Mamaroneck Village Election!

There is a local election for Mamaroneck Village Mayor and Trustee on Tuesday, November 4^th.  Incumbents Mayor Sharon Torres and Trustee Nora Lucas are running unopposed. 

The Mayor earns $10,686 annually and is eligible to receive health insurance coverage along with other employee benefits.  The term of office is two years.

Trustees each earn $7,718 annually and are also eligible to receive health insurance coverage along with other employee benefits.  The term of office is two years.

Both Mayor Torres and Trustee Lucas are running on both the Democrat and Building Bridges Party Lines.

Early voting starts on Saturday, October 25 through Sunday, November 2.

Please see HERE for important information about voter registration, early voting and absentee ballots. 

The Mamaroneck Observer asked each candidate for a bio and answers to 5 questions.  The answers from the candidates were not edited and are printed exactly as received.

Mayor Sharon Torres

Sharon Torres Bio

I was born in the Bronx to a multi-cultural family and then grew up between the Bronx and Yonkers and then moved to Mamaroneck in 2010.  Later I started volunteering with NY Pet Rescue, LMHTF, several Village committees and the Board of Directors for my co-op.  I am a Human Resources Executive with experience in the corporate, non-profit and social service sectors with an MBA from Pace University.  Most often I am around the village with my two rescue pups Mischief and Gracie.  My passion as Mayor has been trying to move flood mitigation efforts forward and to improve transparency in communication. 

We’re a Village with a long history of flooding.  What measures have you taken to mitigate flooding in the Village and what else is planned?

Over the last 18 months I have worked closely with 4 levels of government (Federal/ACE, NYSDEC, Westchester County and the Village) to bring several engineering reports and experts together in collaboration to create a plan for the Village to mitigate flooding.  This collaboration has created opportunities for both projects and funding.  We are grateful to the County for taking on the first projects with the Halstead Avenue and Anita Lane Bridges.  The Ward Avenue Bridge is an Army Corps project that we expect to have taken over by the County, with oversight by the Army Corps.  The NYS DEC Resilient NY reports have been used for several grant applications which we hope will reduce the financial burden on the taxpayers.  This is only the first phase and we are excited to continue to bring forth more flood mitigation projects to protect our residents.

Looking at the most recent Village budget, how can the Board of Trustees keep within the tax cap in the future – especially without raising fees or depleting the reserves?

With inflation and the number of projects that are needed in the Village, I believe it will be a challenge to remain within the tax cap.  I have faith, not only in our current board, but in our management team, that every effort will be made to keep costs in line, look for new revenue streams and continue to address safety and infrastructure concerns.  While keeping within the tax cap is important, flood mitigation, pedestrian/traffic safety and infrastructure projects are also needed.

Are you in favor of increasing affordable housing in the Village?  If so, what specific initiatives do you support and why?

In a first world country like the United States, everyone should have access to basic, safe shelter and the opportunity to create a home for themselves and their family.  The term affordable housing has been used in so many ways that sometimes we forget what it means.  When done properly and with care, creating safe, affordable housing is a benefit to the community as well as the renters.  I support responsible development that will blend with the community and that includes a multi-prong approach, including rehabilitation of current properties as well as new building that reflects our Village character.  With a combination of grant opportunities and projects with responsible developers, we can revitalize our downtown, improve our parks and create new opportunities for the Village.  I support an approach that both respects our residents and their concerns, while also benefiting the community as a whole.

Over the last two years what accomplishments are you most proud of and why?

In the last two years we have had many challenges.  I am most proud of my work with the community to stop the fast pace of the Hunter Tier project while also moving forward with achieving our Pro-Housing community accreditation.  There is a responsible way to address our housing needs while keeping or improving our downtown parking and addressing resident concerns.  The time I’ve spent working with legislators and staff across all levels of government to move forward with flood mitigation efforts is by far what makes me most proud.  We are no longer waiting for one project to help the Village and are aggressively pursuing multiple paths for flood mitigation including property buyouts, multi-million dollar infrastructure projects and applications to as many grants as possible. 

In your opinion what other issues face the Village in the next two years and how will you tackle them?

With a new board and a new management team, we are preparing to handle many issues.  We will need to focus on specific projects and work together so that we can be successful.  We have many ideas and challenges to address, but not everything can be done at once. I expect that we will align our priorities with the comprehensive plan, funding opportunities and our capital budget.  We also need to leave room to adapt to new challenges that will inevitably show up.  I expect to put most of my efforts towards supporting flood mitigation projects, a rehab of our parks that will include revenue generating efforts and revitalizing our downtown area to welcome in new businesses and new shoppers who look forward to spending more time in the Village.

Trustee Nora Lucas

Nora Lucas Bio

Now in my eighth year as Village Trustee, I previously volunteered with numerous Village boards including the Village’s Mamaroneck Affordable Condominium Corporation, Landmarks and Flood Mitigation Advisory Committees.  A past Girl Scout Leader, I am currently a Girl Scout Silver Award Mentor.  A lifelong Mamaroneck Democrat, I live in Rye Neck with my husband Tony.  I earned a BA from Manhattanville College and an MA from Boston University.  I am an architectural historian, specializing in environmental review.

We’re a Village with a long history of flooding. What measures do you believe are essential to mitigate flooding in the Village and why?

Flood mitigation projects are expensive.  The Village is no longer leaving grant money on the table; this Board has prioritized, obtained and continues to pursue grant funding for capital flood mitigation projects.  We also are working with homeowners to obtain funding for elevating, floodproofing and buying out flood-prone parcels.  Working with our County, State and Federal partners we have made significant progress on The Army Corps Plan, which will mitigate flooding, but not “solve” the Village’s flooding problem.  Parallel solutions on agenda include updating and tightening enforcement of zoning and stormwater regulations to acknowledge climate change and improve stormwater control; green infrastructure requirements to minimize and prevent runoff (to both mitigate flooding and prevent pollution); and installation of river gages for data collection and early warnings.  

Looking at the most recent Village budget, how can the Board of Trustees keep within the tax cap in the future – especially without raising fees or depleting the reserves?

Salaries and related state-mandated benefit expenses beyond Village control drive our budget increases.  This year we were forced to approve a large bond to cover projects undertaken, but not funded, by the previous administration.  We seek to realistically increase non-tax revenue streams, regularly reevaluate expenditures and have adopted the first ever 5-year capital plan to prioritize and plan for major projects and expenditures.  We have benefited from the County’s sharing of sales tax and are committed to compete aggressively for grant funding.  The implementation of rolling zero based budgeting in which departments fully evaluate expenses and revenues will be beneficial in not only keeping spending (and taxes) down, but also ever mindful of maintaining the quality and level of services currently provided to our residents.

Are you in favor of increasing affordable housing in the Village?  If so, what specific initiatives do you support and why?

I am a progressive Democrat and absolutely support increasing affordable housing in the Village, and proud that the Village obtained Pro-Housing designation from NYS.  Affordable housing is beneficial to a community’s economy, diversity and stability; I also understand that affordable housing is often misunderstood, and a larger community conversation is needed to achieve community buy-in.  I served as liaison to the Affordable Housing Task Force which explored and recommended a wide range of strategies including, partnering with state, county, and qualified developers, to both increase the availability of housing options in the Village, to promote strategies that support current residents struggling to afford to live here. 

Over the last two years what accomplishments are you most proud of and why?

In the past two years we hired an experienced professional manager who has expertise in municipal management, budgeting and law.  Working with our new manager The Board of Trustees approved a responsible, operational spending plan by realigning priorities, and reducing staff and expenditures.  We adopted the Village’s first-ever 5-year capital budget, providing a framework for prioritizing and funding capital projects, in addition to aggressively seeking grant funding.  We have significantly reduced litigation fees by utilizing our insurance carrier for litigation and also retained an in-house Village Attorney which will further reduce legal expenses and ensure that Village Departments, including Building and Planning have consistent access to counsel.  Last, but not least, we have changed the Board’s culture to one of mutual cooperation and respect.

In your opinion what other issues face the Village in the next two years and how will you tackle them?

Taxes: Mindful of the tax burden on residents, we are controlling spending by adopting the first ever 5-year Capital Budget, enabling us to prioritize, plan and fund Capital Projects and Expenditures including flood mitigation, pedestrian safety, playgrounds, vehicles and equipment.  We have tightened procurement controls and created the office of auditor to limit spending.  Pedestrian Safety: We have obtained funding and continue to aggressively pursue grants to implement structural safety improvements, but we cannot engineer ourselves to safety; it takes all of us, drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists to use our roads and sidewalks safely and responsibly.  Facilities:  The Village has outdated, underutilized and decentralized facilities.  With community input we will focus on plans to update facilities, leveraging outside dollars to offset the tax burden.