Westchester executive signs law so that officials do not lie on their resumes
White Plains
Following the discovery of an ongoing high-profile case of an elected official lying on his résumé, County Executive George Latimer and Chairman of the Board of Lawmakers Catherine Borgia are taking steps to help ensure that never happens here in the Westchester County by enacting legislation requiring a public record of candidate resumes. In a ceremony held at the high school featured on Latimer’s resume, the County Executive signed this unanimously approved new tripartite measure into law.
“Honesty is the number one trait that everyone in elected office should have, and what happened to one particular elected official in the news recently has only further reinforced the negative stereotype that all ‘politicians are liars.’ This legislation will help ensure that we never see a case like that here in Westchester County government and I look forward to working with the Board on its implementation.”
Catherine Borgia, Chair of the Board of Legislators, said that “’transparency is the cornerstone of good governance, and the Truthful Disclosure Act is a vital step in ensuring our elected officials are held accountable to the people they serve. This law promotes integrity and trust in our political system and helps safeguard the public interest. He is a good example of responsible and ethical leadership, and a role model for other communities.”
The new law will require legislative and county executive candidates to complete a candidate disclosure form that provides biographical information, including the candidate’s educational, military and employment background. The Candidate Disclosure Form will also require the candidate to certify that the information contained in the form is true and correct. This form will be open for public inspection.
Posted on March 30, 2023
