38th State Senate District: Carlucci vs. Castaldi
When it comes to state senate districts Ossining stands apart from the rest of Westchester County. Redistricting efforts earlier this year left Ossining as the only town in Westchester to be included in the 38th Senate District which primarily encompasses Rockland County.
The incumbent state Senator David Carlucci, 31, of Clarkstown is a Democrat finishing his first term in office. Prior to being elected into the state senate Carlucci served at the town clerk in Clarkstown from 2006 to 2011.
Challenging Carlucci is Ossining resident Janis Castaldi, 59, a former Ossining deputy mayor and village trustee who reigned from the office in September 2011 and switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. She has been endorsed by the Westchester and Rockland Republican committees.
Castaldi owns LizzFitness in Ossining and is a member of the board of the Ossining Children’s Center. She’s also a corporate trainer, life coach and motivational speaker, as well as the Engage Life Director of the Atria on the Hudson facility.
Carlucci is one of four Senate Democrats who broke away from the party’s caucus to form the Independent Democratic Caucus. Carlucci was assigned to co-chair of the Administrative Regulations Review Commission the GOP majority. He also serves on other committees including: Banks, Elections, Higher Education and Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs.
Castaldi is running for state senate because she feels her political, professional and personal experience give her insight on how to handle the state’s fiscal problems.
“While I was on the Ossining village board we cut spending and were is a good fiscal shape,” said Castaldi.
“Jobs is the number one priority right now. In my professional life I help businesses become more efficient so they can hire more people,” said Castaldi. “When I am elected to Albany, I will be out there helping businesses create jobs not just sitting around.
Carlucci names jobs as one of the five points that need to be done to grow the economy. The other points are to provide tax cuts for small businesses, and give tax credits to businesses that hire the unemployed, reduce the amount of regulations a business must go through, reduce energy costs, and use technology to help connect people to opportunities.
Castaldi wants to re-evaluate how school taxes are determined.
“I think we have to take a look at those taxes and see if we can put them on some sort of ratio,” she said. “I believe that veterans, for those people who are out of jobs. I believe that for people who have no children also. I will assure you I will be having a bill that gives relief to seniors, veterans and those who do not have children and cannot afford these taxes.”
Carlucci, who worked with Gov. Andre Cuomo on cutting $13.5 billion from the state budget, passing the two-percent tax cap and re-structuring the tax code, is lobbying to bring the STAR rebate checks back to the taxpayers.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
