County Executive George Latimer Sets Agenda for First Term as Congressman George Latimer
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Westchester’s newly elected Congressman George Latimer will go to Washington in January. But as a junior Congressman in the minority party, what can he hope to accomplish?
That was the subject of an interview on December 15 on The Point with Marcia Kramer where Latimer outlined his expectations for his first term.
He acknowledged that his lack of seniority and the fact that the Republicans hold the majority may make it difficult for him to achieve some of his goals. However, he does plan to address the needs of his constituents in Westchester by advocating for initiatives that will impact them.
Specifically he plans to work to re-establish at least some part of the SALT deduction which allowed New Yorkers to deduct state and local taxes from their federal tax bills. He says there may be support on both sides of the aisle for restoring SALT.
He also mentioned passing legislation to ensure clean water both in the Hudson and the LI Sound and working to bring more affordable housing to Westchester and the Bronx.
And though he will be a Democrat in a Republican led Congress, he vows to fight for issues that will affect public health, saying, “If Bobby Kennedy does become head of HHS and decides he want to get out of the vaccination business, there is going to be a battle. …Polio vaccines prevented the spread of a crippling disease…. This has been settled science for 50 plus years.”
And what about congestion pricing? He noted that while some might not favor it, there is no alternative to fund the MTA that badly needs funds for infrastructure maintenance and improvements.
Watch the entire interview here:
From Village Hall: A New Deputy Village Manager and a Report from the Village Assessor
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Stephen Shallo has been appointed Deputy Village Manager of ScarsdaleScarsdale has a new Deputy Village Manager. The job has been vacant for more than a year since former Deputy Village Manager, Alex Marshall was promoted to Acting Village Manager in September 2023 and ultimately assumed the position of Village Manager in September 2024. With no second in command, she’s been doing both jobs for over a year. At the December 10 meeting of the Village Board, Marshall announced the appointment of Stephen Shallo as Deputy Village Manager.
She explained, “The Village undertook a professional recruitment process to fill this position, led by our consultants at Strategic Government Resources. We had an abundant number of qualified applicants apply, and after a thorough interview process, the Village has selected Stephen Shallo. Stephen has a robust government career, coming to us from the Village of Bronxville, where he has worked since July of 2019, and currently serves as the Assistant Village Administrator. Prior to his experience in Bronxville, he worked in the New York City Department of Small Business Services as well as other government offices in New York City. Stephen holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Delaware as well as a Masters of Public Administration from Pace University. I know he will make a great addition to our team here in the Managers office and we look forward to welcoming him in January."
Audit
H. Chris Kopf and Robert Daniele of PKF O’Connor Davies who audited the Village of Scarsdale for the year ended May 31, 2024 presented the results of their annual audit. They said they issued a “clean opinion” and commended the Village for receiving a “Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. From the Government Finance Officers Association.
Here were a few comments:
In the General Fund, total revenues were $64,051,337 and total expenses were $58,681,127. The Village ended the year with a total fun balance of $31,645,391.
A $460,000 shortfall in parks and recreation fees was offset by $800,000 more that anticipated in interest earnings due to higher interest rates.
The Village was able to use $2.6 million in funds from the prior year’s budget to hedge against a larger tax increase.
The Village currently has only $17 mm in debit that is scheduled to be paid off over the next 15 years, putting them in good fiscal health.
The total unassigned fund balance was $15.1 mm, representing 23% of the budget. Kopf said that other municipalities had also seen an increase in their fund balances due to payments received during COVID.
You can see the entire report here:
Committee for Historic Preservation
Amy Lawrence, of 15 Hamilton Road, who is currently an alternate member of the CHP was appointed replace Talaiya Safdar who resigned. Her term will extend until April 5, 2027.
Menorah in Chase Park
Trustees passed a resolution to permit Chabad to place a menorah in Chase Park in celebration of Hanukkah.
Tax Collections
During the Town of Scarsdale portion of the meeting, Village Treasurer Ann Scaglione reported that the second installment of Village taxes is due on December 31, 2024.
As of November 30, 2024 here were the percentages of tax collections:
99.67% of 2024 County Tax Levy
59.49% of 2024 School Tax Levy
66.11% of the Village Tax Levy
Assessor’s Report
Prior to the Village Board meeting, the Board held a budget work session where they met with Victoria Sirota, Scarsdale Village Assessor to review her office’s budget.
She shared some interesting facts shown below:
Scarsdale includes 5,757 properties with a total assessed value of $10,212 billion and a taxable value of $9,299 billion. This number increased significantly from a taxable assessed value of $8.9 billion in 2024.
She noted that the growth in the assessment roll keeps the tax rate level and that assessments of new construction adds significantly to the tax roll each year.
The number of new homes assessed has been rising steadily, from 25 in 2021 to 54 in 2024, despite the building moratorium, as shown above.
There is a growing gap between the assessed value and the market value of Scarsdale homes, with the average assessed value of $1.6 mm and the average sale price of $2.3 mm.
This high discrepancy between the assessed and market values has led to a big dip in the equalization rate to 74.9% down from an equalization rate of 100% in 2021.
The market value of a home can be calculated by dividing the assessed value by the equalization rate. For example, if a home is assessed at $1.6 mm, divide that by .749 to reach a fair market value of $2.13 mm.
Sirota also showed a chart of the number of tax grievances filed by residents. Though the number declined over the past ten years, they are creeping up again as evidenced by this chart.
Democrats Honor Former District Leader Henry Neale
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On November 21, 2024, the Scarsdale Democratic Town Committee honored Henry Neale, its former chair and District Leader.
Henry is a true son of Westchester and Scarsdale, as he was born in White Plains Hospital and grew up here in Scarsdale and attended Scarsdale public schools. Henry recently moved to Sleepy Hollow.
Henry not only ran the Committee, he has had a keen interest in public policy. He ran for Assembly in 1982, a tough year for Democrats and lost. In 1991, then chair of the Scarsdale League of Women Voters Amy Paulin started a fight to keep the town of Scarsdale in one district. Henry helped in the effort by bringing a successful redistricting lawsuit for a client in Greenburgh, which in turn set a legal precedent helping to ensure that Scarsdale would not be divided between two county legislative districts on the County Board of Legislators. He was the driving force for the adoption of a resolution by the Westchester County Democratic Committee which criticized then President George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq, a controversial call at the time.
Henry’s true love is the environment, including public parks and open spaces--way before these causes were topics of wider public discussion. Henry was Chair of the County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Board and is currently a member. He also serves as a Trustee of the Westchester Parks Foundation. Henry has been active in the Environmental Planning Lobby and headed the activist forces that led to New York’s “Bottle Bill”. He also took a principled stand against County Executive O’Rourke, when Henry was the Chair of the Westchester County Environmental Management Council. Henry criticized O’Rourke’s proposed plan to use park land for non-park purposes. O’Rourke subsequently dropped Henry from the Council. Because Henry had publicly spoken out, O’Rourke eventually backed down.
Neale has many admirers.
Henry has also been involved with and a supporter of Hour Children, a group that keeps mothers incarcerated in the Bedford Hills and Taconic Correctional Facilities connected with their children by facilitating family visits in positive settings. Henry has been ahead of his time in promoting family cohesion between these mothers and their children.
Neale Displays a Proclamation from the office of State Senator Shelley Mayer.
At the party, County Executive George Latimer, State Senator Shelley Mayer, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin’s office and Westchester Legislator Ben Boykin saluted Henry with their remarks and delivered to him citations in his honor.
A Proclamation from the office of Amy Paulin, Neale and Michelle Sterling
Neale with County Legislator Ben Boykin 
Mondaire Jones with Michelle Lichtenberg
Neale cuts the cake with BK Munguia
Remembering Jessie Ann Cashen, January 6, 1937 - November 2, 2024
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Jessie “Ann” Cashen died of natural causes on November 2, 2024, at her home in Lenox, Massachusetts. She was 87 years old.
Ann was a natural connector for her community and her family. She always had a smile for everyone and wanted others to feel included and loved. She strived to fill life with warmth and laughter and make her friends and family feel special and understood. It always felt like she was focused in on you, with laser-beam attention. She was a person with an optimistic outlook, and her enthusiastic energy was contagious.
The second of four children born to Mary and Robert MacLeod, Ann grew up in Washington, D.C. She graduated with honors from Western High School and then traveled by train to Ithaca, NY, to attend Cornell University. She majored in psychology and also enjoyed studying art history, literature and music appreciation. She was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. During her senior year, she met Tony Cashen, and they married shortly after graduation.
The early years of Ann’s marriage were spent relocating multiple times for Tony’s career and starting a family. Three daughters, Ann, Sally and Linda, arrived in relatively quick succession. By the time the family got to Scarsdale, NY, Ann was ready to settle in and become part of the community. For the next 40-plus years, Ann was happy to call Scarsdale home, becoming involved with community activities and finding a spiritual home at St. James the Less Episcopal Church.
Ann loved helping children learn. She worked as the Nursery School Director at St. James the Less for about 10 years. During this time, she went back to school, receiving her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Manhattanville College. After her divorce she courageously forged a new path as a single mother, working for several years at a public relations company in New York City. She also worked as a real estate agent in Scarsdale, helping many new families settle into the area. Later, she pursued advanced studies in information technology. She retired as database manager for Mamiya America, importer of professional photography equipment.
Ann loved being involved with her community. At St. James the Less, she served on the vestry and the Altar Guild, also taking stints as a Sunday School teacher, greeter, and, for many years, rummage sale coordinator. Later she helped others feel at ease as a front desk greeter at Phelps Hospital and an ESL tutor in Tarrytown.
For the last five years of her life, Ann lived at Kimball Farms, a retirement community in Lenox, Massachusetts. She loved living in the Berkshires, with its forested hills and quaint villages and towns. As chair of Kimball Farms’ trips committee, she organized outings to local sights, like the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown and Mount Greylock Reservation, the highest point in Massachusetts. On summer Saturday mornings, you could find her at Tanglewood, listening in on rehearsals of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Ann was an influential force for her five grandchildren, sharing her love of reading, history, and travel with them. She took each grandchild on a special Wyoming trip to a destination of their choice when they reached the age of ten. The Alaskan wilderness, the islands and waters of Hawaii, a dude ranch in Colorado, baseball parks of California and Arizona, and a Disney cruise in Florida were all explored in this special way. Her family meant so much to her.
Ann’s family celebrated her life at a private gathering on November 29. A funeral service and interment of ashes will be held at St. James the Less in spring 2025. Donations in her memory can be made to the National Parks Foundation or Tanglewood.
A Salute to the Veterans of Scarsdale
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Scarsdale honored the bravery and sacrifice of those who have served in our armed forces on Veteran’s Day, Monday November 11, 2024. The morning started with speeches, followed by a parade through the streets of the Village.
On hand were Mayor Justin Arest, representatives from the Scarsdale Board of Trustees, Village Manager Alex Marshall, the American Legion, Scarsdale’s Girl Scouts, Scarsdale’s Boy Scouts, the Scarsdale Fire Department, the Scarsdale Police Department and many Scarsdale residents who attended to express their gratitude to our veterans.
Photo Credit: Mayra Kirkendall Rodriguez
Photo by Mayra Kirkendall Rodriguez
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Troop 4 Scouts, Christian Kirkendall-Rodriguez and Jason Ren and the scouts participated in the parade.
Photo gallery by Michelle Sterling:
