Dan D’Amico Speaks Out Against Yonkers 5% Property Tax Increase

Last night, I spoke at the Yonkers City Council hearing to urge our local leaders to reconsider the proposed 5% property tax increase.

As a homeowner, a real estate professional, a former FDNY firefighter, and a candidate for Westchester County Legislator in District 16, I understand how deeply property taxes affect working families, seniors, small business owners, and anyone trying to build a future here in Yonkers.

Property taxes are not just numbers on a budget sheet. They are monthly mortgage payments. They are rent increases. They are household decisions. They are the difference between whether families can stay in the city they love or whether they are forced to leave.

Every week, as a real estate agent, I sit across the table from families who are asking the same painful question: “Can we still afford to live here?”

That should concern every elected official in Yonkers.

Yonkers Families Deserve Better Than Another Tax Increase

Yonkers is a city filled with hardworking people. Families here are already dealing with rising grocery bills, higher energy costs, expensive insurance, increased rents, and a cost of living that continues to climb.

Now, City Hall is considering placing an even greater burden on property owners.

Before asking taxpayers to pay more, government has a responsibility to look inward first. That means reviewing spending, identifying waste, examining contracts, cutting unnecessary expenses, and making sure every dollar is being used responsibly.

We cannot keep asking homeowners and residents to absorb the cost of government spending without first demanding real accountability.

Government Must Cut Waste Before Raising Taxes

At the hearing, my message was simple: before raising taxes, the city must exhaust every possible option to reduce spending.

That means looking for waste, fraud, inefficiency, duplicated services, bloated expenses, and areas where government can do more with less.

Families in Yonkers already make these tough decisions every day. When costs go up, they review their budget. They cut back. They prioritize. They make sacrifices.

Government should be expected to do the same before turning to taxpayers.

A 5% property tax increase may seem like just another line item in a municipal budget, but to a senior on a fixed income, it can be a serious financial strain. To a young family trying to buy their first home, it can make homeownership feel even further out of reach. To a landlord, it can lead to higher rents. To a small business owner, it can be one more reason to question whether staying in Yonkers is sustainable.

Affordability Must Be a Priority in Yonkers

Yonkers should be a city where families can afford to stay, grow, and thrive. It should be a place where our children can one day buy homes, where seniors can remain in the neighborhoods they helped build, and where small businesses can survive without being crushed by taxes and fees.

That is why affordability is at the center of my campaign for Westchester County Legislator.

We need leaders who understand that taxpayers are not an unlimited source of revenue. We need leaders who are willing to ask hard questions, challenge unnecessary spending, and put residents first.

Yonkers families deserve a government that respects the money they work so hard to earn.

My Commitment to the Taxpayers

I am running for Westchester County Legislator because I believe we need stronger taxpayer advocacy at every level of government.

As your County Legislator, I will fight for fiscal responsibility, public safety, infrastructure improvements, and policies that make Westchester more affordable for working families and seniors.

I will not support budgets that take more from our residents while failing to deliver better results.

The people of Yonkers deserve transparency. They deserve accountability. They deserve elected officials who understand that every tax increase has a real impact on real families.

Yonkers Needs Common Sense Leadership

The answer to every budget challenge cannot be another tax increase.

Before government asks residents for more money, it must prove that it has done everything possible to spend responsibly.

That is the message I brought to the Yonkers City Council hearing, and that is the message I will continue to carry throughout this campaign.

Yonkers is worth fighting for. Our families are worth fighting for. Our taxpayers are worth fighting for.

On November 3rd, we have an opportunity to choose a different direction.

Together, we can bring common sense, accountability, and fiscal responsibility back to government.

Dan D’AmicoRepublican and Conservative Candidate Westchester County Legislator, District 16

Learn more, volunteer, or support the campaign at ElectDanDamico.com.