Write-in Candidate Wins New Castle Fire Commissioner Seat
A write-in candidate who last week jumped into the race for the New Castle Fire District No. 1 Board of Commissioners Tuesday night won one of two seats on the board.
Danna Goldman Schoenberg, who announced her write-in plans last Wednesday via social media, defeated incumbent Nancy Zezze, 211-175, for the three years remaining on the unexpired term of the late Gerry Golub. Zezze, the district’s longtime secretary, had been appointed last January to temporarily fill the seat until this election.
Former New Castle councilman John Buckley ran unopposed for the seat carrying the full five-year term, collecting 321 votes. Incumbent Christopher Weddle did not seek re-election.
Schoenberg said last week she became interested in fire district issues leading up to the controversial $15.3 million firehouse expansion referendum in October. Many voters, some of whom said they didn’t learn about the proposal until shortly before the referendum, were infuriated. Also, polls were open for three hours on the night of that vote, causing long lines and many people to leave in frustration before voting.
Once another fire district resident decided against submitting a petition after allegedly being harassed, Schoenberg said she did not want there to be an uncontested election.
Improving fire district communication and transparency is a top priority, she said.
“I want to see changes actually implemented and I would like the town to be more involved and more aware of what is going on,” Schoenberg said before the vote.
Check next week’s Examiner for an updated story on the election.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
