Ryan the Clear Choice for Another Term on Board
The following endorsement ran in the Nov. 1 edition of The White Plains Examiner
The race for the District 5 Board of Legislators seat pits a veteran lawmaker, incumbent Democrat Bill Ryan, against a political newcomer with a background in education, Republican Iris Pagan. Ryan, a former assemblyman, first elected to his current seat in 1997 served as chairman of the board for six years through 2009. Pagan, who has a background as a middle school teacher and a doctorate in education, has never before run for office.
While Pagan has a compelling life story, Ryan has the experience with the system and knowledge of the issues that’s needed on the board, especially as the county looks to deal with a 2 percent tax cap in slow economic times. He’s more well-versed on the legislative process, more pragmatic in tackling the county’s challenges and deserving of an eighth term on the Board of Legislators.
Ryan’s diverse and extensive experience in government – from his two-year stint in Albany to his service in the New York State Association of Counties – make the former chairman a worthy choice to continue to represent White Plains, Scarsdale and Harrison (which will become part of the district next year). As chairman he helped bring the county forward in many areas, from his work to save the Westchester Medical Center to his expansion of the Human Rights Commission. Before becoming chair, he pushed for the establishment of the Department of Emergency Services, which provides services it would be too costly for individual municipalities to pay for. He understands the role of county government and has the skills and knowledge to advance it.
Pagan’s philosophy – that nothing is more important than giving individuals the opportunity to work hard and achieve success – is appealing, and certainly her background and career are a testament to that. Many of the problems she addresses, such as the difficulty of paying the bills while property taxes balloon, are real. She doesn’t, however, seem ready to turn these broad ideas and beliefs into legislation. And while she can identify the county’s problems, she doesn’t have enough specific ideas to solve them.
Ryan’s career in government has taught him what’s realistic, what’s achievable, and what the tradeoff is with any course of action. He understands that lower property taxes likely means layoffs, that fighting the HUD settlement may have ended up costing the county hundreds of millions of dollars rather than $51.6 million, and that cutting funding for youth and education programs is detrimental to upward mobility.
Ryan has pointed to state mandates as the driving force behind county property taxes and said the key to reducing the county’s budget will be eliminating these mandates or getting the state to bear the costs. As the immediate past president of the New York State Association of Counties, he has the lobbying power to push through some of these changes, many of which will be beneficial. One cause for concern, though, was his characterization of cuts on the local level as “nickel and diming.” The county can’t afford not to scrutinize all spending, and spending cuts on the local level will be savings for the county’s residents while state takeover of the costs will just transfer them to a different tax bill.
Overall, though, Ryan understands the balancing act of cutting spending while not dismantling essential county functions. He said union employees should have to contribute, to some degree, to their benefits, an encouraging sign given the upcoming budget season. He will be an asset to the board and his constituents moving forward, and should be re-elected.
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.