On May 29, the Yonkers City Council unanimously adopted a $1.64 billion budget for 2026–27, covering city government and the public schools. It's the largest budget in the city's history, and it carries a combined city-and-school property tax rate increase of 4.75%.
Why it matters: Yonkers is the largest city in Westchester and the center of the county's development wave — transit-oriented towers, the film and production push, hundreds of new units in the pipeline. The promise of all that growth is a wider tax base and relief for the individual homeowner. This budget raised the rate anyway. Rising personnel, pension, and healthcare costs outran revenue, and the city leaned on about $55 million in state aid to hold the line where it did, preserving all services and its full workforce.
The timing is pointed: the budget passed days before the June 23 primary, where two Yonkers-area county legislative seats are on the ballot and development is the central argument. Listen to the full breakdown on The Westchester Brief.
QUICK HITS
The World Cup has arrived. MetLife Stadium hosts eight matches through the July 19 final, with the FIFA Fan Festival running at Liberty State Park. We map Westchester's real slice of a $3.3 billion tournament this Friday on The Friday Intel.
The primary is Monday. Early voting is already open; Primary Day is June 23. Two Yonkers-area Board of Legislators seats are on the ballot. Your site and hours are on the county Board of Elections website.
Playland's 98th season is on. The county-owned Rye park runs Wednesday through Sunday through Labor Day, with the restored Dragon Coaster back after a year off.
ONE MORE THING
Should new development lower your taxes, or just slow how fast they rise? Reply and tell us what you're seeing on your own bill.
Want the full numbers in your inbox? Subscribe and forward at iliveherewestchester.com.
Listen to The Westchester Brief daily on all podcast platforms.
Visit: www.iliveheremedia.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @iliveheremedia
Don't miss an episode. Forward this to a neighbor and ask them to subscribe.