by Joanne Wallenstein
At the end of the League of Women Voters of Scardale Candidates’ Forum on Tuesday, moderator Karen Schatzel paid Scarsdale a big compliment, saying, “The level of civility tonight has restored my faith in the American system.”
This year, a test of Scarsdale’s Non-Partisan system has increased voter awareness and engagement. A new political party dubbed “The Scarsdale Voters’ Choice Party” is running a full slate of candidates for Mayor and Village Trustees to challenge the four candidates vetted and selected by the Citizens Nominating Committee. There was fear that rancor would result from a full-blown political campaign in a Village election that usually only draws about 300 voters.
But on Tuesday night March 7, everyone behaved.