Passing a Budget in the City of White Plains

One of the primary functions of the White Plains’ elected leaders is to review, finalize, and pass a budget to keep the City running efficiently and seamlessly from year to year. The White Plains Common Council just recently adopted its final budget for fiscal year 2026-2027.

For background, Article V-A, Section 68 of the City Charter (entitled “Budget”) requires the Common Council to formally adopt a budget on or before May 30th for every fiscal year (White Plains City Charter § 68 [5] [B]). The City’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. The Common Council usually receives the proposed budget around April. Budget presentations and public hearings are typically held shortly thereafter into the following month as part of a comprehensive review, public commenting, and proposed changes before adoption of the final budget. Importantly, no “final action [can be] taken on the proposed budget until a public hearing has been held” (White Plains City Charter § 68 [4]).

In preparation for adopting the proposed budget, all City heads of departments, officers, and other spending agencies must prepare and submit “estimates of the expenditure requirements and their estimated revenues for the budget year” to the City’s Budget Director, James Arnett (White Plains City Charter § 68 [2]). The City’s public website details the involvement and responsibilities of the Budget Department. (1)

A brief illustration of the timeline provides some context. This year, the proposed budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 was submitted on April 6, 2026 to the Common Council. On April 21, 2026, Mayor Justin C. Brasch and the Common Council, along with certain City Departments, had a full-fledged presentation and review of the proposed budget. A public hearing on it was held by the Common Council on May 4, 2026, whereafter, the Common Council ultimately approved the budget in a special meeting on May 26, 2026, as required by the City Charter. In so doing, the Common Council unanimously passed several ordinances which, among other things, adopt the tax budget for the general fund and the operating budgets for several funds and departments.

A couple of the Councilmembers provided illuminating insight in passing the budget and what it signifies for White Plains. Councilman Hon. Jeremiah Frei-Pearson opined that a budget is “a moral document.” He revealed that this year’s budget was especially challenging because of the national environment due, in large part, to inflation — which imposes a general increase in the overall price level of the goods and services in the economy over time.

Despite the significant challenges posed by rising inflation, Councilman Frei-Pearson stated that he felt proud of the fact that the City was still able to hire more police officers and firefighters, in addition to fully funding all government services and the Youth Bureau (which provides critical services to children in White Plains), while keeping the municipality “to stay within the tax cap.” Because our legislative body was able to provide complete funding for these services, Councilman Frei-Pearson feels confident that the budget reflects very well on our City’s values.

(1) City of White Plains, City Depts., Budget, https://www.cityofwhiteplains.com/301/Budget (last accessed June 20, 2026).

In adopting the budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, Councilman Frei-Pearson expressed gratitude to all who worked diligently in formulating and finalizing the budget so that the City can continue to serve its residents, while also being fair to taxpayers.

Council President Hon. Victoria Presser just approved her seventh budget for the City and stated that she was truly proud to support the budget for the next fiscal year. Council President Presser characterized her work as a “privilege” because it illustrated “the care and thought that goes into the planning and support of City services.” Further, she explained that the budget “combines prudent, conservative management of expenses and revenue with a commitment to assuring that City services remain strong.”

As did Councilman Frei-Pearson, Council President Presser underscored the team effort that is required in what appears to be an exhaustive process. She credited Budget Director Arnett and his staff for working closely with the department heads in this endeavor. While also noting the hiring of additional police officers and firefighters, Council President Presser complimented the Department of Public Works (DPW) for the “heroic battle[s] [the] DPW waged against the worst winter in decades” in keeping our roads clear during the blizzards and in maintaining the beauty of the City’s parks.

Notably, Council President Presser highlighted a technological innovation in relation to the City’s installation and usage of smart fire hydrants — commonly known as “iHydrants” — that contain smart sensors that electronically transmit water pressure for ease of monitoring which, in turn, allows the City to swiftly detect hidden leaks and predict main breaks in real time. Using iHydrants, for example, upgrades standard municipal fire hydrants by incorporating advanced technology that, in effect, replaces manual, reactive maintenance with proactive, continuous data analysis to preserve our infrastructure and avoid system failures. The foregoing spotlights how our Common Council is implementing measures by using evolving technology and intelligence for greater efficacy.

All said, one can see why preparing, finalizing, and ultimately adopting the proposed budget requires the work of many dedicated people to keep White Plains running smoothly. There are many key contributors who help facilitate the final adoption of the budget. Indeed, the Councilmembers’ remarks reflect deep respect for everything that goes into passing an annual budget benefitting the City and its residents by further enhancing White Plains.

We graciously thank Mayor Brasch, the Common Council, Director Arnett, and the various Department heads for all their collaborative work and earnest efforts in connection with the City’s budget.

For those interested, the 2026-2027 Proposed Budget (and the forthcoming final Adopted Budget) can be found on the City’s website (2). A final summary of the Adopted Budget is being prepared for the Common Council for their meeting in July of 2026.

(2) City of White Plains, City Depts., Budget, Budget Documents, 2026-2027 Proposed Budget, https://www.cityofwhiteplains.com/DocumentCenter/View/12169/2026-2027-Proposed-Budget (last accessed June 22, 2026).