Dec. 13, 2016 - Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino, who was joined by William M. Mooney, III, director of the county’s Office of Economic Development and Stew Leonard Jr., President and CEO of Stew Leonard’s, at Stew Leonard’s in Yonkers this morning to encourage Westchester residents to do their holiday shopping within the county.
"Regardless of what you are shopping for, we have some of the best shopping right here in Westchestester," said Astorino. "When you shop local, you pay a sales tax; and that sales tax goes to county government, local municipalities and schools. That helps keep our taxes down and our county strong.”
The #Shoplocal initiative encourages county residents to do more in-person shopping within the community year-round. Astorino notes that shopping in Westchester is convenient for residents, good for the local economy and will help boost local sales tax revenue, which has taken a hit in the past year due to low gasoline prices as well as other factors.
Stew Leonard Jr., also spoke about the importance of visiting local stores and how shopping at can help everyone in the local community.
"When you shop at your local store, you are not only supporting the local business community, but you are helping your own neighbors who own and work for these businesses,” said Stew Leonard, Jr. “ Right now, hundreds of people work in our store in Yonkers because people shop local.”
As part of the campaign, Astorino asks residents to take photos at their favorite Westchester stores and post it on social media using “#ShopLocal” to help support and promote local businesses in the county.