by Dan Shefter
Scarsdale is fortunate to have a large pool of talented individuals willing to volunteer their time to serve in local government and on various community organizations. Although I have been a Scarsdale resident for six years, this year’s contested mayoral and trustee election has for the first time provided me with insight into how we elect our civic leaders and how oversight of town functions are administered. It has also exposed many of the issues facing Scarsdale beyond just the problematic property tax revaluation.
After attending the debate and reading about the candidates, it is clear that the VCP is the clear choice for a better future. While the CNC candidates tout their “experience”, they also come across as aloof, opaque and dismissive of opposing viewpoints. The CNC candidates also seem to believe that the only relevant experience that matters to be a trustee or mayor of Scarsdale is having served as a trustee or on other village boards. Of course, that’s part of the problem with the whole CNC process.
On the other hand, the VCP candidates are a hard-working, dedicated and diverse group of residents who are committed to making Scarsdale a better place for all residents regardless of family or economic status. They are focused on transparency and stimulating dialog about important issues. Unlike many of the CNC advocates, the VCP candidates don’t denigrate residents just because they have opposing positions on specific issues. The VCP candidates may have less “experience” in the tunnel vision scoring system of the CNC, but the real world experience they will bring to the mayor’s office and board of trustees is much more valuable than the time they’ve spent signing off on the status quo in City Hall. Thus, I will be voting Line B on Tuesday.