Making the Case for Pleasantville to Have November Village Elections
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
I received an e-mail from former Pleasantville mayor Bernard Gordon that was similar to his letter last week (“Lack of Candidates’ Public Outreach Explains Poor Voter Turnout in March”), so I will respond similarly and refute some of his assertions. I will also add my rationale.
I wish to reiterate that I am not challenging the outcome of the election (I lost by 56 votes), but rather, I am concerned with the shockingly low turnout. Out of 5,231 registered voters, only 641 cast a ballot. That’s 12 percent.
Second, I cannot speak about the other candidates’ campaigns, as we did not run as a slate. I can only tell you what I did.
Third, I do have experience in government, contrary to Gordon’s statement, having served on the Mount Pleasant Town Board.
Not only did I knock on more than 300 doors, I made sure that these doors were all over the village, not just where I had friends, as Mr. Gordon claims.
I held several meet-and-greet events in private homes, Soul Brewing Company and The Black Cow. I answered many questions about the village pool, traffic and development. A fundraiser was held for me in a private home. I was interviewed for The Examiner and PCTV.
I sent a mailer to practically every household. Several volunteers wrote postcards supporting me. Others phoned residents. I put out 100 campaign signs. Moreover, the Westchester County Board of Elections sends a reminder card to tell residents about their polling station and the date of the upcoming election.
Despite this five-week outreach, only 641 voters went to the polls.
I have spoken at two Board of Trustees meetings to ask that a referendum be put on the ballot so that voters can decide whether or not the village’s elections should be moved to November. Because November elections have early voting, voters are not limited to one day in March. November elections would ease voter fatigue. November elections would save money as poll inspectors are paid to be at the polls from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
We would align with our neighbors who have moved their elections. Only five other villages in Westchester still have March elections. The village budget is due weeks after the trustees and the mayor are sworn in. By moving the election to November, the mayor and trustees will have more time and experience with one another to build an effective village budget.
Current Mayor Peter Scherer is concerned that Pleasantville’s great tradition of nonpartisan elections will be taken away by November elections. There is nothing preventing this from happening in March. Trustee David Vinjamuri spoke of PAC funding if elections are moved to November. Again, there is nothing preventing this from happening in March.
It was agreed that there will be no referendum on the ballot this November as there is no village election next March. It is my sincere hope that there will be a referendum on the ballot in November 2025 so the voters can decide when to hold elections.
Francesca Hagadus
Pleasantville
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