WPCNR Campaign 2011 by John F Bailey March 31, 2011:
The special election to decide a new mayor for White Plains for the next two years, and eight months or so, takes place today at the 43 election districts in White Plains, a list of where you vote in each of these districts is posted on this site, and also the city website.
The race features Common Council President and current Acting Mayor Tom Roach,(Democrat,Working Families, and Independence Party lines), Bob Hyland,(Republican/Conservative) and former Councilman Glen Hockley, People Over Politics. The three met in a debate last week at the Council of Neighborhood Associations and also on television. Here is what this reporter gathered from the Council of Neighborhood Association Debate about these three candidates:
Hockley
Glen Hockley, delivered a powerful persona, saying he would conduct a sweeping cost study on all departments, but would not sacrifice public safety personnel.
He said, if elected Mayor he would concentrate on revenue raising methods and: sell overnight street parking permits and ease parking fees, possibly privatize garages, and sell advertising on city property.
On the FASNY issue (the bid to build a private school campus on the Ridgeway property),Hockley said it was time to recognize neighborhood sancity, saying what will probably happen is the city will disapprove it and FASNY could sell the property. He revealed no “pro active” solution.
He said he would work to revise the charter to allow a district based Councilmember system, where a councilperson was elected from different sections of the city so each section would have its own representative. Roach rejected that as possibly creating a money driven self-interest
Hyland
Bob Hyland demonstrated an easy-going quiet demeanor, saying he would concentrate on holding down cost of living in White Plains and making WP more friendlier to attract new business and work for property tax relief.
Hyland said he was a quick study and would rely on his Chief of Staff and separate Corporation Counsel to get him up to speed (quickly) on the inside baseball of legislation.
He sharply criticized Mr. Roach for rejecting purchase of Ridgeway by the city, creating,in part, the FASNY controversy now panicking the South End of Town. Hyland remarked in closing that his two opponents, Mr. Hockley and Mr. Roach would not approach matters that differently and if voters wanted a change in how things are done he would bring that. Hyland did not have a solution to Ridgeway.
Hyland, speaking to WPCNR at the Board of Education meeting Monday evening, told this reporter he would assign members of the Common Council to review individual Department expenditures and needs and report back with recommendations to prepare the 2011-12 City budget,instead of Council-as-Committee approach traditionally used (which was announced by city hall today).
Roach
Tom Roach hammered on his experience of 9 years on the council, played up his restoring firefighters last week as Acting Mayor and liaisoning with Nita Lowey, and attempted to sell his ability to work hard and listen to all people. He mentioned the firefighter bring-back three times. In his closing statement, he called for employees to work together with him to cut employee costs without saying how. Labor negotiations begin soon.
Roach asked the public, what “face” they would rather have representing the city and promised to work to bring new businesses to the city.
Roach withheld comment on the FASNY/Ridgeway issue, saying since he was on the council, he could not render an opinion without compromising his unbiased ability to review.
Mr. Roach, speaking to WPCNR Wednesday about the Grant Avenue fire Monday morning said that based on his observances of city court on housing cases recently, he would formulate changes in penalties to property owners who violate city zoning and occupancy laws. (This issue did not come up in last week’s debate.)Roach said there was no indication that occupancy at the two family occupancy home on Grant was illegal in any way.
No Positions
What was not asked in the Council of Neighborhood Associations debate, and what to this reporter’s knowledge has not been addressed by any candidate, are these looming issues:
Do you believe the present $155.5M city budget should be cut or maintained?
Do you want to keep payroll where it is with no further layoffs? Will you continue a non-replacement policy?
Will you work to gain more Council on-going use of the proceeds from the windfall from the new ½% Sales Tax filling up the Reserve Fund.
Will you keep the present Administration? Hyland said he would.
Will you share sales tax money with the School District?
The Decision as to who leads will now be decided in today’s election – maybe – if the election is not too close to call. Polls are open from 6 A.M. to 9 P.M.
