Endorsements
Town supervisor
Peter DeLucia all but had The Ledger’s endorsement for town supervisor sewn up — until he unveiled his plan to keep his job with the county and hire a town administrator to run the town during the day.
Mr. DeLucia, who has the experience in town government and the civic educational pedigree to be a strong candidate for the position, claims that adding an administrator is good for the town. That may be. But this idea has never been openly studied, discussed or analyzed because no one — including town officials and Mr. DeLucia — ever expressed any desire in public to expand the government before this campaign. In general, The Ledger frowns upon adding layers of government.
That remains the case here, as there is no evidence of a need for a town administrator.
Despite how hard Mr. DeLucia works for the town now as a board member, if he works 40 hours a week for the county he cannot possibly match the 10 hours a day, five days a week — which does not include evening meetings and hours on weekends — that his opponent, Edward Brancati, would work as town supervisor.
And, as Mr. DeLucia told The Ledger, he would have to recuse himself in all town matters that involve the county. Mr. Brancati would not.
Mr. Brancati has already shown a strong work ethic in his one year on the Town Board, diving into a number of pressing issues, including the mandatory drafting of a storm water ordinance and working on improving the town’s emergency preparedness. In those roles, he has been in contact with most of the departments he would oversee as town supervisor. His ability to work well with the heads of those departments is not surprising, as Mr. Brancati has also shown success in dealing with his fellow Town Board members, despite being the lone Democrat.
Mr. Brancati’s knowledge of the town was cultivated through the years he spent growing up here, experiencing the schools, the sports leagues, the arts programs, and more. He also spent some time outside of town, working in Washington, D.C., for Vice President Al Gore. He later worked for Congresswoman Nita Lowey for five years, dealing with all levels of government, including those of the towns in her Westchester and Rockland counties district.
Mr. Brancati has the civil experience, political savvy and ability to put in the long hours that make him the choice to be the first Democratic town supervisor in a decade.
Town Board
There was never any question that no one knows more about Lewisboro and town government than Tom Herzog. The question was whether he was still needed on the Town Board after being rejected twice by voters in previous elections. The answer is yes.
Mr. Herzog’s performance at the recent debates easily surpassed those of the other candidates for the two seats on the board. Where others were vague, Mr. Herzog was sharp and knowledgeable. And he was decisive, providing definitive answers to questions asked instead of skirting the issues. It became obvious throughout those two nights that he is the most ready to become an immediate force on the board.
And with good reason. Mr. Herzog served two years on the Town Board followed by six more years as town supervisor. And he has missed only a couple of meetings in the four years since then. He is an institution in terms of knowledge of the town’s past, and is completely informed about the current state of the town, and the issues it faces. None of the other candidates can offer that.
Last year, the town needed a young Mr. Brancati to represent that generation. This year, Lewisboro needs the elder statesman of the group to regain his role with a seat on the Town Board.
There are three other candidates vying for the board. Daniel Welsh is a man of strong ideals and conviction, with the environment being a top concern. Peter Clark wants to protect homeowners’ rights, specifically by revising the town’s wetlands law. And Bruce Pavalow stresses fiscal management.
All three are capable and intelligent candidates. But it is Mr. Pavalow’s body of work on the school board that pushes him to the top of the candidate list.
Mr. Pavalow was never afraid to take a stand and speak his mind on issues that he deemed important, even if they were not necessarily popular with his fellow school board members. That is an essential trait to have for this Town Board, as there is the chance he could be the only Democrat serving on it.
As a school board member he fought hard to rein in financing, repeatedly exploring ways to curb fiscal waste and mismanagement without impairing the district’s high level of education. That experience translates well to the Town Board, which is facing costly projects it can no longer ignore. Mr. Pavalow would use his financial and management background to complete these projects at a reasonable cost, and without the financial overruns that often occur in municipal projects.
It is a testament to his capabilities that two current school board members wrote letters to this paper in support of his candidacy — despite often not seeing eye-to-eye with him on school issues when he served with them. This is important because it suggests that he can be instrumental in working with that board to consolidate services when school and town needs and expenses overlap, thus saving taxpayers money on both ends.
Town justice
The hope is that in future town elections there will be no endorsements for town judge because it has become an appointed position. The political furor over this year’s race — there are more letters to the editors in this issue backing a candidate for town justice than in any of the other contests, including town supervisor — illustrates the need to make this post a Town Board appointment.
However, voters will elect the next town judge in Lewisboro. And incumbent Susan Simon deserves to remain on the bench.
Her opponent, Republican John Pappalardo, is a seasoned trial lawyer and arbitrator who has a strong proposal for youthful offender reform, including increased community service and educational programs. He would be a quality judge who would serve the town well.
But Ms. Simon’s good track record during her four years as judge provides no reason for voters to unseat her. She uses her qualities as a female (the first ever to serve as judge in Lewisboro), mother and former teacher to deal sensitively and reasonably with the youths that often come before her court.
Ms. Simon’s private practice, which focuses mainly on real estate, estates, small business, and minor criminal matters, is in Cross River, making her available at the Town House in a matter of minutes. She is an arbitrator for Westchester County Supreme Court and is a New York state certified mediator. Ms. Simon is well-qualified and an asset to the court in Lewisboro.
County legislator
The race for county legislator is an interesting one in that candidate Peter Michaelis
is a throwback in terms of Republicans — less government, lower taxes and home rule. In fact, he wants to greatly reduce county government, effectively seeking to limit his own power if elected — a rarity among politicians, and a welcome change of view.
The hope is Peter Harckham, his Democratic challenger, who is receiving The Ledger’s endorsement, will exhibit some of the same principles when it comes to serving in the county legislature. Mr. Harckham is an avid fighter for water quality improvement and increasing affordable housing — both of which affect Lewisboro and the county as a whole. Yet many of the issues facing residents in northern Westchester are different from those in the southern part of the county. High taxes are driving people out of town here — and Lewisboro sees little, if anything, in return for the money it sends to White Plains.
As part of the majority party, Mr. Harckham needs to push for programs, such as tax reform and sending Legacy Program money up north, that his party’s power base down south may not favor. Mr. Michaelis would make that fight, too, but his effectiveness would be limited as a member of the minority party that could be further weakened, as the Democrats are only one seat away from a supermajority.
Mr. Harckham would need to use his party’s political weight to make sure the northern part of the county — and Lewisboro in particular — does not continue to be ignored and that his vow to cut county taxes reverberates with his Democratic brethren.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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