Citizens Nominating Committee Calls for Candidates
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The Citizens Nominating Committee (“CNC”) is currently searching for potential candidates to run for the position of Mayor and three opening Village Trustee positions. Names of potential candidates should be submitted to the CNC by Friday, December 7, 2018. The General Village Election is on Tuesday, March 19, 2019.
According to Jon Mark, Chair of CNC (a non-voting position) “The CNC conducts a confidential and non-issue based review of potential candidates for office. The cornerstone tenet of Scarsdale’s hundred-year nonpartisan tradition is that a candidate’s general abilities and character - not their personal position on any Village issue – are held paramount to all other considerations. The objective is to find the best possible individuals to serve the Village no matter what issues the future may bring.”
The CNC is a group of 30 elected representatives (6 from each neighborhood) tasked with reaching-out within our Village community to encourage residents who are ready, willing, and able to volunteer their service as one of three new Trustees.
CNC representatives are available to answer questions and help candidates through the non-partisan process, which involves the completion of a biographical sketch and a brief presentation. The names of those who come before the CNC are kept confidential to encourage as many qualified individuals as possible to come forward.
If you (or anyone you know) would make a great Mayor or Village Trustee please contact any member of the CNC listed on the attachment. Candidates must be U.S. citizens over the age of 21 and residents of the Village of Scarsdale.
Information about the Citizens Nominating Committee can be found on the web site of the Scarsdale Procedure Committee: http://scarsdaleprocedurecommittee.org.
CNC Invites Public to Organization Meeting Monday November 26 at 8 PM at Village Hall
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Scarsdale Citizens Nominating Committee (“CNC”) welcomes the 13 newly elected members and invites the public to observe its first meeting Monday, November 26, 2018 at 8:00 PM in Rutherford Hall in Village Hall 1001 Post Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583. Come to the meeting to learn more about Scarsdale's non-partisan system for selecting candidates to run for Village office on the Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party slate. Scarsdale Public Television will record the meeting.
The CNC consists of 30 elected Scarsdale residents who represent their neighborhood election units (Edgewood, Fox Meadow, Greenacres, Heathcote and Quaker Ridge). Ten new members are elected to the CNC each November to serve staggered three-year terms. In addition, this year three additional members were elected to fill vacancies on the CNC in other classes. The volunteer group will meet from November to January to seek, interview, and evaluate potential candidates to run for Village office. This year the CNC will nominate individuals to run for Mayor and three openings on the Scarsdale Village Board. Mayor Dan Hochvert will be finishing his two-year term as Mayor. Trustees Matthew Callaghan and Carl Finger will be finishing their second two-year terms and Trustee Seth Ross will be completing his first two-year term. The General Village Election will be held at Village Hall on Tuesday, March 19, 2019.
Scarsdale's non-partisan system has been operating successfully for over 100 years, following a contentious election in 1909. The goal of the non-partisan system is to attract qualified citizens who would otherwise avoid campaigning, but would be willing to run for office in elections. The CNC's deliberations and due diligence on all potential nominees is kept confidential to further encourage well-qualified volunteers to apply for a spot on the non-partisan slate. Typically there are four non-elected and non-voting administrative members of the CNC present to insure adherence to the procedural requirements of the Non-Partisan Resolution. Potential candidates also have the option to run for office outside of the Non-Partisan System under provisions of New York State law.
Are you interested in running for Mayor or Trustee? Do you know someone who would serve the Village of Scarsdale well? Contact any CNC representative listed below; or inform the CNC Chair, Jon Mark, at 914.472.4053 or [email protected], or CNC Vice Chair, Tim Foley whose contact information appears above.
Final deadline for submission of Biographical Form to the CNC is 5:00 PM January 18, 2019.
Vote in the Citizens Nominating Committe Election on Tuesday November 13
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On Tuesday November 13, one week after the federal and state elections, Scarsdale qualified voters are encouraged to turn out one more time -- to vote for their neighborhood candidates running for seats on the Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC), and to vote on amendments to the Village's Non-Partisan Resolution.
All qualified voters in Scarsdale can participate -- it doesn't matter which political party you're registered in, or no party at all. If you're 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, and have lived in Scarsdale for 30 days or more on November 13, you're eligible to vote.
Unlike New York State and Village elections VOTING BY MAIL IS AN OPTION. The Mail-In Ballot must be received in the Procedure Committee PO Box 284 by 5 PM on November 13. Download the Mail-In Ballot here:
Scarsdale’s Non-Partisan System promotes the election of candidates who are qualified by reason of their civic abilities and experience, rather than political aspirations. Each year Village residents elect their neighborhood representatives to serve on an all-volunteer CNC, which in turn selects a non-partisan slate of candidates for the village offices of trustee (each year), mayor (every two years), and village justice (every four years).
The system belongs to everyone: there is no party registration requirement. Any Scarsdale resident can automatically participate in the Non-Partisan System. Anyone can propose a candidate’s name for village office to the CNC. Candidates are typically proposed by neighbors or fellow community volunteers who respect the candidate’s judgment and value the candidate’s history of involvement in village affairs. Candidates are free of special interest lobbying. Candidates are not beholden to special interests or parties, and the pool of people the system can tap is larger than a party-based system. Elected official’s positions are derived by listening to community residents, gathering all available information and using good judgment to determine what is in the best interest of the village as a whole.
Learn more about Scarsdale's 88-year old Non-Partisan system here.
13 Elected to Citizens Nominating Committee, All Amendments Pass
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How did Scarsdale vote in the Citizen’s Nominating Committee election on November 13, 2018? Here are the numbers as reported by Madelaine Eppenstein, Chair of the Procedure Committee, who ran the election.
All of the proposed amendments to the Non-Partisan resolution passed. The biggest change is that the leadership of the TVCC (now the Scarsdale Forum) will no longer run the proceedings of the nominating committee. Instead, the leadership of the nominating committee will come from those elected to serve on the committee.
For the CNC election, here are the number of votes for each district and the candidates who will serve on the nominating committee.
Here are the vote counts:
Ballots by District Unit
Edgewood 65
Fox Meadow 111
Greenacres 57
Heathcote 43
Quaker Ridge 68
Total Votes: 344
Elected CNC Members, 3-year terms unless otherwise noted:
Edgewood: Sergi Flaster; Linda Killian; Stephen Baer, 1-year term
Fox Meadow: Richard Pinto; Jill Spielberg
Greenacres: Jon Krisbergh; Alan Lewis
Heathcote: David Bunzel; Adam Rilander; Bob Wolloch, 2-year term; Anne Zink, 1-year term
Quaker Ridge: Lee Fischman; Larry Dobosh
Procedure Committee Proposed Amendments to the Non-Partisan Resolution:
Amendment Ballots: 289
Ballots approving all amendments: 217 (75%)
I Am More Scarsdale to Host Charitable Event with Impact 100 on November 7
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I Am More Scarsdale
Marcy Berman-Goldstein and Abbey Solomon of I Am More Scarsdale will host Impact100, a collective giving organization in Westchester County engaging women in philanthropy on Wednesday, November 7th, 2018 from 10:30 am to 6 pm.
Community members are invited to attend this Shop, Support & Learn event to learn how Impact100 Westchester engages women in philanthropy and funds transformational grants for nonprofits serving Westchester County. I Am More Scarsdale will offer customers 10% off their entire purchase and will donate 10% of all in-store and online sales to Impact100 Westchester.
I Am More Scarsdale is a unique women’s retail concept in the heart of Scarsdale Village, whose mission is to empower women to make them feel confident, support up and coming and established women-owned businesses and designers, and to give back to local and women’s philanthropic organizations. They recently celebrated their one-year anniversary on October 18th and their charitable events have provided over $10,000 in cash and $50,000 in merchandise to more than 25 charitable organizations. Store owners Marcy Berman-Goldstein and Abbey Solomon were recently named as Westchester’s most powerful women in The Business Journal of Westchester and Fairfield Counties.
I Am More launched its first product line, Strong + Beautiful, in collaboration with Safe Horizon in New York City, the nation’s leading victim assistance organization, whose mission is to provide support, prevent violence and promote justice for victims of crime and abuse, their families and communities. Strong + Beautiful was created to remind all women of their internal strength and beauty, no matter their current state of mind or well-being. Kira Kazantsev, Miss America 2015, is the Strong + Beautiful brand Ambassador. Strong + Beautiful products include a reed diffuser and candle, notepads and leatherette pouches, as well as T-shirts, Muscle Tee’s and Sweatshirts. 20% of all proceeds benefit Safe Horizon. Strong + Beautiful products are available for purchase in-store and online at www.iammorescarsdale.com.
“We have seen a groundswell of interest in recent Village Center events and are grateful for the leadership provided by our local merchants. In this changing economic landscape, consumers have many choices; and they will patronize establishments that reflect their sensibility and values. I Am More remains true to its mission, to serve the entirety of its customers. With Shop & Support, all the Village benefits. We’ll see increased foot traffic, and the community can take great pride in helping the greater good,” said Jane Veron, Scarsdale Village Trustee and liaison to Scarsdale Business Alliance.
Over the past five years, Impact100 Westchester has engaged women in philanthropy through collective giving. By pooling resources, they have awarded over $1 million in grants to nonprofit organizations serving Westchester’s most vulnerable populations.
Each year they provide Transformational Grants that are used for a specific project or program and Core Mission Grants that are unrestricted funds to be used to advance the core mission of the nonprofit.
In some cases, Impact100 grants catalyze further support for their beneficiaries. For example, Pace University chose to expand its support for the Pace Women’s Justice Center after Impact100 helped fund construction for their new walk-in legal clinic, allowing them to serve almost 500 more people each year. “The Impact100 grant started the ball rolling and we are growing and expanding our services,” says the Women’s Justice Center’s Executive Director, Cindy Kanusher. “We are so grateful.”
Scarsdale resident Sharon Salomy Douglas founded Impact100 Westchester in 2013 after witnessing the Philadelphia chapter in action. There are over 50 chapters worldwide. In their first year they had 132 members and that has grown to 332 women last year. They are currently in their membership drive for the 2019 grant cycle. Grant money comes entirely from membership dues—$1,000 per year for the grant fund, plus $100 to cover administrative costs—so a larger membership means greater opportunity to make a difference.
Some members simply send their membership dues and attend the annual meeting, but many take active, year-round roles in the organization’s various committees and outreach efforts. Last year, over half the membership participated in the rigorous grant-application review process. Selected finalists present their projects to the entire membership at the annual meeting in spring, at which time every member will vote to determine the winners. To date, Impact100 Westchester has awarded grants to 30 local organizations aimed at tackling a variety of issues, including children’s mental health, education access, and support for survivors of abuse.
“This model is quickly becoming an influential and effective way for women to participate in philanthropy while networking and building friendships. Our community of Westchester County has areas of extreme wealth, yet, 10% of the residents live in poverty. When we pool our funds, we can achieve transformational results and change lives. We are grateful to I Am More for hosting this Shop, Support & Learn event on behalf of Impact100,” says Susan Bloom, Co-President of Impact100 Westchester.
Joining Impact100 gives women an opportunity to learn about the needs of their neighbors and allows them to respond with much needed assistance. The Westchester chapter continues to expand, and they are currently looking for new members to help them grow. If you are interested or would like more information, please email us at [email protected] or visit the website at www.Impact100Westchester.org.
2018 was an exciting year as they celebrated their 5th anniversary and awarded additional core mission grants as well as 3 transformational grants.
Transformational Project Grants - $90,000 each:
The Guidance Center of Westchester: Culinary Arts/Vocational Program
Westchester Parks Foundation: Camp Morty Pavilion
Youth Shelter Program of Westchester: Miller Place Project
Core Mission Grants - $12,333 each:
Gilda's Club Westchester: Teen Cancer Center
Westchester Exceptional Children's School: Gymnasium Renovation/Adaptive Physical Education Program
Core Mission Grants - $5,000 each:
Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle
Community Resource Center
Hillside Food Outreach
Hope Community Services
Women's Enterprise Development Center
