Letter to the Editor: Trustee Brakewood's Reasons for Running

Dear Editor:

I first ran for Trustee in 2006 to halt the irresponsible actions of the previous Village Board, which had raised taxes 44% in three years, was intending to cut Village services, and had approved numerous housing projects without understanding their overall impact.

 As your elected Trustee, I have worked hard to get our village government in order.  I have identified and curtailed wasteful spending to hold the line on property taxes.  I led the charge to eliminate the costly practice of paying health benefits to part time elected officials, and stopped needless construction projects at Village Hall.

While trimming village pork, I have worked to redirect the savings into much-needed programs for village residents.  I advocated successfully for the creation of a new code enforcement department, funding for the police and fire departments, and the creation of a village-wide Master Plan that will encourage smart development.

During my time as your Trustee, our tax increases have ranked among the lowest in Westchester County, and our village has implemented many new programs designed to improve our quality of life.

 I am running for a third term on the Board of Trustees because I want to make sure that our village officials continue to put the needs of residents above all else.  Starwood Capital, an outside developer, wants to build an 820-unit apartment complex on the United Hospital site.  This project does not conform to the spirit of our village’s newly-adopted Master Plan.  If completed, this complex will cause major issues for our school system, public services and traffic flow.  I am concerned that three of our sitting Trustees (Terenzi, Didden and Kenner) have consistently approved Starwood’s march forward with this project.  I am further concerned that three candidates running for the village board (Pagano, Kenner and Ferraro) are current members of the village’s Industrial Development Agency, which negotiates tax breaks for developers.  If elected in March, these three individuals will be in a position to not only approve this project but also offer Starwood a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) that could cost residents some $35 million over 20 years.  Starwood Capital has already made it clear that they are waiting for a ‘pro-development’ board to win the March election so they can proceed with their 820 unit project. 

 If I am re-elected, I will continue to stand firm against Starwood’s 820-unit project.  I will continue to uphold the tenets of our new village Master Plan, which was conceived with great input from village residents over a six year period.  I will not support a PILOT for a huge corporation that will force the school district to bond for construction and raise taxes for residents.  I will continue to fight for smart development that will ease the tax burden of residents without negatively impacting the services we receive.  I am especially concerned about maintaining the services (police, fire, EMS, DPW and code enforcement) that make our village a safe place to live.  I will always work to eliminate wasteful spending, and prioritize investments that measurably improve your quality of life. 

I urge you to cast your votes for me and my like-minded running mates, Mayor Pilla, Trustee Marino and former Trustee Adams on the Democrat or Citizens for a Better Government lines.  We need your support at the polls to preserve the village that we all know and love.

Sincerely,

Daniel Brakewood

Village Trustee