Government

Voters across Westchester County will have to become familiar with new procedures to have their choices counted at election time. Casting a ballot in the county is catching up with the electronic age.

Residents going to the polls, beginning with the county’s primary elections on September 14, will be confronted with something different: optical scan electronic voting machines. The apparatus is contemporary, but the voting process is undeniably a trifle more complicated than with the traditional lever style machine it is replacing. The lever type machine has been used, in one form or another, for over a century.  more »

Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner is interceding in the unsuccessful negotiations between the health insurer for hundreds of town and other municipal employees, and the network of local hospitals, where, he says, the town’s employees now have only “limited access.”

Mark Wager, president of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, has agreed to Feiner’s request to meet with him and other municipal leaders at Greenburgh Town Hall on August 11.

“I’m pleased that he has agreed to meet because a lot of people are hurting because of this stalemate,” Feiner said. He added he hopes that Wager’s meeting with elected officials can help get the contract talks moving.  more »

If Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner were to have his way, Westchester residents would be able to pay their county tax bill in two installments rather than a single full payment. Feiner is proposing that the county legislators change the law that mandates towns to collect the entire tax from property owners by August 30. Delinquent payers are charged a penalty that grows each month the payment is late.

“These are difficult times for many people, especially seniors on fixed incomes and people who recently have lost their jobs,” he wrote in an email sent to hundreds of his constituents in Greenburgh. “Many people cannot pay their entire tax obligation all at once.”  more »

In his 12th annual State of the County Address, Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano proclaimed the county was in the best financial position of any county in New York State while touting the many essential services the county provides for its residents.

“I believe that county government is doing exactly what it should be doing, working for you,” Spano said in a televised 45-minute speech in the chambers of the Board of Legislators in White Plains. “Working to improve your lives, working to protect your families, and yes, working to save you tax dollars.”  more »

As a driver in New York State you'll soon likely have to give some extra thought and extra space when passing that bicyclist going your way. New legislation designed to make bicycling on state roads a safer passage has passed both the State Senate and Assembly and is expected to be signed by the Governor. The bill, introduced in Albany by State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, requires all motorists "to maintain a safe distance," or at last three feet when passing a bicyclist. It has been labeled "Merrill's Law," in honor of Hartsdale resident Merrill Cassell, who was killed on Route 119 last November when he was sideswiped by a Beeline bus.  more »

The plaudits have been profuse for Sleepy Hollow’s new treasurer, Sara DiGiacomo, even before her arrival this month at Village Hall. Her new assignment comes following a decade long tenure in Dobbs Ferry handling that village’s finances, with the last eight years as its treasurer.

“She is very experienced and very knowledgeable,”Mayor Ken Wray said. “DiGiacomo is smart and she has got extensive background as treasurer and the lead financial person in a village.” According to Mayor Wray, her experience was a decisive factor in the selection. The search for a treasurer included interviews with people who had experience in governmental work, as well as those in the private sector, the mayor explained.  more »

The sum of $400,000 is more than a trickle in a village’s budget, but that is the amount Tarrytown is saving annually by having repaired some big leaks in its water supply’s infrastructure.

Fixing those leaks takes on an even greater importance as the result of a 24.7% water rate increase decided upon late last month by the New York City Water Board. Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow and Irvington get their water from the Big Apple’s water supply flowing from upstate. Irvington draws its water from the Town of Greenburgh’s water system.  more »

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino used his first State of the County address to explain how the county can close a projected deficit of $166 million without raising taxes and preserving essential services.

“Closing a $166 million deficit would require a 30 percent tax hike. That’s beyond unacceptable,” he remarked April 22 from the Board of Legislators’ Chambers in White Plains. “I was elected to stop spiraling tax hikes. I am committed to doing just that. In the fall, I will submit a budget to the Board of Legislators that is balanced and has a zero percent increase in the county tax levy.”  more »

Work continues on the Tarrytown Train station as political figures and Metro North officials gathered recently to mark the re-building progress. Bob Kimmel has the story.

Tentative budgets for 2010-11 in the villages of Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown and Irvington included tax increases ranging from 2.4% to 4.9%.
Administrators in all three villages explained higher mandated pension contributions and decreased assessed property values left them with few options other than having taxpayers dig a little deeper into their wallets and pocketbooks.
“The economy has created a financial environment that is much worse this year for village budgetary purposes than last year,” Tarrytown Village Administrator Michael Blau stated in a March 19 letter to Mayor Drew Fixell and the Board of Trustees.  more »

The eight incumbent trustees who ran in last month’s uncontested village elections in Tarrytown, Irvington and Sleepy Hollow are back in their former posts, aware that not a single voter expressed opposition to their re-election - at least not in the polling booth. No write-in names appeared on any ballots cast in the three villages.

Less than 250 Tarrytown voters trekked to the polls for the March vote. On the Democratic slate, Trustee Tom Basher, who is also deputy mayor, collected 188 votes and compiled 59 on the Tarrytown United line. Running mates Mary McGee and Bobby Hoyt each received 178 votes as Democrats, while Hoyt got 69 as a Tarrytown United candidate, one more than McGee.  more »

Westchester County officials were forced to go back to the drawing board for a third time after being informed by a federal monitor its plans for developing 750 affordable housing units throughout the county over the next seven years were still unacceptable.

“We have seen two versions of the implementation plan and, while the county has worked to improve it, there is still work to be done to set a clear strategy for promoting diverse, inclusive communities,” the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) stated in a March 16 release.  more »

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino took the unusual step last month of vetoing a bill adopted by the Board of Legislators that would have exempted more than 100 non-union management employees from paying for health care.

In becoming the first county executive in Westchester since Andrew O’Rourke in 1997 to exercise his veto power, Astorino called the Legislature’s plan “a giant step backwards” in his efforts to reduce a projected $166 million deficit in the 2011 budget.  more »

If there was any question that a lack of opposition in a village vote for trustees engenders apathy among prospective voters, that question was answered in Tuesday's balloting in Tarrytown, Irvington and Sleepy Hollow.

Tarrytown's incumbents, Tom Basher, Bobby Hoyt and Mary McGee drew 247 citizens to the polls to vote on the two lines on which they were running, Democratic and Tarrytown United. Basher led the trio on the Democratic slate with 188 votes while Hoyt and McGee each captured 178. Hoyt led on the Tarrytown United Line with 69 votes while McGee had 68 and Basher 59.

More than five times that number of voters, approximately 1,300 cast ballots two years ago when the three trustees triumphed against a trio on the Republican and Independence lines.  more »

Sleepy Hollow is moving to crack down on illegal housing in the village by enacting new laws and changing others that will make it easier to expose overcrowded dwellings and increase fines against landlords that own buildings where violations occur. A public hearing on the legislation is scheduled for March 9.

Fines for the owner or person in charge of a building found initially in violation of the rules aimed at over- occupancy would be hit with a fine of at least $1,000. It could be as much as $3,500. Subsequent violations could incur fines up to $7,500.  more »

Developing budgets for the coming fiscal year that avoid either hefty increases in taxes, or cuts in services, are proving to be a tough assignment for the villages this year. The administrators of Tarrytown, Irvington and Sleepy Hollow all voiced common concerns in describing the chores that they and their village boards are facing.

The decline in housing prices have spurred rising certiorari filings and homeowner grievances requesting that their homes be assessed for taxes at lower values. In Irvington, those challenges tripled last year, from a higher than usual figure of about 50 in 2008 to150 last year, according to Lawrence Schopfer, Irvington’s Administrator.  more »

Early last month, the Tarrytown Village Board of Trustees submitted a formal resolution requesting the New York State Legislature amend Section 1202 of NYS Tax Law to permit the Town of Greenburgh and the villages within the Town of Greenburgh to adopt a Local Law Imposing a Room “Occupancy Tax” on Persons Occupying any Hotel or Motel Room for Hire.

The resolution is similar to legislation currently authorized by the New York State Legislature for counties and cities in New York State, including White Plains, New Rochelle and Rye. Westchester County, for example, has an Occupancy Tax law but monies support only county initiatives.  more »

Trying to hold down tax increases in developing budgets for the upcoming fiscal year is proving to be a tough chore for village officials. Bob Kimmel reports: See video

By a slim 9-8 margin, the Westchester Board of Legislators approved a $1.8 billion budget for 2010 with a tax increase of 2.9%.

Exiting County Executive Andrew Spano had proposed a spending plan with a 4.9% tax hike but legislators scrutinized every department in an effort to reduce spending and lower the tax burden on residents.

The split vote was a result of some legislators maintaining more consolidation and reductions could have been accomplished. Others insisted reducing the budget any further would have jeopardized many vital programs and services.  more »

Greenburgh resident Lois Bronz has been a groundbreaker in Westchester County politics, but she nearly did not live long enough to be a force for change.

In what she believed was a racially motivated attack, Bronz barely escaped a bombing of her home when she lived in New Orleans in the early 1960s.

Bronz, who retired from the county Board of Legislators at the end of 2009 after serving nine two-year terms, recounted the incident while reviewing her life and career during an interview at her legislative office in White Plains in December. She represented the Eighth District, which includes Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Elmsford and Greenburgh.  more »

It was “Law Day” about 25 years ago at Westlake High School when Tarrytown resident Kevin J. Plunkett first met Rob Astorino, the newly elected county executive in Westchester.

At the time, Astorino was a senior and president of the student body. Plunkett was legal counsel for the Mount Pleasant School District.

“He was a leader at the time and he’s a leader now,” said Plunkett. “The trend is obvious.”

Plunkett, now 60, went on to serve as village attorney for Irvington (1984-2007), Tarrytown (1999-2003) and Dobbs Ferry (1989-2009) and is currently a partner in the White Plains law firm DelBello Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr.  more »

In his 12th and final budget proposal, Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano released a $1.819 billion spending plan that calls for an average tax increase countywide of 4.9%.

Coming off a humbling defeat to former county legislator Rob Astorino, Spano’s budget also includes the elimination of 37 positions (34 of which are currently vacant), a five-day unpaid furlough for most county workers and the end to the county executive’s security detail and taxpayer-funded automobile.

“This budget is unique in a lot of ways,” Spano said. “I tried to be responsible in terms of taxes, preserving any quality of life issues and maintaining our triple A bond rating. This is a little different for me, not hard. There were easier decisions for me being that I lost the election.”  more »

The Westchester County Housing Settlement breaks new ground in the fight against racially segregated housing in Westchester and radically changes the County’s role in land use. The following are Frequently Asked Questions about the 39-page settlement and how it affects Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow and Irvington.

Was the lawsuit brought based on racial segregation?  more »

On November 3, registered voters in Westchester County will head to the polls to choose candidates running for county executive, district attorney and county clerk. All 17 seats on the Board of Legislators are also up for grabs, including District 8 (Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Greenburgh), where longtime Legislator Lois Bronz (D) is retiring.

District 12 Legislator Thomas Abinanti (D), who represents Irvington, Greenburgh and three other river towns, is running unopposed for a 10th term.

County Executive

It’s a rematch from 2005 with three-term incumbent Democrat Andrew Spano being challenged by former Republican county legislator Rob Astorino.  more »

The race to succeed retiring 16-year incumbent Lois Bronz (D/Greenburgh) on the Westchester County Board of Legislators in the Eighth District is shaping up to be about two issues: money and taxes.

On November 3, voters will choose between Democrat Alfreda Williams and Republican Thomas Bock, both of whom are concerned about where taxpayers’ money is going and finding ways to use it more efficiently.

Williams, a former town clerk in Greenburgh, survived a hotly contested Democratic primary last month with Sleepy Hollow Trustee Karin Wompa, winning by 290 votes. (Wompa said she was proud of the work of her campaign and thanked her supporters).  more »

One day before a court ordered deadline that would have possibly triggered a long and costly trial, the Westchester County Board of Legislators last month approved a so-called landmark agreement between the county and federal government that mandates 750 “fair and affordable” housing units be built by 2016.

Since the controversial settlement also carried with it the approval of a $36 million bond act, a super majority (at least 12 out of 17 votes) was needed. The vote, 12-5, took place at approximately 1:15 a.m. on September 23 following a five-hour debate.

Among the 12 Democrats that supported the settlement was retiring Legislator Lois Bronz (D/Greenburgh).  more »

This year a major race is scheduled for the county’s Eighth District. That’s because Lois Bronz (D/Greenburgh) is retiring, which sets up a Democratic primary fight not usually associated with the county Board of Legislators. Bronz was first elected in 1993, and in 2002 she became the first woman, and the first African-American, to lead the Westchester County Board of Legislators.

The two candidates looking to succeed Bronz are former Greenburgh Town Clerk Alfreda Williams, and Sleep Hollow Trustee Karin Wompa. September 15th, primary day, will decide who will be on the Democratic ticket on Election Day.  more »

The Village of Irvington and many other municipalities in Westchester are anxiously awaiting the fallout from a federal desegregation lawsuit that calls for a maximum 750 “fair and affordable” housing units to be built in the county by 2016 in communities with less than three percent African American residents and seven percent Hispanic residents.

“We look for the opportunity to create more affordable housing,” Irvington Mayor Jonathan Siegel said. “Irvington supports fair housing for all. Affordable housing has to be available to all people, including minorities. I think it benefits Irvington and all the rivertowns to have a diverse population.”  more »

A well known local political figure, and an educator will be honored September 25 at The Hudson Valley Writers’ Center Autumn Celebration at Sleepy Hollow County Club. Tributes will go to Dr. Howard Smith, Tarrytown Superintendent of Schools, and Lois Bronz, Westchester County legislator, representing the 8th district, which encompasses Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow.  more »

The field of candidates interested in succeeding longtime Westchester County Legislator Lois Bronz (D/Greenburgh) in the eighth district became more crowded recently when Sleepy Hollow Village Trustee Karin Wompa threw her hat in the ring to set up a Democratic primary.

Standing in front of the Westchester County Office Building in White Plains, surrounded by such supporters as county legislators Thomas Abinanti (D/Greenburgh) and John Nonna (D/Mount Pleasant), Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner, Sleepy Hollow Mayor Ken Wray and Tarrytown Mayor Drew Fixell, Wompa maintained she had the skills to be an effective county representative.  more »