Unite New Castle Should Explain Developers’ Campaign Contributions

By Cynthia Schames

Local government may be small, but it’s still politics.

Local elected officials are subject to the same standards of ethics and the same scrutiny that we hold state and federal public servants to. Avoiding even the appearance of impropriety should be of key importance to any elected official, but maybe even more so for small towns.

To that end, it’s important to take a look into what’s actually happened so far, and what may be happening in the future, in the Town of New Castle.

In arguments against the now-tabled Form Based Code, a proposed zoning change that would have rezoned a few acres of Chappaqua’s North Greeley Avenue, new Supervisor Lisa Katz, who ran on the Unite New Castle (UNC) ticket, has repeatedly said that she intends to engage in one-to-one negotiations with each developer to get the best deal. 

In light of the facts below, we must ask the question: “Get the best deal for whom?”

As of the date of this writing, almost 30 percent of the funds reported on UNC’s financial disclosures have come from just two families – each involved in billion-dollar commercial construction and real estate development.

Former Town Board member Adam Brodsky gave either $4,000 or $8,000. Although he no longer resides in town, his family owns the biggest lot on North Greeley Avenue, the 1.2-acre former Maxime’s location, vacant for almost 20 years. 

We can’t be sure of his exact donation amount because:

1. One $4,000 line item is in his own name, while the other is under the name SC Management, his commercial real estate development company. SC Management is an LLC separate from his day job at The Hakim Group, the billion-dollar real estate company owned by his wife’s family.
2. The second $4,000 transaction had the unusual designation as a Schedule O transaction, used for “subcontractors/partners.” It is unclear whether that $4,000 was a donation, (usually designated as Schedule A, B or C) or some other transaction between the two parties. 

The UNC slate has refused to clarify this “partner” relationship, despite several inquiries both public and private, by several individuals. In fact, the campaign’s treasurer got so angry when asked about it on Election Day, that she cursed and stormed away from her position talking to voters outside of a polling place.

Now on to a larger set of family donations. 

Various members of the Kemler family gave a total of $16,000 to the UNC slate –by far the largest aggregate donations of any parties.

This includes a maximum donation from an Andrew Kemler of Colorado, who seems to have lived in Colorado for at least 20 years. He is an active apartment house developer. What’s his interest in a local Town Board race in a small town halfway across the country? 

Steven Kemler is a New Castle resident. He gave the maximum donation twice, once before the primary, and once after. He was seemingly very invested in the success of UNC, and by extension, their principal platform issue: the death of the Form Based Code.

Mr. Kemler’s wife is the daughter of the former CEO of Turner Construction, a multibillion-dollar commercial construction company. Steven Kemler runs a “family office-backed” investment firm named Stone Arch Group, whose website states they are actively looking to invest in the new construction of 50-plus-unit apartment buildings in subprime locations. Could that include North Greeley?  

Again, we ask, is it the residents and local small business owners of Chappaqua, or is it these billionaire developers, who will be getting the best deal from Lisa Katz? 

After the past year of the UNC slate’s surrogates improperly and publicly maligning current board members as being “in the pockets of developers,” it is very unsettling to uncover the fact that the UNC campaign coffers were filled by real estate developers.

I believe the public deserves the incoming Town Board’s assurances that this money flowing into the UNC campaign pockets from developers is NOT going to buy any favors, zoning variances or undue influence.

I believe that the public has a right to be assured that the divisive, unnecessary, year-long conflict over the Form Based Code was not simply a way for an incoming Town Board to provide backroom dealings to campaign contributors.

I believe that our elected officials owe us respect and transparency.

Surely all of this can be explained, so I am asking the incoming Town Board to do just that. Explain.

Chappaqua resident Cynthia Schames has supported several local Democratic campaigns and has volunteered on initiatives for other organizations.