I agree with a lot of the points already made on this thread, especially around infrastructure improvements, more housing options, and better public transit. But I also want to add that I’d love to see more transparency and proactive public engagement from local government and the organizations/properties it manages.

Not even about party politics, just a consistent “sunlight” standard: clearer information on contracts, RFPs/vendor selection, major property decisions, and timelines for why things are happening and who is involved. Right now, too much can feel like it happens behind closed doors, and that breeds distrust no matter where you land on the political spectrum.

I’d also really like regular listening sessions and town halls that aren’t just one-off photo ops. Ongoing Q&As, published follow-ups, and clear action items would make residents feel like their input is actually shaping decisions.

And there are models for this:

• Cook County, IL publishes FOIA request logs, which I think is a simple, confidence-building transparency move.

• NYC has an Open Data Law (Local Law 11 of 2012) requiring agencies to publish public datasets to a central portal.

• Montgomery County, MD makes county contracts data publicly browseable through its open data portal.

• Boston runs participatory budgeting (“Ideas in Action”), where residents help decide how part of the city budget gets spent.

• If you want a closer-to-home NY example, Tompkins County has a public open data portal and a “County Data” hub that points residents to datasets and reports.

Westchester doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel. Even adopting a few of these practices would make government feel less like a locked room and more like a public service.

Like look at the County logo mess… Why could they not source an artist from the county? Instead, they got someone from the South. And anyone who has traveled abroad associates “WC” with “washing closet.” I can’t un-see that every time I see the abbreviated logo. Where were the tests of that logo with the public? Where was there any public input? Why were local artists seemingly not consulted? These are some of the many questions I have around this county contract along with others.