Confusion Persists Over Outcome of Second Mount Kisco Trustee’s Seat
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
There still was doubt in Mount Kisco on Wednesday whether former longtime Democratic village trustee Jean Farber regained a seat on the Village Board or the independent Village Inclusive Party completed a clean sweep in Tuesday’s election.
Shortly after 10 p.m. on Tuesday night, the Democratic ticket of mayoral candidate Lisa Abzun, Farber and incumbent Councilwoman Karine Patiño conceded to former mayor Michael Cindrich and his team of Theresa Flora and Angie Garcia-Guerra.
But on Wednesday morning, Farber said she awoke to calls and messages informing her that the Westchester County Board of Elections had her 14 votes in front of Garcia-Guerra for second place in the four-candidate contest for two seats, 968-954.
“The numbers we had (Tuesday) night, the numbers were all over the place,” Farber said. “Nothing was adding up and I just went with the flow and I was told that the numbers were not in our favor.”
While that appears to be true for Abzun and Patiño, it is unclear what the outcome may be for Farber and Garcia-Guerra.
Both campaigns reported on Tuesday night that the machine in District 7 broke down, so apparently those votes have not been included in the totals. Cindrich said on Wednesday that he was told that District 5 was understaffed and that personnel at the site was having difficulty finding the names of some people who were looking to vote.
“The alternative was to have them vote on affidavit ballots or send them to find a judge and get a letter that they could vote,” Cindrich said.
Farber and Cindrich were hoping to get confirmation from the Board of Elections on where the vote stood, but on Wednesday were still awaiting word.
Despite there still being a chance of her snagging the second trustee’s seat, Farber was trying to take it in stride.
“I’m not allowing myself to get excited either way,” she said. “I want to know officially before I start saying anything more than that.”
The outcome will determine whether the Village Inclusive Party will have a 4-1 or 3-2 majority. Abzun will remain on the board in her trustee’s seat. Trustee Karen Schleimer endorsed Cindrich’s ticket in the election.
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/