[4:40] >> friends this week in the jewish
[4:42] community, we begin our reading and
[4:43] study of
[4:44] the biblical book of exodus. As the
[4:45] book
[4:47] begins, we're introduced to a new
[4:48] pharaoh who did not
[4:51] know joseph, whose ability to interpret dreams
[4:53] and act accordingly saved egypt from
[4:54] a great famine. This
[4:57] pharaoh goes on to oppress and enslave
[4:58] the people of
[4:59] israel, setting in motion the events of
[5:00] the
[5:02] book. This biblical story reminds
[5:03] us of
[5:05] the tremendous power leaders have.
[5:06] the power to create and to
[5:08] destroy, to bring people together
[5:09] or to drive them apart, to liberate or to oppress.
[5:18] eternal god,
[5:20] as we gather this evening at the start of a
[5:21] new term,
[5:23] keep its members ever mindful of the
[5:24] sacred task before them.
[5:27] give them the patience, the humility, the
[5:29] courage, and the strength to perform
[5:30] their duties
[5:33] wisely and well. Implant within them
[5:34] a
[5:36] listening heart and an open mind.
[5:37] inspire
[5:38] them to improve our county for the
[5:39] benefit of all of
[5:42] its residents. May all who call this
[5:43] place home
[5:45] find safety, opportunity, love,
[5:48] and freedom here.
[5:57] >> we will now
[6:00] welcome reverend
[6:02] irwin, calvary baptist of white plains, new
[6:03] york, to offer our final invocation.
[6:06] >> a
[6:09] citizens' prayer for the west kester
[6:10] county board
[6:12] of legislators. I lift up the members
[6:15] of westchester county board of legislators
[6:16] as
[6:18] they begin this new year of service.
[6:19] may they
[6:20] be granted a vision that spans from
[6:22] the
[6:25] hills ofof north to the cities
[6:26] of the the south, seeing the unique
[6:28] needs of every
[6:30] resident. I pray that as they take
[6:34] their seats of
[6:40] government,
[6:46] remembering they hold
[6:48] the public trust. I pray their debate
[6:49] be
[6:51] marked by civility and a conclusion
[6:54] toward fairness. May they prioritize the least
[6:57] among us, ensuring the marginalized
[6:58] find a
[6:59] champion in this chamber. Grant them
[7:01] the patience to
[7:03] listen deeply and the wisdom to act
[7:04] decisively
[7:07] for the common good. I pray
[7:09] for their integrity, keep them steadfast in
[7:10] the
[7:11] pursuit of good governance, protect
[7:13] them from the pressures of
[7:15] the extreme, and guide them instead
[7:18] towards what is right and just for the
[7:19] long term.
[7:25] I pray for their discernment,
[7:26] that they may see beyond the immediate
[7:28] into the long-term
[7:30] well-being of all the residents of
[7:31] westchester.
[7:34] I pray for their
[7:36] empathy, that the voices of the vulnerable
[7:37] and
[7:40] the undeserved remain at the
[7:41] forefront of their deliberation. And
[7:43] I pray for their
[7:46] fortitude, that they may have courage to
[7:47] pursue fairness even when the path is difficult.
[7:52] and lastly, I pray for their
[7:55] unity, that they may, despite
[7:56] differences of perspectives, share
[7:58] a commitment
[8:01] to the common good where
[8:04] all prevail. May westchester
[8:06] flourish under their leadership. May
[8:07] westchester be known,
[8:10] not just as a beautiful, for its
[8:11] beauty and for its resources, but
[8:13] for the
[8:14] justice and equityequity its laws.
[8:16] strengthen
[8:18] these leaders in their public duties.
[8:19] protect them
[8:21] in their private lives so they may
[8:22] serve
[8:25] with joy and
[8:26] with clear conscience throughout this year, amen.
[8:30] >> will the acting court please call the roll.
[8:37] >> majority leader holstein. >>
[8:40] present.
[8:41] >> mirchlt
[8:42] leader cunzio.
[8:43] >> here. >> mr. Alvarado?
[8:44] miss barr?
[8:46] >> here. >>
[8:49] miss clements?
[8:50] >> here. >> mr.
[8:52] goshi.
[8:53] >> here. >> mr. Immora. >>
[8:55] here.
[8:56] >> mr. Nambiar?
[8:58] >> here. >> mr. Nolan?
[9:01] >> here. >> miss pierce?
[9:03] miss puja?
[9:04] >> here. >> mr. Smith?
[9:07] >> here. >> mr. Tubiolo?
[9:10] >> present. >>
[9:12] miss williams?
[9:13] >> present. >> miss
[9:14] williams
[9:16] johnson?
[9:17] >> present. >> mr. Woodson
[9:18] samuels?
[9:19] >> present. >> we have a
[9:20] quorum.
[9:21] >> thank you. Welcome to the
[9:22] organizational meeting of
[9:23] the westchester county board of legislators.
[9:24] it is customary for the westchester
[9:25] county clerk to convene the
[9:26] first meeting of each newly constituted
[9:28] board
[9:30] of legislators until the chair is
[9:31] elected and sworn in. At this
[9:33] time, I would ask the members of this
[9:34] esteemed body
[9:36] to stand as I administer the oath
[9:37] of office to
[9:40] you, the full legislator of
[9:41] the westchester county for the 2026 legislative
[9:43] term.
[9:49] please repeat after me.
[9:52] I, state your name, solemnly
[9:55] swear or affirm that I
[9:58] will support the constitution
[10:01] of the united states and the
[10:04] constitution of the
[10:07] state of new york, that I will
[10:10] faithfully discharge
[10:13] the duties of the office of county
[10:16] legislator in and for the county of
[10:20] westchester according to the best of my ability.
[10:25] congratulations.
[10:42] nominations are now in order for chairman of
[10:43] the westchester county board of legislators.
[10:52] >>
[10:54] yes, thank you, mr. County clerk.
[10:55] and
[10:58] I would like to
[11:01] nominate legislator
[11:04] goshi for board chairman for the
[11:07] 2026 legislative term.
[11:10] >> legislator
[11:12] gashi has been nominated for chairman of
[11:13] the
[11:15] westchester county board of legislators.
[11:16] there is a second?
[11:17] >>
[11:19] second.
[11:20] >> legislator
[11:21] vedat gashi has been nominated and
[11:22] seconded.
[11:23] are there any other nominations for this office?
[11:27] nominations are now closed. Will the
[11:28] acting
[11:29] clerk please call a long roll call vote?
[11:34] >> majority leader holstein?
[11:37] >> aye.
[11:40] >> minority leader cunzio? >> yes.
[11:42] >> mr. Alvarado? >> yes. >> miss barr?
[11:43] >> yes.
[11:45] >> miss clements? >> yes. >> mr. Gashi?
[11:46] >> yes.
[11:49] >> mr. Immora?
[11:52] >> yes. >> mr. Nambiar?
[11:55] >> yes. >> mr. Nolan? >> yes. >> miss
[11:58] puja?
[11:59] >> yes. >> mr. Smith? >>
[12:01] yes.
[12:02] >> mr. Tubiolo?
[12:04] >> yes. >> miss rely? >> yes.
[12:06] >> miss williams? >> yes. >> miss
[12:07] williams
[12:10] johnson?
[12:11] >> yes. >> mr.
[12:13] woodson samuels?
[12:14] >> aye. >>
[12:16] motion passes 16-0.
[12:17] >> since legislator gashi
[12:18] is in the room, the election is now
[12:19] final. I would ask that
[12:22] majority leader holstein
[12:25] and minority leader
[12:27] cunzio, please escort chairman gashi to the podium.
[12:54] >> so --oh, I've got to give the swearing-in.
[12:58] I
[13:00] was going to jump right in.
[13:01] >> I came
[13:02] all the way
[13:03] here.
[13:04] >> may I have my wife and children
[13:05] come up?
[13:06] >> absolutely, absolutely.
[13:07] >> guys, come up here.
[13:31] >> please raise
[13:34] your right hand. I, vedat
[13:36] gashi solemnly swear that I will support
[13:37] the
[13:40] constitution of the united
[13:43] states, the constitution of
[13:44] the state of new york, and that I
[13:46] will faithfully discharge
[13:49] the duties of the office
[13:52] of chair of the county board of legislators
[13:55] in and for the county of
[13:58] westchester according to the
[14:01] best of my abilities. [ repeated ]
[14:04] thank you.
[14:15] >> all right. I think that was one
[14:16] of county
[14:17] clerk roach's first official acts as westchester county
[14:19] clerk.
[14:25] thank you, tom, for
[14:26] helping make this a special event.
[14:28] I want to thank the
[14:30] faith leaders for your inspiring words
[14:31] and uplifting message.
[14:34] of course,
[14:36] we had some of them up here, but I want
[14:37] to thank my family
[14:40] of which there are many.
[14:43] vanessa, my mother, say
[14:46] hi, mom,
[14:49] dorantina, akron, our men j unfortunately
[14:52] ka, ari, and tajir.
[14:53] am I missing anybody? That's plenty.
[14:58] and I love them
[15:00] all, and they're all supported, but
[15:01] they're
[15:02] all constituents and voters so thank
[15:04] you guys for that, too. And of course,
[15:07] I want to thank --
[15:10] mention my father, who
[15:12] passed away before I entered political
[15:13] life, but whose
[15:14] example guides me every day. Thank you, dad.
[15:16] I love you.
[15:19] I want to
[15:22] thank my colleagues. I'm humbled and
[15:25] honored to have received
[15:28] your support
[15:30] again. Thank you. I'll have succeeded
[15:31] if I
[15:34] can help you all -- if
[15:37] I can help you all succeed and support
[15:38] you
[15:40] in our joint success. Tonight we welcome
[15:41] two
[15:43] new colleagues, jen puja and anant
[15:44] nambiar.
[15:52] legislator puja has
[15:55] a long record of public service
[15:58] and is a strong
[15:59] labor advocate we welcome to our board.
[16:04] legislator nambiar has
[16:07] his own impressive record of service
[16:08] and achievement but is also notable
[16:10] for becoming the
[16:11] first south asian member of this board of
[16:13] legislators.
[16:19] as well as
[16:21] the first member of the hindu faith to
[16:22] serve in
[16:24] this role. So, welcome, and thank
[16:25] you for helping us break those barriers
[16:26] as well.
[16:28] I'm
[16:29] going to keep this speech short, because this is going to
[16:31] be a short term.
[16:36] I'm not sure if everyone's aware,
[16:37] but there was a change in
[16:39] the election law. So this is going
[16:40] to be historic in the regard that
[16:42] it's going to be a one-year term for the first
[16:43] time ever.
[16:46] and
[16:48] it's going to be difficult for more
[16:49] than just that reason.
[16:52] it's also an incredibly challenging
[16:55] environment. We have a
[16:57] difficult economic environment, and
[16:58] the actions
[17:00] of the federal government are making
[17:01] it incredibly
[17:03] difficult for us already. And it's going
[17:04] to mean a
[17:05] whole lot of work before us in this
[17:07] next year.
[17:10] we have
[17:12] challenges. We have that work to do and only
[17:13] a short time to do it.
[17:15] it's going to be hard. But we're going
[17:19] to --we're going to approach these
[17:22] challenging times as we've always
[17:26] done, by being firm on principle
[17:29] and fair in process, through
[17:31] strong debate but stronger respect,
[17:32] and by
[17:33] acting with urgency without recklessness.
[17:38] it's not going to be easy,
[17:40] but we've tackled difficult things
[17:41] before. It's times
[17:42] like these that remind us why this
[17:44] board of
[17:45] legislators matters. Why government matters.
[17:50] I want to thank, again,
[17:53] my colleagues for entrusting me
[17:55] with this solemn honor and responsibility.
[17:57] I sincerely appreciate it. Thank you all.
[18:02] I think since we have so much work
[18:03] to do, we should get on with doing it.
[18:06] thank you, and may god bless america.
[18:19] >> I don't know that I've ever banged this.
[18:25] nominations are now in order for vice chair of
[18:26] the westchester county board of legislators.
[18:32] >> yes. Thank you, mr. Chair.
[18:34] again, congratulationscongratulations
[18:35] your
[18:37] elected --being elected to be our --
[18:38] serve as our
[18:41] board chair for another term. I
[18:44] would like to move that --for
[18:47] the office of vice
[18:50] chair, for the
[18:53] 2026 legislative term,
[18:56] legislator terry clements. I've had
[18:58] an opportunity to work with legislator
[18:59] clements
[19:02] now since I came on
[19:04] to the board. And you know, she's
[19:05] always
[19:07] been a good resource for me personally
[19:08] and
[19:11] always made a very --she's been a
[19:13] great addition to the board. She's shown great
[19:17] leadership, not just here as a
[19:20] legislator, but in
[19:21] her community and I think that she
[19:23] would make a very --
[19:25] she's going to make a very capable
[19:26] vice
[19:27] chair. And so it's my privilege and
[19:28] honor to nominate her for that position.
[19:38] >> is there a
[19:40] second?
[19:41] >> I'd like to second that
[19:42] nomination for legislator clements, thank you.
[19:43] >> all right.
[19:47] are there --sorry. Legislator
[19:48] terry clements has been nominated
[19:50] and seconded for vice chair of
[19:52] the westchester county board of legislators.
[19:53] are there any other nominations for this office?
[19:59] seeing
[20:00] none, nominations are now closed.
[20:02] will
[20:03] the acting clerk please call a long roll call vote?
[20:08] >> majority
[20:11] leader holstein?
[20:12] >> aye.
[20:13] >> minority er cunzio? >> yes. >> mr.
[20:17] alvarado?
[20:18] >> yes. >> miss barr?
[20:19] >> yes. >> miss clements? >> yes.
[20:20] >> mr.
[20:23] imamura?
[20:24] >> yes. >> mr. Nambiar?
[20:26] >> yes. >> mr. Nolan? >> yes. >> miss
[20:29] puja?
[20:30] >> yes. >> mr. Smith?
[20:32] >> yes. >> mr. Tubiolo?
[20:35] >> yes. >> miss
[20:37] sue lie?
[20:38] >> yes. >> miss williams?
[20:39] >> yes.
[20:41] >> miss williams johnson?
[20:43] >> yes. >> mr. Woodson samuels? >>
[20:44] yes.
[20:45] >>
[20:46] chairman gashi?
[20:47] >> yes. >> motion passes 16-0.
[20:59] >>
[21:02] since legislator clements is
[21:03] in the room, the election is now final.
[21:05] I ask that the
[21:07] majority leader and minority leader
[21:11] cunzio, if they would escort vicevice
[21:13] clements to the podium and join her for the oath of office.
[21:44] >> please repeat after me.
[21:47] [ repeating ] I, terry
[21:49] clements, do solemnly swear that I
[21:53] will support the constitution of
[21:56] the united states and the constitution
[21:59] of the state of new york and that
[22:02] I will faithfully discharge
[22:05] the duties of the office of vice chair of the county board of
[22:08] legislators
[22:11] in and for the county of
[22:14] westchester according to the best
[22:17] of my ability. Congratulations.
[22:29] >> good evening, and thank
[22:31] you, everyone, for coming and supporting
[22:32] all of
[22:35] my colleagues. I'd like to thank my
[22:36] husband,
[22:37] george clements, who was just standing
[22:38] here, and my
[22:40] daughters, monet and lauren, for allowing
[22:41] me to serve
[22:44] the residents of
[22:47] westchester since 1996 in the very
[22:48] many
[22:50] different roles in politics. Now I'm
[22:52] honored to serve as vice chair and
[22:53] remain committed
[22:56] to ensuring every voice in westchester
[22:57] is
[22:58] heard and valued. Together with my
[23:01] colleagues, I will continue advocating
[23:02] for policies that
[23:05] uplift our communities and strengthen
[23:07] the democratic --our democratic values
[23:08] that make
[23:10] our country strong. I'm grateful to
[23:11] the
[23:13] residents and my fellow legislators
[23:14] for the continued support as
[23:17] we move forward in unity and purpose.
[23:18] and thank
[23:19] you so much for this honor. I will work very hard.
[23:20] thank you so much.
[23:32] >> thank you, vice chair
[23:34] clements. Nominations are now in order
[23:35] for clerk of the westchester
[23:38] county board of legislators. I'll
[23:39] take this
[23:41] opportunity to nominate sunday vandenberg.
[23:44] if you don't know sunday
[23:46] vandenberg, you do not know this board
[23:49] of legislators. She's been operating
[23:50] longer than I've been here and
[23:52] knows a heck of a lot more about it
[23:53] than I do.
[23:54] thank you for your service in the
[23:56] past, and thank you
[23:59] for agreeing to serve again. So
[24:02] with that, sunday vandenberg has been
[24:03] nominated for
[24:04] clerk of the westchester county board
[24:05] of legislators. Is there a
[24:08] second?
[24:09] >> I second.
[24:11] >> minority leader -- okay.
[24:14] >> honored
[24:15] to stand here today and wholeheartedly
[24:17] support our dear friend and colleague
[24:20] and leader of the clerk's office.
[24:21] sunday
[24:23] truly does know this entire board inside
[24:24] and out.
[24:26] we go to her, we lean on her, professionally
[24:29] and personally. But I stand here today,
[24:32] and I'm proud
[24:34] to support sunday vandenberg and second
[24:35] the nomination.
[24:38] >> thank you.
[24:41] sunday vandenberg has now been nominated and
[24:42] seconded
[24:43] for clerk of the westchester county
[24:44] board of legislators.
[24:46] are there any other nominations for
[24:47] this office?
[24:50] seeing none, nominations are now
[24:52] closed. Will the acting clerk please
[24:53] call a long roll call
[24:55] vote?
[24:56] >> majority leader holstein?
[24:57] >> aye.
[24:59] >> minority leader cunzio? >> yes.
[25:02] >> mr. Alvarado? >> yes. >>
[25:05] miss barr?
[25:06] >> yes. >>
[25:08] miss clements?
[25:09] >> yes. >> mr. Imamura?
[25:10] >>
[25:11] yes.
[25:12] >> mr. Nambiar? >> yes. >> mr.
[25:14] nolan?
[25:15] >> yes. >> miss pierce? Miss
[25:17] puja?
[25:18] >> yes. >> mr. Smith? >>
[25:20] yes.
[25:21] >> mr. Tubiolo? >> yes. >>
[25:23] miss sue lie?
[25:24] >> yes. >> miss williams?
[25:25] --
[25:26] yes.
[25:27] >> miss williams johnson?
[25:29] >> yes. >> mr. Woodson samuels? >>
[25:32] aye.
[25:33] >> chairman gashi? >> yes. >> motion passes 16-0.
[25:44] >> all right.
[25:49] it says here, now congratulate sunday.
[25:56] you can tell
[25:57] sunday knows the position and the
[25:59] job by the fact that she is not
[26:00] giving a speech now. Thank you, sunday.
[26:05] and with that, that concludes our
[26:06] business for tonight.
[26:08] I'd like to thank everyone for joining
[26:09] us
[26:11] and invite
[26:13] reverend trollinger to lead us in the
[26:14] benediction.
[26:23] >> may we bow our heads.
[26:26] eternal god our
[26:29] father, wewe thank
[26:31] you for your divine providence of
[26:32] creating this magnificent
[26:35] idea of america.
[26:38] as we stand
[26:40] at crossroads within our community,
[26:41] within our nation,
[26:44] and in our world, help us to still
[26:45] hold
[26:47] true to the founding
[26:50] fathers, that all men are created
[26:51] equal.
[26:54] that we are to pursue
[26:57] happiness,
[26:58] equality for everyone. Charge our
[27:00] brothers and our
[27:03] sisters, continue to be faithful
[27:05] to the original idea of this thing called the united states.
[27:11] the lord bless you, the lord keep
[27:13] you, the lord make his face shine
[27:15] upon you and be
[27:17] gracious unto you. The lord lift up
[27:18] his
[27:19] countenance upon you and grant you his
[27:21] peace, amen.
[27:25] >> thank you again, reverend challenger.
[27:30] majority leader
[27:31] holstein, do you have a motion on
[27:33] adjournment?
[27:34] >> mr. Chair, I
[27:35] do. Our 2026 meeting calendar has
[27:36] yet to be finalized, so
[27:37] I move that we adjourn this meeting
[27:39] until the call of the chair.
[27:42] >> short roll call, please. >> majority
[27:44] leader holstein?
[27:45] >> aye. >> minority
[27:46] leader cunzio?
[27:48] >> yes. >> vice
[27:51] chair clements?
[27:52] >> yes. >>
[27:53] chairman dashi?
[27:54] >> yes. >> motion
[27:55] to adjourn
[27:57] passes 16-0.
[27:58] >> we are adjourned
[27:59] at 7:43 p.m. Thank you all again.