We asked North Castle's political candidates: What are you curious about North Castle?
August 25, 2011 What I am most curious about is North Castle's history. From the time of it being settled, to the split with New Castle, to Washington's Headquarters and the Battle of White Plains, to the dam's construction and the destruction of the Kensico Hamlet, to the airport where notables such as Amelia Earhart and Will Rogers delighted crowds, to the present time, our town has an incredibly rich history and heritage. One of my favorite features of AllaboutArmonk is when you cover notable events from North Castle's past. I loved the explanation of the North Castle Town Seal, as I could never understand what the shoe was doing there. Our Town's history is so important as it defines who we are as a people and why people still want to live here.
Often, the past history of our town. I want North Castle to maintain its small town feel, yet progress at the same time, to have a balance between the past and present. I'm sometimes curious if I am in the minority about this. The newer people who move to town, do they care about our town's history? I do, and I know a fair amount of people who that do as well.
It's important to retain some of the good from the past. We want the town of North Castle to maintain its integrity. But there are a lot of new people who didn't grow up in a small town. Do they put the same value on history?
I think we can make progress while still keeping an eye on the past. For example, we want to build Armonk Square and put in a new parking lot. It will change the look of Armonk, and I hope enhance it. But as an elected official, I try not to make a decision without understanding the impact a decision may have. And to try to predict the impact I often look to the achievements and the mistakes of the past for guidance. Sept. 6, 2011
2011 North Castle Candidates's
Higher Education Degrees
Town Supervisor
William Weaver
Westchester Community College, A.A.S.
Howard Arden
North Carolina Methodist University, B.S.,
New York University, M.P.A.
Town Councilmen
Michael Schiliro
SUNY at Albany, B.S.
Kerry Lutz
Pace University, B.A.,
New York Law School, J.D.
Steve D'Angelo
Manhattan College, B.S.
Matthew Rice
Cornell University, B.S.,
New York University, M.B.A.,
St. John's University, J.D.
Christoper Carthy
University of Indiana University at Bloomington,
degree unconfirmed
Town Judge
Elyse Lazansky
Smith College, B.A.,
University of Buffalo School of Law, J.D.
Doug Martino
Stonehill College, B.A.,
Quinnipiac University School of Law, J.D.
Town Clerk
Anne Curran
Boston College, B.A.
Republican Petitions and Politics
Updated August 18, 2011 The North Castle Republican Committee, by a majority vote, endorsed Bill Weaver for reelection as Supervisor, as well as Kerry Lutz for Town Board and Elyse Lazansky for Town Judge. Several Republican newcomers have also circulated petitions to appear on the ballot in the Republican Primary: Howard Arden for Supervisor, Steve D'Angelo and Matthew Rice for Town Board, and Doug Martino for Town Judge.
The nominating petitions for the candidates of the four major parties in town, Republican, Democrat, Conservative and Independence, have been filed with the Westchester County Board of Elections. North Castle’s candidates will appear on their petitioned party lines for the September 13 primary (note that at this time there is be no primary set for Town Clerk, and the only primary for the democrats will be for Town Judge).
North Castle Supervisor (vote one)
William Weaver: Republican, Democrat and Conservative
Howard Arden: Republican, Independence
North Castle Town Board (vote two)
Steve D’Angelo: Republican, Conservative and Independence
Kerry Lutz: Republican
Matthew Rice: Republican
Michael Schiliro: Democrat, Conservative and Independence
Christopher Carthy: Democrat
North Castle Town Judge (vote one)
Elyse Lazansky: Republican, Democrat, Conservative and Independence
Doug Martino: Republican, Democrat and Independence
North Castle Town Clerk
Anne Curran: Democrat, Conservative and Independence
Nominating petitions are also now being circulated for the Alliance and Libertarian Parties. Weaver, D’Angelo and Schiliro are circulating petitions to appear on the new bipartisan Alliance Party line. Arden, Lutz and Rice are circulating petitions to run on the Libertarian Party line. We’ve seen candidates run on the Libertarian line before when Tony Futia ran for supervisor in 2005 and Frank Benish ran for supervisor in 2009.
Republicans are also circulating petitions for the Republican Committee's 22 district leaders who will be running in the September primary. A district leader represents the residents of his or her district in party matters, but when the Republicans vote on September 13 many district leaders will be on the ballot who don’t live in the district they seek to represent. Some candidates don't seem concerned about this. Arden says that years ago you couldn't find enough candidates to fill the 22 district leader positions. This year, he says, with the divisions in the party, there are many good people interested in serving as district leaders, and candidates were moved around so that everyone could have an opportunity to serve.
A barrage of town-wide emails from Howard Arden, Kerry Lutz and Matt Rice has attacked the members of the current town board. For almost two years, town board members have publicly bickered during board meetings and in the press. Because of the difference in opinions on the Republican Committee, a new group has formed: the North Castle Republican Club. The club is supporting the reelection of Bill Weaver for Supervisor, and is also supporting Steve D’Angelo for Town Board and Doug Martino for Town Judge.
North Castle's Republican party has been divided since Loronda Murphy stepped down as chairman of the party in September 2009 and Rosemary Bellantoni replaced her. Shortly after that, Bill Potvin was recruited to be the Republican Party’s Parliamentarian. It was his duty to oversee the Republican Committee’s unruly meetings. Potvin's entrance into politics presented a conflict of interest because of his position as Chairman of the Budget Finance Task Force, so the other task force members asked him to resign as chairman. This was a loss to the town, since forming the Task Force was one of the best actions taken by this current Town Board.
Primary Election: September 13, 2011, General Election: November 8, 2011
September, 2011 According to the Westchester Board of Elections, the total number of active registered voters in North Castle as of Sept. 2011 is 8455.
1736-42 Moses Quim(n)by 1742-54 Benjamin Smith 1754-59 Nathaniel Meritt 1759-70 Benjamin Smith 1770-78 Gilbert Thorn 1777 Independence, no Election 1778-87 Andrew Sniffin 1787-88 Peter Lyon 1788-89 William Wright 1789-91 Thomas Ferris 1791-98 Harrison Palmer 1798-1830 Capt. John Smith 1830-44 Samuel P. Smith 1844-45 Thorn Sands 1845-55 Samuel P. Smith 1855-56 Floyd G. Cox 1856-57 David Carpenter 1857-60 Job L. Townsend 1860-62 James Hopkins 1867-75 Charles Raymond 1875-76 Edwin R. Hopkins 1876-80 William H. Creemer 1880-81 Forman W. Miller 1881-83 Mervin R. Baker 1883-84 William H. Creemer 1884-85 Mervin R. Baker 1885-86 William H. Creemer 1886-1906 C. W. MacDonald 1907-13 George B. Clark, MD 1914-23 Edwin F. Acker 1924-31 W. Wm. Brundage 1931-33 Alfred Young 1934-39 John M. Crowley 1940-75 Joseph T. Miller 1975-85 Kathleen M. Baroni 1986-2002 Annemarie Kelly 2002-2009 Ann Leber 2009-present Anne Curran
Sources: North Castle Historical Society: 1736-1986, North Castle's Town Clerk's Office: 1986-2011
Tony Futia Will Not Throw his Hat in the Ring
Updated July 15, 2011 Although Tony Futia circulated petitions to run for Supervisor in the Democratic Primary in September, he did not hand them in. He says, "I can accomplish more as a private citizen to monitor the town than as a Town Board member." He had until July 14 to petition with the required 150 signatures. Futia is a registered Democrat, but was a Republican until 2005, when he was denied an interview by the Republican Party to run for Supervisor. Futia registered as a Democrat when he ran against Jack Lombardi and Reese Berman, in 2005 although his run for Supervisor in 2005 was on the Libertarian Party line. He received 5% of the vote that year.
With four children and five grandchildren, all living within a couple of miles North White Plains, Futia is concerned about the town's future. He wants to see North Castle, the town he worked for 45 years, run competently. Futia recently retired as Supervisor of North Castle's Sewer and Water Department. He is unhappy with the current Town Board and believes some of its members are not making the best decisions for the town, but rather are self serving.
Futia says as Supervisor he can cut $1 million from the budget. He would not expect a salary, and says he would serve for a single two-year term and then leave.
Linda Trummer-Napolitano, Chairman of North Castle's Democratic Committee, says it doesn't surprise her that Futia is running for supervisor. He appeared to be angling for something, she felt, during a recent meeting at the library about public housing when he held up a sign saying "Coffee with Tony," and told people that he was available to meet them anytime. Trummer-Napolitano says, "I don't think anyone who has filed so many frivolous lawsuits against the town is a viable candidate."
New Political Party Established in North Castle
June 16, 2011 Republican Supervisor William Weaver, Democratic Councilman Michael Schiliro, Republican Town Board candidate Stephen D’Angelo, C.P.A, and Democratic Town Clerk Anne Curran have been endorsed for election in November by a newly formed political party, Alliance North Castle (“Alliance Party”).
The Alliance Party is a non-partisan citizens’ group which intends to establish a new Alliance Party line on the ballot and to wage a dynamic issue oriented campaign in support of Messrs. Weaver, Schiliro, D’Angelo, and Ms. Curran. With many municipalities under financial stress from national, macro-economic issues, the time has come to look across party lines for the best people to serve in government and efficiently utilize our town resources. Our mission statement is simple: To help elect the best candidates with the best ideas, regardless of individual political affiliation, in order to achieve “best-in-class” government.
The Alliance Party issued the following statement: “Bill Weaver, Mike Schiliro, Steve D’Angelo and Anne Curran are impressive candidates from both major political parties that we believe are the most qualified and best suited to lead North Castle during these difficult times into a fiscally-responsible, service-oriented and transparent town government. The Alliance Party is going to mobilize voters to support this non-partisan ticket and restore collegial, cooperative and productive government to North Castle.”
The Alliance Party is co-chaired by former Democratic Town Clerk Ann Leber, Conservative Party Chairman Vincent Masi, and Republican Housing Board Chairman Barbara DiGiacinto. Its executive committee is comprised of citizens active in town affairs and represents all three major political parties.
Alliance North Castle Party Updated Oct. 12, 2011
Executive committee members:
Reese Berman, Stan Berman, Naomi Matusow, Gene Matusow, Ann Leber, Vinny Masi, Bill McClure.
As April 2011, the following residents are members of the North Castle Democratic Committee:
District 1 - Tony Mountford and Michael Pollack; District 2 - Asad Jilani and Linda Fernberg; District 3 - Sharon Goldfarb and Lisa Dorfman; District 4 - Stacey Silpe and John Diaconis; District 5 - Linda Trummer-Napolitano; District 6 - Maggi Pack; District 7 - Barry Malvin - Vice Chairman; District 8 - Jeff Kimmel and Chris Carthy; District 9 - Marcy Kroll and Richard Ferguson; District 10 - Eric Gordon - Treasurer; District 11 - Robert Romano-Secretary.
North Castle Election 2011
The Issues We Face
Editorial By Michelle Boyle
Updated August 18, 2011 Here are the issues North Castle's candidates are discussing:
Benefits Health and pension benefits are part of a nationwide debate: should the taxpayers pick up the cost of public servants' benefits and to what extent? Howard Arden, Kerry Lutz and Matthew Rice are attacking Supervisor Weaver and Councilman Schiliro for not pledging to give up their pension and health benefits as John Cronin and Diane Roth did during their election campaigns. Perhaps a sensible rule of thumb is that if a candidate has benefits from another source, he or she should consider forfeiting the town's benefits, but if he or she has no other source of benefits, then he ought to be able to receive the town's benefits as a public servant. Town Administrator Under the guidance of a task force appointed by the Reese Berman administration, the current town board was advised to consider hiring a town administrator. The salary for the position would range from about $125,000 to $200,000 a year. Arden, Lutz and Rice would like to see that the yearly town board salaries totaling about $180,000 pay for the salary of a town administrator. Berman offered a partial salary reduction as supervisor to help pay for an administrator, but Supervisor Bill Weaver says he is considering and an alternative to hiring a town administrator. He is working out the details, but says the town could save money by hiring a qualified individual to work with the supervisor, town comptroller and department heads. Weaver says residents still want elected officials to run the everyday business of the town rather than a town administrator. It will be up to each individual town board member to consider his or her personal financial position and to determine whether he or she wants to waive or reduce his or hers compensation. Armonk's Supermarket Location When Werber management proposed an expansion of the A&P to the Town and Planning Boards, it clearly stated that if the expansion were not approved, A&P's position as a tenant would be compromised and Werber would consider CVS as a new tenant. There was loud opposition, including from Kerry Lutz, to the additional parking that would have been required on public property behind the Hergenhan Recreation Center. Now CVS has signed a 25-year lease for a store in the Armonk Shopping Center and will replace the A&P in 2012. Two locations are being considered for a new supermarket: Armonk Square and Business Park. A public hearing on August 17 at the library's Whippoorwill Hall will review Armonk Square's supermarket application. A public hearing on the 99 Business Park supermarket location has been rescheduled for late September.
Armonk's Affordable Housing Affordable housing to meet Westchester County's offsite requirement for additional middle-class housing before the home at the Cider Mill complex on Route 22 can be completed has been another contentious issue. The town should be extremely careful in the future before approving offsite housing as a way for developers to meet the County's affordable housing requirement. People don't want affordable housing in their backyard because they believe it will decrease property values. But the difference between the requirements at the Cockren Property under the county's housing program and under North Castle's program is a spread of about $7,000 a year median in the income of the housing applicants. Under the county's plan, the applicants will be drawn from a larger pool and North Castle residents and employees will not have any preference. Otherwise the proposed building plans are identical.
North Castle's Road Conditions After a harsh winter, Westchester County's roads are in terrible condition and North Castle is no exception. The Town Board is reviewing a plan to hire a consultant to survey North Castle's 98 miles of roads and present a 10-year plan to maintain them. Some of the bigger jobs will be done through bidding and outsourcing to a private contractor, since our highway department is not properly equipped for major road repair. North Castle's town roads that are numbered, Routes 22, 120, 128 & 433, are owned and maintained by the state. At last, Route 22 south of Route 120 is on the state's agenda to be repaired. The town has reviewed acquiring ownership of the state roads as a way to move the maintenance of the roads off the state's financial books. But in the long term there is no financial advantage for the town to own these states road. Development The most unfortunate issue to be caught up in the political football game is the Brynwood Country Club's proposal to build of 243 condominiums. The Brynwood Club bought the Canyon Club on Route 22 in 2009. Recently, Brynwood presented its plan to the Town Board and smaller community groups, including the Windmill Club's Board of Directors. The Residents of Windmill Inc. (ROWI) has been resurrected in opposition to Brynwood's plan. ROWI has circulated a letter that states they will be reluctant to re-elect any town board member that supports the Brynwood Club's proposal. One of the board members of the new group is Stuart Kovensky, the son-in-law of Bob Greene, Howard Arden's campaign manager.
The Town Board intended to send Brynwood's application back to the developer because the proposal for 243 condos at Brynwood is too dense. Brynwood's part-owner, Armonk resident Jeff Mendell, says he will decide what to do by the August 17 Town Board meeting. An alternative plan is to build 47 luxury homes, on 150 acres, he says. The property is zoned for a subdivision into 50 private homes, and a variance is not required to build 47 homes. Mendell says his preference is to build the $200,000,000 condominium complex. The town would gain 300 jobs during construction and 100 permanent jobs to run the facility. The difference in property taxes between the two projects is significant. Estimating the low end of each option: 243 condos at $15,000 a year each is about $3.65 million per year. With 47 $2 million dollar homes, the estimated tax is $50,000 per home per year, or about $2.35 million in taxes.
The Brynwood golf course sits on a magnificent piece of property with breathtaking views. The downside of building 47 homes on the 150 acres will be divided up, which will eliminate the golf course.
The number of additional school children that the condominiums would house is said by the developers to be very few, if any. Many residents have debated this fact, and it is difficult to predict how many children would live in the 243 one-or-two bedroom units. But let's predict 50 children at most, at $25,000 cost per pupil. Based upon the above tax calculations, 70% (the percentage of taxes paid by North Castle residents that goes towards the school district) of property taxes on 243 condos, would more than cover the cost of the additional students. Assume 47 homes will house 100 school children, the school taxes from 47 homes would not cover the cost of an additional 100 pupils.
Some of the concerns of the Brynwood project expressed by Windmill residents are about the water and sewer systems, and the additional traffic on Route 22. Currently the Brynwood Club's water supply comes from Windmill's Water District #2. The club's options would be to improve the Windmill water system and continue to use its water, or to develop their own water source from onsite wells. The club has its own sewage plant on the property. A logical projection for 243 condominiums is 500 cars, versus 100 cars for 47 private homes. These issues must be studied when the project comes before the Planning and Town Boards. Perhaps after the election, the project will be reviewed more objectively. *
Until the November election, the actions of the Town Board will probably be motivated by politics. That won't be much of a change because since the 2009 election there has been a stalemate on most of the town's issues. Perhaps after this election we can consider changing the term of North Castle's supervisor to four years rather than two years. Weaver says a supervisor is barely on the job before he has to campaign again. The two-year term makes the supervisor's job political, he says, while a four-year term would serve the public better, although Weaver says his decisions are not based upon the coming election.
*Disclosure: Brynwood Golf and Country is an advertiser with allaboutarmonk.com
As of June 21, 2011 the local political parties have endorsed the following candidates:
Supervisor (1)
Town Council (2)
Town Clerk (1)
Town Justice (1)
Democrat Committee
Bill Weaver
Michael & Chris Schiliro Carthy
Anne Curran
Republican Committee
Bill Weaver
Kerry Lutz
Elyse Lazansky
Conservative Committee
Bill Weaver
Michael & Steve Schiliro D'Angelo
Anne Curran
Independence Committee
Howard Arden
Michael & Steve Schiliro D'Angelo
Anne Curran
Elyse Lazansky
Alliance North Castle Committee
Bill Weaver
Michael & Steve Schiliro D'Angelo
Anne Curran
The Parties' Nominations
Published: June 7, 2011 North Castle's three major parties: Republicans, Democrats and Conservatives, are in the final stages of endorsing their slates for the November 2011 election. Supervisor Bill Weaver is the only candidate endorsed by all three parties.
The Democrats have endorsed the reelection of Supervisor William Weaver, Councilman Michael Schiliro, Town Clerk Anne Curran, and the candidacy of Christopher Carthy for Town Councilman.
The Republicans have endorsed Supervisor William Weaver, Kerry Lutz for Town Councilman, and the Honorable Elyse Lazansky for Town Justice. They have asked several residents to consider running for Town Clerk, yet have not endorsed anyone.
The Conservative Party has endorsed the election of Supervisor Bill Weaver, Councilman Michael Schiliro, Town Clerk Anne Curran, and the candidacy of Steve D'Angelo for Town Councilman. Chairman Vinny Masi says the Conservative Party does not have party lines, but picks who its members think is best for the town.
Candidates from the major parties, and their representatives, will be circulating petitions starting today through July 14 in order to appear on the ballot. We expect several positions to be decided in the September Primary. We believe Bill Weaver will be challenged by Howard Arden across party lines for Supervisor. We also assume that Doug Martino will challenge Elyse Lazansky in a primary for Town Justice.
Several candidates have discussed forming new parties in order to win votes across party lines. Politics on a local level should not be based upon party affiliation, but rather who will best serve the town. But some registered voters cannot vote for a candidate running on the line of a party they loathe, so forming another party allows a voter to cross a line, if the new party is not too conservative or liberal.
Registered voters will have the final decision as to decide who will appear on the party lines by signing petitions and by voting in the 2011 September Primary and in the November Election. The most important issue facing our candidates is the future development of Armonk. This includes the building of a new supermarket, affordable housing, chain stores, Armonk Square, as well as health benefits, the budget, taxes, and services.
Issues for the Voters: Supermarkets, Affordable Housing and Organic Recycling
Updated June 18, 2011 Before you vote, talk to the candidates, ask the tough questions, and understand their views on the important issues. Do we want to live in a quaint hamlet of owner-operated shops, or do we prefer corporations with box stores to fill the empty retail spaces? How will our choices affect our taxes? Are we willing to pay high taxes to keep our town small and charming? Recent projects could change the face of Armonk, North White Plains, and Banksville.
The most ominous change began with Werber Management's plan to expand the Armonk Shopping Center, which includes the A&P supermarket. The biggest challenge of the project was to provide the extra parking spaces needed for the expanded square footage of the supermarket. After many residents spoke against a proposed plan to use town-owned property to meet the parking requirement, the Werber Brothers signed a 25-year lease with the CVS pharmacy chain. Now we are faced with a big box store moving to downtown Armonk sometime after the New Year. A group of residents who oppose the project have asked the Town Board for a moratorium to review projects in excess of 8,000 square feet. But Supervisor Bill Weaver says that the building containing the A&P supermarket is grandfathered under the retail zoning law that permits the CVS.
Where should a new supermarket be located? In the 1950's Armonk had several smaller markets located both downtown and along Route 22. Today, with Armonk and Banksville's combined population at 9,000, can we support more than one supermarket? Dom Dioguardi, one of the developers of Armonk Square, has proposed a 25,000 square foot supermarket in Armonk Square. Developer Michael Fareri has proposed a 24,000 square foot supermarket in Business Park. Neither of these markets would be as large as the A&P in Mount Kisco or the Super Stop & Shop in North White Plains.
Why can't we have an A&P supermarket in Armonk Square and another market like Traders Joe's in Business Park?
Affordable Housing is another contentious issue. It is mandated by Westchester County legislation, and many of the municipalities that have received grant money, as North Castle has, are obligated to help the county build a required total of 750 affordable housing units throughout the county. The owners of Crab Apple Properties on Old Route 22, formally know as the Cockren Property, have under the guidance of the Town Board, presented the property to the county as a site for the construction of affordable housing. Initially, the property was to be for middle income housing under the town's auspices. Due to the soft real estate market, the owners, the Dioguardi brothers and Alan Zaretsky, who also own Armonk Square and Cider Mill, as a site for affordable housing for Westchester County. The domino effect would be that if the Cockren Property is sold to Westchester County, so that Armonk's requirement to provide affordable housing is met, then the 27 units of Cider Mill can be completed, and Armonk Square will also break ground.
Once again a group of residents, mostly property owners along Route 22, have opposed the proposal, believing that the project would lower their property values. Republican-endorsed Town Board candidate Kerry Lutz is asking a group of residents to collectively donate $10,000 to pay for legal fees in order to sue the town to prevent the building of any affordable housing on Crab Apple Properties.
Another controversial project, which the Town Board approved when Reese Berman was supervisor, is the Westwood Organic Recycling Facility. The town signed a ten-year, rent-free contract for Westwood to run a recycling center on the property behind the Highway Department facility at Route 128 and Bedford Road. Residents would have been able to dump leaves, dirt and brush to be composted into mulch and top soil free of charge, while non-residents would had to pay a fee to Westwood. The location in the heart of town was the main issue for the opposition. A "not in my backyard" feeling spurred many residents of nearby Whippoorwill Hills and Whippoorwill Ridge to speak against the project. The town, under the guidance of the Westwood Review Committee, elected to close the facility and settled the contract with Westwood for a cost to the taxpayers of more than $500,000.
An application to build a separate garage for a landscaping company at 7 Round House Road, near the residential area of Hobby Farms, was presented during several public hearings. Many residents in the Bedford/Banksville neighborhood opposed the development of a landscape business there. The applications most controversial issues were the increase in truck traffic in the area, and the storage of pesticides in the facility's garage.
Although the Town Board heard many arguments on both sides, the application never came to a vote. Instead, a group of residents bought the property, plans to build a prefabricated house there, intended for a Mount Vernon police officer.
###
North Castle's Town Board is the legislative branch of the town government. All five members have an equal vote on the issues before them. The supervisor is the town's administrator, whose duties under state law include acting as a treasurer to oversee the budget and the financial obligations of the town.
Town Board members are typically products of political party organizations. This year, both the Republican and Democratic Committees are divided, which has led individual nominating petitions for candidates as opposed to petitions for a slate endorsed by the party.
In the November election we will vote for a supervisor for a two-year term, two town councilmen for four-year terms, a town clerk for a four-year term, and a town justice for a four-year term.
The Democrats have endorsed incumbent Supervisor Bill Weaver (Republican), incumbent Town Councilman Michael Schiliro (Democrat), and a newcomer, Christopher Carthy (Democrat), who received the endorsement for Town Councilman by a one-vote victory over another newcomer, Steve D'Angelo (Republican).
Democrats have also endorsed incumbent Anne Curran for Town Clerk. Curran says that as Town Clerk, she has no party affiliation.
The Republicans, who tallied weighted votes from the town's 11 districts, endorsed incumbent Bill Weaver for Supervisor by a wide margin over Howard Arden (Republican), backed Kerry Lutz (Republican) for Town Councilman, and favored incumbent Elyse Lazansky (Republican) over newcomer Doug Martino (Republican) for Town Justice by a small margin.
The Conservative Party doesn't consider party affiliations, but says it looks for individuals who can best serve the town. They endorsed Supervisor Bill Weaver, Michael Schiliro and Steve D'Angelo for Town Council, and Anne Curran for Town Clerk.
The Independence Party has endorsed Howard Arden for Supervisor, Councilmen Mike Schiliro and Steve D'Angelo for Town Council, Elise Lazansky for Town Justice, and Anne Curran for Town Clerk.
Primary elections in September will determine who will appear on the major party lines. Candidates have begun to seek signatures for nominating petitions. Several signature gatherings will be held in Armonk on Saturday June 18 from 10am -12 noon. Petitions will be available at the Tazza Cafe for Weaver, D'Angelo and Martino. At The Beehive Restaurant, there will be petitions for Arden, Lutz, Lazansky, and newcomer Matthew Rice.
GOP and DEMS Prepare For November By Michelle Boyle
Updated May 18, 2011 North Castle Republican Party Chairman Rosemary Bellantoni wouldn't discuss the fact that other local Republicans are seeking her impeachment. They have asked Republican Party Chairman Doug Colety to investigate their allegations. According to the Regulations of the North Castle Republican Committee, a member of the committee may be removed for disloyalty to the party or for corruption in office, after notice is given, written charges have been filed, and the Westchester Republican County Committee has held a hearing to report its findings.
Bellantoni reminded another reporter that she was unanimously elected to replace the prior party Chair, Loronda Murphy, after Murphy reluctantly stepped down amid personal legal difficulties. Bellantoni charges that Murphy is now trying to regain control of the committee even though a new regime has taken over. Bellantoni told reporters that she will diligently fight the charges against her.
Bellantoni told me that the Republican Committee has interviewed candidates for Town Justice during a private meeting held by North Castle Republican Committee on May 12. As I had speculated several weeks ago, the potential Republican candidates are incumbent Elyse Lazansky and attorney Doug Martino. This week, the Republicans will also interview candidates for Town Board and Supervisor.
With three of the five members of the Town Board up for reelection in November, the stakes are high. The Republicans have Supervisor Bill Weaver in one corner and Councilmen Diane Roth and John Cronin in another. It appears that the committee members who support Doug Martino also support Weaver, while the supporters of Elyse Lazansky also support Roth and Cronin.
No matter who gets the nod from the party committees, anyone can file petitions to appear on the ballot and run for office. Be on the lookout for Republican primaries for all the positions up for election.
North Castle's registered voters are almost evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. So the Conservative and Independence Parties can tip the scale, as was true two years ago when Republican Diane Roth beat Democrat Bob Romano for the Town Board seat by only 353 votes. Roth's margin of victory came from the Conservative and Independence Party voters.
There are two Town Board seats up for election in November. Councilman Becky Kittredge still has not made a public announcement on whether she is running, but many expect her to bow out gracefully this year after having served on the Town Board for 24 consecutive years. It appears that both she and Councilman Michael Schiliro are delaying their announcements to run or not to run to try to influence the North Castle Democratic Committee as it endorses another candidate. Although Christopher Carthy was interviewed by the Democratic Committee for a potential endorsement for a run for Town Board, I suspect the Democrats will endorse Republican Chris Tuzzo instead.
We'll most likely see Carthy run in a primary for Town Board or even for Town Supervisor, depending upon who else is running.
Local elections can be swayed by small parties, and we've heard about the start of a new party. Howard Arden says that since the Republican Party is so split, he might be interested in talking with individuals about forming a new party. Arden is seeking an endorsement from the Republicans for Town Councilman and Supervisor, and he appears to have the support of Roth and Cronin.
We've heard some new names that have thrown into the mix for the Town Board: Jose Berra, Jack Boyce and Steven D'Angelo have had discussions about running for Town Council. Also Vito Errico was considering running as a Republican for Town Council, but that was short-lived. Kerry Lutz has requested an interview with the Republican Committee. Lee Wagner and Joseph Monticelli are also discussed as possible candidates for the Town Board.
Voters should be aware of the strategy of "bullet voting" for Town Council. This occurs when voters select just one candidate and deny their votes to others. Bullet votes can become lopsided, as happened when John Cronin won his seat on the Town Board with a majority of the votes in 2009.
So far, candidates Weaver, Roth, Lazansky, and Martino have interviewed for party endorsements. I suspect the Democrats may give their endorsement to Republicans Weaver and Martino. Weaver will most likely get the Republican nod for Supervisor, as will Lazansky for Town Justice. Weaver will most likely also get the Conservative and Independence Party nominations. And both Cronin and Roth may file petitions to run for Supervisor.
I suspect we'll see Frank Benish file petitions after the GOP makes its endorsements. This could be the third time in two years that Benish runs for office. First, he ran on the Libertarian line for Supervisor in 2009, as Anthony Futia did in 2005. Benish also ran as a write-in candidate for the Board of Education in 2010. The November 2011 election may be his first run for the Town Board.
I also expect Futia to run for something, perhaps Town Clerk. He's been quiet since the Town Board placed him on administration leave at the May 11 meeting when he announced he had not submitted his retirement to the state of New York. He rescinded his resignation as head of the Water and Sewer Department and mentioned the possibility of yet another lawsuit.
Town Clerk Anne Curran will most likely receive the endorsement of the Democratic, Conservative and Independence Parties, as she did last year.
The following residents are members of the North Castle Republican Party:
Posted May 11, 2011
District 1 Rob Disciullo Beata Tatka
District 2 Doug Martino Jamie Romano
District 3 Patty Colombo Gail Norris - Vice Chairwoman
District 4 Loronda Murphy Lee Wagner
District 5 Open Sue Coppola - Secretary
District 6 Kevin Eccleston Frank Benish
District 7 Concetta Magrone Virginia Magrone
District 8 Bill Potvin - Parlitarian Anita Cozza - Treasurer
District 9 Rene Gonzalez Rosemary Bellantoni - Chairwoman
