Mayor, Trustees’ Seats Up for Grabs in Village of Buchanan Election

Three of the five seats on the Buchanan Board of Trustees will be on the ballot when residents go to the polls next Tuesday.

The headline matchup features incumbent Mayor Theresa Knickerbocker, who has served 20 years on the board, squaring off against Deputy Mayor Anthony Capicotti, a trustee for the last three years.

“I have a proven leadership, a proven track record,” said Knickerbocker, a lifelong village resident who has been mayor since 2014. “I have been a very strong advocate for the village for many years. This village is in a position to really move forward at this time. As the mayor, you represent the village. That is part of your position. If you don’t have the time and passion for the job, this may not be for you. I don’t think people understand the time that goes into it.”

“I’m a workaholic. I enjoy trying to help people,” said Capicotti, a 23-year village resident. “I wear many different hats. I take on a lot of community events. I run my life at full speed. I will make sure I give as much time and more that is necessary.”

Knickerbocker, who is president of the Westchester Municipal Officials Association, acknowledged it’s been difficult at times working with Capicotti and his running mates, trustees Steve Laker and Daniel Stewart, since they have formed a voting bloc and created a disrupted environment.

“I wish we could work better as a board,” she said. “You get a lot more done when you work together. There’s so much anger. It’s unnecessary anger. This is not good for the village.”

Capicotti accused Knickerbocker of not being transparent, saying “We’re not in the decision-making. It’s not running as a board.”

Knickerbocker refuted Capicotti’s claims, remarking, “Everything gets discussed at a board meeting. I’m not hiding anything. I’m only one board member. If I want things to move forward, I have to share everything. I talk to everyone at the same time. I’m always thinking of more things to make the village better.”

One issue where Knickerbocker differed with the opposing ticket is the 148-unit AMS Development apartment project that was approved by the board last week. Although Knickerbocker ultimately voted with the rest of the board, she said she preferred a three-story limit, rather than the five stories that was approved.

“Whatever the developer asked for he got,” she said. “The traffic studies were done, but then there’s reality. There’s going to be issues with traffic.”

Capicotti, who has worked as a Local 137 operating engineer for more than 30 years and is a supervisor in a construction company, insisted the project would not change the village’s character

“I think it’s a plus for the community,” he said. “I like change, but I like change for the good. This will help us. This is going to generate revenue for the village and for the school district.”

Meanwhile, Knickerbocker said she has led the village effectively through the most trying time in its history – the closure of the Indian Point nuclear power plants, Buchanan’s largest employer and revenue generator, and the subsequent decommissioning.

She said cleanup of the site and its future use is fueling her desire to keep leading the village.

“I’m really concerned with the Indian Point property. That’s our future,” Knickerbocker stressed. “I wish there was someone I was comfortable with who could take the reins and deal with all the challenges. They don’t have the experience. They don’t have the knowledge.”

Capicotti criticized Knickerbocker for only negotiating a four-year pilot agreement with Holtec International, which is heading the decommissioning at Indian Point, and is hopeful the village can reach a new 10- to 12-year agreement with Holtec during existing talks.

“The longer the pilot the better off the village is moving forward,” he said. “We are knee deep in the negotiations. I want it done immediately. I want the budget stabilized. It’s a major part of our community. Sooner or later, we get access to that property. We can dictate that through zoning and other means.”

Knickerbocker and her running mates, Richard Funchion and Awilda Baez, are running on the Resident’s Party line. Capicotti and his team will be on the Republican line and an independent line.

Trustees Race

Laker, who is running for a second term, grew up in Montrose and has lived in Buchanan for the last 18 years. He has served in CEO and CFO roles within the retail energy, financial and construction industries. He also has served as a longtime treasurer for the Cortlandt National Little League and the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Society.

“The village is run by five individuals, not just the mayor. We have to work together,” he said. “There’s a lot of fighting, but we’re not fighting for the right goal. You have to lead by example. You can’t lead by ego. You have to be able to share information. It’s not about taking credit for everything. There are some people who will reach out to the mayor and it doesn’t get passed on to the rest of the board.”

Laker said he believes the AMS Development project will help revitalize the village and the Route 9A corridor.

“We have to be open to new ideas. I don’t think it changes the character. The village is what it is,” he said. “(The village) had the golden goose for many years. You have to look at other alternatives. We have to try to reinvent ourselves. We can’t just look at the redevelopment of that property. We don’t know when that will occur.”

Stewart is a lifelong Buchanan resident and a licensed insurance broker and manager of Personal Lines Insurance Department.

“Anthony, Steve and I think a lot alike. We have open communication. We don’t seem to have that with the mayor,” he said. “She withholds information from us at times. We’re open to discussions.”

Stewart said the AMS project is an example of smart development that the village needs more of.

“The 9A corridor is an area where (the village) has tried to improve. Bringing in something there could lead to other (improvements),” he said.

Funchion is a 49-year village resident and retired U.S. customs agent. A survivor of the September 11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, he was unseated in 2022 after serving 12 years on the board, falling short by 25 votes.

“The way Theresa is being treated by most of the board is just not the way a board should be run,” he said. “I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t give it one more try. They’re always at each other’s throats, treating the mayor with little or no respect. I’m straightforward. I’m not a diehard politician.”

Funchion said he opposed the establishment of an overlay district that allowed for the AMS project, which he believes is too large and will create excessive traffic.

He stressed his work experience in negotiating contracts would be beneficial in reaching a favorable deal with Holtec International.

“Negotiating is not a one-way street. The mayor has worked tirelessly on this. She’s a good negotiator,” Funchion said. “If you go too many years, by the time you get to the end of it you’re getting stiffed.”

Baez moved to Buchanan in 2019. She is a retired teacher and principal who now teaches English as a Second Language at the Hendrick Hudson Library. She served on the Buchanan Planning Board for a short time before having to resign to care for her husband and was a member of the village’s Police Reform Committee.

“I’m not an expert on Buchanan by any means but I can listen to the public. I think what matters is what is in your heart and how driven you are, and I’m very driven,” she said. “I run on an honest platform. My heart is for the people. I can only promise that I will do what is right for the village.”

Baez said she left Long Island for Buchanan to seek a less congested community and is concerned the AMS Development project could take away the “homey” feeling that the village has.

“It doesn’t seem like it will bring enough money into the village to make a dent,” she said. “You will have a lot of people and a lot of traffic and how we manage that will be important. Why not build more houses instead?”

Polls will be open next Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Village Hall on Tate Avenue.