bill? Reply and let us know. We'll feature the best answers.
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