Scherer, Vinjamuri to Run Again in Pleasantville; Peppard Opts Out

Pleasantville Mayor Peter Scherer will be seeking a sixth term and Village Trustee David Vinjamuri will run for a third term in the upcoming village election, while first-term board member Michael Peppard will leave office.

The election for the mayor’s post and the trustee seats is scheduled for Tuesday, Mar. 19. All seats are three-year terms. No other potential candidates have disclosed an interest in running at this point.

“It is my intention to run again as your mayor,” Scherer said at last Monday’s Village Board meeting. “If you will have me, I will do it.”

Having lived in Pleasantville for 37 years and served as mayor for the past 15 years, Scherer said he can offer his long-term perspective while addressing 21^st century needs.

“I have been involved in government a good long while and it benefits a community to have a long-term view,” Scherer said. “It has been very rewarding to work with the many good people in government and I’ve got strong relationships with lots of governments outside the village, which I will continue to work with.”

The mayor said new residents moving into the village are coming for some of the same reasons he had almost four decades ago, such as being part of an active, close-knit community.

“Civic engagement between residents is the virtue of small-town living and is more important than ever,” Scherer said. “Governing is part art, part science when trying to maintain the very best parts of Pleasantville that goes back generations. I think we’ve done very well in guiding the community and updating it for modern conditions.”

Vinjamuri said he has accomplished some of his goals during the last six years on the board. One was improving communication between village government and residents, especially when it became apparent that viewership of Village Board meetings was low. He re-started the online and print newsletter “What’s Happening in the Village” to provide residents with local information.

“I’m interested in continuing to work on communication. The challenge now is having an active presence on social media,” Vinjamuri mentioned. “We want to become responsive to residents’ questions and not just issuing statements.”

Vinjamuri’s continuing focus will be on creating more affordable housing and addressing the needs of village residents who are less prosperous.

Despite affluence in the community, 5 percent of Pleasantville residents are living below the poverty line, he said.

“Sixty families with children are on the federal SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) program,” Vinjamuri commented. “Last year I fought hard for free scholarships for village camp for six weeks in the summer, which were awarded to around 14 kids.”

Vinjamuri also introduced scholarships for the Panther Club, the village-run afterschool program.

“The issue is that for working parents struggling to get by the summer, and after-school programs are not just enrichment, they allow parents to work,” he said. “To be able to help them is an economic win for the family and for the village.”

Trustee Michael Peppard said his decision against running for a second term was a difficult one, but his personal life coupled with a new work schedule put limits on his time.

“I’ve been proud of work I did with the board and hope I did something positive,” Peppard said. “In the past few years, we’ve heard a lot of different views about a surprising number of matters and I think we’ve handled contentious issues well, such as the pace of development, legalization of marijuana, management of public land and climate change.”

Peppard said he has most appreciated the comradery between board members.

“Working with five open-minded people and responding positively to what the community was clearly telling us they wanted showed me how good representative government works,” he said. “I will miss this pragmatic and non-partisan board, which has inspired me as a patriotic American.”

Peppard said he was disappointed that in his three years, the village has been unable to get better cell phone coverage, an issue he has worked on. Improving service doesn’t mean erecting a tower, especially since land is limited.

“Whether you’re a parent in Nannahagen Park who can’t check the glucose level of their diabetic child or a prominent business that has zero signal, causing loss of customers, getting a stronger signal capacity has been a number one frustration so far,” he said.

Although he won’t be running again, Peppard said it was important to have board members rotated so new people could experience the challenges of how government works behind the scenes. As for future plans, Peppard said “I think I certainly have the energy for public service and community leadership, which will get redirected later.”

Scherer emphasized that Pleasantville candidates running for mayor or trustee aren’t nominated by the major parties, a longstanding tradition.

“That has been an enormous gift to this community and it’s a gift that ought to remain,” Scherer said.

The Westchester County Board of Elections conducts village elections in Pleasantville. For questions regarding the petitioning process, call 914-995-5706.  Nominating petitions are available through the Board of Elections website at https://citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/run-for-office.

For potential candidates, petitions must be signed from Jan. 2 through Feb. 13, 2024. Those interested may also contact the village administrator at 914-769-1940 or administrator@pleasantville-ny.gov.