June 27, 2011 Howard Arden has always been interested in politics. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from North Carolina's Methodist University. After a year at Stetson Law School, he dropped out, saying, "It wasn't my cup of tea." He then went to New York University and earned a masters degree in public administration in the mid 1970s.
"My public administration studies included a lot of economics. It's the degree you have to have today to be a town manager. Most of the people who graduated from the program became town managers or town administrators."
Arden sought the endorsement of North Castle's Republican Committee to run for Town Supervisor after initially seeking an endorsement to run for Town Council. “I felt I could be more effective as Supervisor than as a member of the Board."
Arden is not a newcomer to running for office in North Castle. As a Republican candidate for the Town Board in 2007, he ran against Democratic winners Becky Kittredge and Michael Schiliro. One thing he learned from the election is that in the future he needed to be tougher, more active and more out in front on the issues.
Arden now has the endorsement of the Independence Party and is also circulating petitions to appear on the ballot of the Republican primary for Supervisor.
After graduating from NYU, Arden was hired by Westchester County for an advanced management-training program. He rotated through five different departments, including the Parks Department, the County Executive's Office, the Planning Department, and the Finance Office. Arden was exposed to all aspects of county government. "I worked for the County for almost five years with a starting salary of $12,000 dollars a year. I got an awful lot of experience fast."
He chose to work permanently for the new Department of General Services Administration, which managed all the internal business functions of the County. "I was appointed as the director of support services for the County. A director of support services handles housekeeping chores for the county government, including data systems, mail and delivery service, and office machine purchase and repair. I became the 'copier czar' and oversaw 800 copy machines from purchasing onward. Eventually I was hired away by private industry and that's how I left government."
"In 1985, I started my own office equipment dealership, Arden Business Systems. My first office was on Bedford Road in Armonk. As I expanded, we moved to larger offices around town before purchasing property on Old Route 22 for my business and for other tenants. Going through the approval process for my building was eye-opening. What I learned from that I can use to help improve the process for other residents.”
Arden says one of his greatest accomplishments while working for the county was the creation of Muscoot Farm. Muscoot Farm was turned over to the county when he worked for then County Executive Al DelBello. The farm is a county-restored turn-of-the-century working farm. Arden has been a member of the board of Muscoot Farm for 37 years. He says the farm is nationally recognized as one of the most successful parks in the country, with free admission and parking and over 110,000 visitors per year. He says it is supported by the county, with Friends of Muscoot Farm also donating more than $1 million over the years.
Arden and his wife, Judy, a realtor with Houlihan Lawrence, have lived in Armonk for 20 years. He has two sons from a prior marriage, aged 27 and 31, both of whom graduated from John Jay High School.
Arden has been a longtime member of the local Rotary Club. The Rotary Club has provided yearly scholarships to a deserving Byram Hills graduate, built a local bus stop, and donated computers to the recreation center.
Arden co-chaired the committee that built the 9/11 memorial in Wampus Brook Park in 2002, raising over $25,000 to construct the beautiful monument. He says this was the first 9/11 memorial built in Westchester County. Designed by Hal Schaller, the monument received first prize in the national public design competition.
Arden is also Chairman of the Open Space Committee, which has reviewed environmental issues for the town. At one point taxpayers approved a $3 million bond to purchase land for open space. Now, given the tight budget, the committee is not currently recommending land acquisitions, but is still reviewing open space issues.
Arden is also the Treasurer of The Friends of Westchester County Parks. With a budget of $3 million, the mission of The Friends is to support the county in the operation and maintenance of over 17,000 acres of parkland.
Three years ago, Arden and other prominent businessmen joined together to form The Westchester Bank. As a director of this well capitalized and profitable new bank, Arden sits on both the Compensation and Technology Committees.
"In the last four years the town hasn't moved forward, rather we have been trying to solve immediate crises such as Westwood. I know. I spent a year and a half as an appointed co-chair of the Westwood study group."
One of the most important issues for Arden is hiring a town manager to run North Castle's day-to-day affairs. "Hire me to fire me" is Arden's slogan. He says we need to hire a town manager and can help pay for it by taking money from the salaries of the Town Supervisor and the Town Board. He also doesn't believe that a part-time job such as serving on the Town Board should have health benefits.
Arden says, “Last year I sold my company to Xerox, so I can dedicate 100% of my time to the Supervisor’s job."
Supervisor Weaver Stands on His Record
July 27, 2011
Q: What are the biggest changes to the town of North Castle since you were elected supervisor two years ago?
When I ran for election two years ago, the big issue was taxes, and how much our taxes had increased over the last 10 years. My first budget as supervisor was the 2010 - 11 budget with only a 1.8% tax increase, the lowest tax increase in nine years. The average year-to-year increase had usually been 5%, so the 1.8% increase was significantly less.
Another budget issue was the fund balance, which was marginally low. The Moodys rating agency downgraded the town's AAA rating to AA-1 with a negative outlook, indicating that the town's financial outlook was less stable. When we finished the 2010 fiscal year, we were able to almost double the fund balance and keep the 1.8% increase. Now there is about $2 million in reserve. We have also set aside uncollected taxes of more than $800,000 that are due to the town. When these new taxes are collected, we'll have about $3 million in reserve. As of July 22, tax receipts have reached about 98%, according to our Receiver of Taxes Patti Colombo.
Financially, we are in good shape, the 2010 budget was fiscally sound, with $200,000 put aside in the capital funds for a principal balance which allows us to borrow about $3M. Given the economy over the past few years, the town has not put enough money into infrastructure such as buildings and roads. We'll begin with road repairs, which will be outsourced. We anticipate starting with five or six major roads, and they should be done by the fall. Some of these roads were built in the 1940s, and drainage has to be addressed.
A town-wide study will result in a ten year plan of what roadwork should be done and which roads are in need of major or minor repair. A group that includes members from the Budget and Finance Task Force, Director of Planning Adam Kaufman, and Councilmen Michael Schiliro and Diane Roth is reviewing a plan of the town's roads, buildings, parking, sidewalks, and parks.
The engineer's office has put the numbers together and we are waiting for bids to be received. The bids received will be opened on August 11. Unfortunately, the county and state roads will be excluded. State roads include Routes 128, 22, 120 and 433, and county roads include Byram Lake Road and Bedford-Banksville Road, which is the main road in Banksville. The State has some financial issues which affect the state roads and are causing a delay in repairs.
Another big issue has been the planning process. Some time ago, there were some complaints about the cost for someone going through the process and the length of time required. I called some of the lawyers, architects and other professionals dealing with North Castle's application process and asked, "Is dealing with North Castle worse than dealing with other places?" However, most of them said that the town has good people who are concerned and want to get things done. The attorneys who present proposals to the planning board as well as the architects and engineers who come to our town to speak before our boards don't feel like they are being treated unfairly or that things may dragged on for too long. However, we always look towards improving the process for our residents while protecting our environment. Water for our wells must remain safe and clean.
Q: One of the biggest issues now is the departure of the supermarket from Armonk.
We have two alternative locations for a new supermarket, Armonk Square and Business Park. Developer Michael Fareri continues to put off the public hearing for a supermarket in Business Park because he says he wants to see what happens with CVS. Each property owner has the right to consider what they want to do, but the town also has to look at it. My preference is for a supermarket in Armonk Square that will kick-start Armonk Square. My preference is for a market downtown rather than away from the downtown area. That way people will be closer to the other stores. We need a grocery in town.
People are upset that CVS is coming to town, and it is something we didn't want to see happen. The Armonk Square Developers say they have spoken with several supermarket companies that are interested in Armonk. For Mr. Werber to say he didn't have another supermarket interested (in his space) is hard to believe. CVS's 25-year lease is probably near double what could be charged to a supermarket. It's a business decision. If Mr. Werber had the interest of the community in mind, he would have found a grocery store. The property currently owned by Mr. Werber is in need of some maintenance and repair including improving the parking lot and adding some plantings and trees. The building requires some repairs as well. Department of Public Works Superintendent Rich Fon is on top of this.
Q: What is happening with the review of the police department?
Two police reports were prepared recently, one was private and the other was done by the state. The private police report by ICMA is being reviewed by a committee of Town Board members, including Councilman Becky Kittredge and me, and two members of the Budget and Finance Task Force, Dr. Grove and Alex Greene. ICMA's report will be presented to the town soon. The general feeling is that there are no major problems with the department, but there has been some suggestions to improve communication between the Chief and the Supervisor, that we should meet regularly to determine goals and improvements.
Q: Can we learn from the Westwood Recycling debacle and avoid making further mistakes such as the affordable housing project at the Cockren Property?
What would the mistake be with affordable housing? Instead of being monitored by our own Housing Board, it is being monitored by the county's housing authority. Some of the statements about affordable housing have been misguided. A number of people have reviewed the plan for 10 units on Old Route 22 and said that it is fine. The 10 units are condominiums, occupied by the owners. The Town Board is responsible for releasing the correct information. The difference between middle income units and affordable units is that we'll have a broader group of people to choose from. We've had trouble selling our town units. Our program is based upon the median salary of a town employee, with a formula that provides that the maximum selling price is $230,000. The county's maximum selling price is about $210,000. That is not a huge difference. The location was approved in 2002, when Fareri owned the property. It was acceptable then, but now it is not?
The intention of the Town Board is to get the county to build this project so that the Cider Mill and Armonk Square can also be completed. Residents have threatened to sue the town over the issue. But, this will create additional problems for the town because a delay could cause the county to sue the town for not permitting the units to be built. It will not be a bad thing if the county builds the units and the town gets the credit for allowing affordable housing. We certainly do not want to be the test case in Westchester County if the Federal government moves toward legal enforcement of the Stipulation of Settlement forcing the County to sue municipalities.
Q: What other projects are being considered at this time? The assisted living center in Business Park, like the affordable housing units, means there can be housing for people in town at different stages of their lives. The assisted living project will provide a place for family members, such as our parents, to live close by so we can visit them easily. The application will be reviewed carefully, especially for the safety of visitors who might choose to walk across Route 22. The safety of pedestrians is essential. A crosswalk on Route 22 that connects Maple Avenue and Business Park has been discussed.
Q: What are your most important goals? We need to continue to look at our budget in order to put the town in its best financial position. The Moody’s rating agency changed our rating from AA-1 Negative to AA-1 Stable. This is important toward getting the town to be financially sound.
The reason I want to run again is that we're not finished, and we haven't tackled everything yet. There are things that still need to be done, such as implementing police studies recommendations, and staff and service evaluations. As the Chief Financial Officer of the town, I want to get the town in much better financial shape. We're moving in the right direction.
The final police report will provide recommendations to make the department better. We're working on the Department of Public Works and have some issues with civil service titles at this time.
There has been talk of hiring a town manager or administrator. I'm not sure if that is the most financially prudent thing for us to do and I don't have the complete answer yet. Could I create a position other than administrator or manager who could come in and help the town in certain matters? We could designate certain responsibilities and administrative duties to someone who would report to the supervisor. That is a consideration. It would be less expensive than creating a manager or administrator who would then need a whole new department. If this is so great an alternative form of government, how come there are only a couple of towns out of the 17 towns in Westchester that have considered this? We have a supervisor with the time and management skills to work with department heads, engineering firms and legal advisors.
Typically the alternative form of government is used in smaller villages.
An administrator is no panacea. I do not think 2012 is the proper time to add another level of administration. I question whether our residents want to lose the direct accountability offered by an elected supervisor.
We need to get the 2% tax cap under our belts, judge the significant impacts that will necessarily result, and then see where we are.
Q: What are your thoughts about pension and health benefits for Town Board members?
All elected officials are eligible to participate in the NYS Retirement System. I believe my pension would be about $7,000 a year if I retired now.
I pay 20% of my health insurance and 100% of my dental and vision insurance.
Being supervisor for the Town of North Castle is a full time job. Calls and meetings occur at home, driving in the car, on weekends and during the evenings. Emergencies arise that require the supervisor to be involved. Attendance at certain events is required. I am available to meet people anytime to discuss the issues and to answer questions.
Let’s remember that about 85% of the property taxes residents pay do not remain for the town to use. That’s right, only about 15% of the property taxes residents pay can be used to provide police protection, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, plus the community services the department offers. That same 15% must cover highway services (ice and snow removal, maintenance, brush removal, catch basins, etc.). Think about it. Libraries in Armonk and North White Plains; community centers in Armonk and North White Plains; recreation programs and facilities; sports fields; town justice court; town clerk; finance; supervisor; assessor; receiver; planning; building; public works and more are all funded through that 15%.
I am extremely proud of the services we deliver and of the excellent men and women employed by our community to deliver those services. Our staff people are some of the best anywhere.
Criticism is easy. Cooperation and constructive suggestions are not.
I hope our community can come together to rebuild a sense of shared goals and respect for each other.
I’d like to leave you with two things I learned from my father. He used to tell me, "If you don't have nice things to say about someone, don't say anything." And in business, "Never knock your competition. Only talk about yourself."
