Newcomer Jumps into North Castle Town Board Race
Matthew Rice didn’t plan on running for local political office upon moving to Armonk with his family two years ago.
But after watching some of the issues unfold during that time and the controversial debates that have erupted and taken over the spotlight, Rice thought he could provide a fresh perspective to the town.
Last week, Rice officially announced his candidacy for the North Castle Town Board, where he will vie for one of two spots on the Republican ticket. With the nomination of Kerry Lutz last month and the more recent announcement by Stephen D’Angelo who will also seek the Republican nomination, it appears likely a GOP primary to determine the party’s two candidates for town board will occur. Supervisor William Weaver is already facing a primary challenge from challenger Howard Arden on the Republican side.
“I started to speak to people, and seeing how things were developing I started to ask why are we losing our supermarket, are do we have a dump in the middle of town that’s costing us money,” said Rice, 32.
Rice, a senior litigation attorney for the Manhattan law firm Brody Benard & Branch, said he could help the town with his business background. He earned an MBA from NYU’s Leonard School of Business last month and coupled with his legal and negotiating skills he said he’s confident he can relate to anyone even if he disagrees with them.
He said like most municipalities, fiscal issues are front and center and how the town pays for its services such as road repair are crucial in the years ahead.
“Like everyone else I’m trying to help the community,” said Rice who lives with his wife and two small children at Windmill Farms. “I set out to help the community and if I win that’s great, if not, hopefully I’ll bring issues to the table.”
So far, Rice said he has received positive feedback while meeting and talking to people downtown. He said some of the sharp disagreement on issues isn’t necessarily a negative for the North Castle, but shows its residents care.
“This is a passionate community. They care about their town. If we have didn’t have that we’d be asking where they are,” he said.
In the fall, two Republican candidates will take on Democratic Councilman Michael Schiliro and Christopher Carthy. If the new Alliance Party gets on the ballot, D’Angelo would also appear on that line in November, regardless of the outcome of a Republican primary.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/