Mamaroneck Public Library

Budget and Trustee Vote today, Wednesday, December 14, all day, till 9 pm in the library lobby.

Click here, for the link to the budget

https://www.mamaronecklibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2023-2024-Budget.pdf

Biographies of Candidates for Library Trustee

R. Sid Albert
Robert S. Albert is a lifelong resident of Mamaroneck and owned Sight 'n Sound, a book and
music business, for many years before working for Random House for 25 years. I've always
loved the diversity of the people of Mamaroneck and I've always felt a responsibility to serve the
community in whatever ways I could. I've previously served on the library Board for more than
10 years. Most recently, I served for two years as a Village of Mamaroneck Trustee. I would
welcome the opportunity to bring my book, library and business experience to help support the
library staff, the Board and our wonderful community.

Kateryna Ulerio
Kateryna is a native of Ukraine and an active Westchester County resident for over 20 years. She
moved to Mamaroneck 15 years ago and never looked back. She loves Mamaroneck for its
diversity, character, community, and booming shopping and restaurant scene. The harbor island
provides the perfect backdrop to this vibrant place she calls home.

Kateryna is a retired world-renown ballroom dancer and holds titles such as US Mambo and
World Salsa champion. One of the most prominent ballroom studios in Mamaroneck, Fred
Astaire Dance Studios was Co-owned and operated by Kateryna for over a decade. A few years
back she decided to pivot and entered the real estate world, getting her license in NY and CT.
With a background in successful small business ownership, Kateryna has perfected the art of
individualized service and a personalized approach. She is a brilliant salesperson, expert
marketer, skilled negotiator, and fierce advocate for her clients' needs. Clients love Kateryna for
her local market expertise as well as her international perspective on real estate

Kateryna continues to happily reside in Mamaroneck with her husband, two daughters, a puppy
named Maple, and a cat named Finn.

Member of National Association of Realtors, Greater Fairfield Board of Realtors, and HGAR,
NDCA. Board Member of Mamaroneck Chamber of Commerce.

Ellen Hauptman
I have lived in the Village of Mamaroneck for 27 years and greatly care about this Village and its
future direction. I am currently retired after spending 4 years working in publishing and 40+
years working in the financial services industry. My career experience includes financial
reporting, budgeting, forecasting, operations management and complex project management.
Much of my free time is spent reading, traveling, swimming, gardening, cooking and
volunteering.

I believe in giving back to the community in any way I can. I was a co-founder and co-chair of
the Mamaroneck Avenue Block parties for 4 years. During this time, we raised over $125,000
for local charities. Additionally, I am in my second 3-year term as the Vice Chair of the Village
of Mamaroneck Budget Advisory Committee. I have also signed up to be a volunteer for At
Home on the Sound.

Elenita Chmilowski
Elenita currently is the Director of Advertising and Marketing for Book and Library Services at
Brodart Co. She was a Board member of the Exhibitor Round Table for the American Library
Association and liaison to the ALA Conference Committee. Her career has provided the
opportunity to work with independent publishers, guiding and building their growth into both the
library and retail trade channels. Elenita feels that the library is the center of a community, it is a
pleasure to participate in the growth, outreach, and expansion of the Mamaroneck Public Library.
Living in Mamaroneck is a breath of fresh air for Elenita. She loves the community, its beauty
and diversity. She is a longtime, patron to the local businesses, as well as a dedicated customer of
Fiore’s Pilates.

Lilliana Diaz Pedrosa
Lilliana Díaz-Pedrosa is a Mamaroneck Avenue School mom and an attorney at a leading
education rights not-for-profit agency in NYC. Professionally, she serves as the Director of the
agency's Parent Center, offering information dissemination, capacity building, and legal
representation to NYC’s most vulnerable families. She has conducted hundreds of workshops on
various aspects of New York education law and practice for parents and professionals, but she
cannot cook a meal that both her children will like at the same time. Lilliana graduated from
Fordham University School of Law and Georgetown University. Hailing from Puerto Rico, she
is a native Spanish speaker and is also fluent in French. In 2012, she co-founded a not-for-profit
Spanish immersion early childhood program in NYC, where she served as Board President until
2019. She is looking forward to serving the Mamaroneck community.

Last night the Board of Elections posted revised results for the Village of Mamaroneck Trustee Election.  While we do not know whether these numbers are the final, we believe that the Democratic trustee candidates Manny Rawlings, Leilani Yizar-Reid, and Lou Young have won.  We congratulate all candidates who sought to serve the Village.  We are disappointed that the Referenda went down narrowly.  When appropriate, we will continue to seek to educate the public on why we believe these were good government measures.  We have continued questions for the Board of Elections, but since today was Veteran’s Day, offices were closed.  We wish everyone, and especially our veterans, Happy Veteran’s day.

Thanks to everyone who voted yesterday and participated in the democratic process in our Village.  There has been conflicting information circulating on social media as to the outcome of the election.

We trust and respect the process regardless of the outcome. We are in touch with Westchester County Board of Elections officials who are working diligently; and await their final.  

Once we have final tallies, we will report them to you.  Any information circulated before then would be premature.

There’s been a lot of inaccurate commentary about the three Village Ballot propositions.

These ballot propositions will address inconsistencies in Village laws and facilitate more fair and democratic decision making.

NYS Villages and Towns have slightly different forms of government.    Some Village mayors have more powers than others.    Mamaroneck has a weak Mayor/strong manager form of government, which means that the Mayor is not involved in day-to-day village operations or decisions. 

Over the years Trustees have modified the responsibilities of both the manager and mayor.  For example, the full Board of Trustees appoints members of most boards and commissions, which in some villages is the purview of the manager.  Additionally, in 2016 Village residents voted overwhelmingly for the entire Board of Trustees to appoint the Village Attorney. 

 Village Proposition One: Some communities elect the Village Clerk-Treasurer.  In Mamaroneck, the Clerk-Treasurer is appointed by the Mayor but reports to the Village Manager.  As with the Village Manager and Village Attorney, the entire Board of Trustees should appoint the Village Clerk-Treasurer.

Village Proposition Two: Corrects an omission that resulted from a 2016 referendum where Village residents overwhelmingly voted (by a majority of 2:1) for the entire Board of Trustees to appoint Planning and Zoning Board Members.  Removal authority should always be the same as the appointment authority.

Village Proposition Three:  Authorizes the entire Board of Trustees to work together to select a new trustee when there is a vacancy.  In Towns in New York State, the entire Town Council appoints a replacement Council member in the case of a vacancy; such as when Tom Murphy resigned from the Mamaroneck Town Council to be Mayor in the Village, the remaining Town board members cooperatively selected a replacement. The Board of Trustees is elected by all voters; why should one person, a mayor, have the sole power to choose a replacement in case of a vacancy?

Rumors spread by some who enjoy wielding unchecked power are simply inaccurate, disingenuous, and disrespectful.

• “It’s contrary to the constitution” – Not True.  Under New York State Law, powers of elected officials may be modified via a local law subject to the vote of the residents.
• The referenda are the work of “Democratic Party Bosses”- Not True.  They are the result of much public discussion at multiple Board of Trustee meetings and were voted on by the entire board.   In fact, in 2021, Mayor Murphy even voted for one of them!
• “The initiatives are hasty”. Not True.  Two of them (Clerk-Treasurer and Removal of Planning and Zoning board members) were adopted in 2020 and 2021 respectively, as referenda on the November 2021 ballot – but somehow the Village failed to deliver the paperwork to the Board of Elections.   Note that Mayor Murphy voted in favor of harmonizing the removal authority of Planning and Zoning board members in 2021.   Furthermore, the “do-over” for the Clerk Treasurer and Planning & Zoning proposals were (once again) on the Board of Trustees agenda beginning January 24, 2022; the Filling of Vacancies for Unexpired Terms of Trustees was on the BOT Agenda and discussed in June of 2021, more than a year before it was enacted.
• Saying the Mayor has these authorities in most other villages is just lame and not true. Over the years Mamaroneck voters have shown they are forward thinking and not followers. For example, most Villages in New York hold elections in March. In 1998 Village residents, by ballot proposition, voted to move elections to November which increased voter turnout and participation and saved money. 
• There could be a vote “deadlock”. Piffle.  Currently, if there is a vacancy in the office of Mayor, the remaining four Trustees select a replacement.  Trustees must work in the best interest of the village.  If they are authorized to choose a Mayor, they should be able to choose a Trustee.

These ballot propositions put decision making in the hands of all our elected officials not just one of them.  

Join us and vote “YES” on all 3 ballot propositions.

Some history:  since 1972 the Village of Mamaroneck has been a strong manager/weak mayor form of government where the Board of Trustees supervises a professional village manager who runs day-to-day operations.  Each member of the Board of Trustees has an equal vote on legislation, financial and policy issues. Even though we’ve had this form of government for 50 years some laws are not consistent with it.  Voting ‘YES” on the propositions will fix this.

On November 8, Village voters can correct Village law by voting “YES” on 3 propositions:

• For the entire Board of Trustees to appoint the Clerk-Treasurer

• For the entire Board of Trustees to remove (for cause) Planning/Zoning Board members

• For the entire Board of Trustees to appoint a new trustee in case of a vacancy

In 2016 two similar propositions passed overwhelmingly (2:1) to give appointment authority for the Village Attorney and Planning Board/Zoning Board members to the entire Board of Trustees.

Please joins the Village Democrats and vote “YES” on the 3 ballot propositions on November 8th.

The Village of Mamaroneck Democratic Committee is proud to support the official Party Nominees for the Board of Trustees for our village:

Emmanuel “Manny” Rawlings
Leilani Yizar-Reid
Lou Young

With our democracy in serious peril, there is nothing more important now than ensuring Democratic party unity up and down the line in November.

We urge all voters in the Village to vote for Leilani, Manny and Lou in the general election on November 8^th.

To find out more, please visit Rawlingsyizaryoung.com

Early Voting for The Democratic Primary for our Congressional District 16 starts this Saturday, August 13 and continues to Sunday, August 21 at these convenient locations:

Mamaroneck Town Center, 740 W Boston Post Rd, Mamaroneck  

or

St. Gregory the Great Church, 215 Halstead Ave, Harrison

• Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
• Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
• Monday, Aug. 15, 2022 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
• Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022 from noon until 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
• Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022 from noon until 8 p.m.
• Friday, Aug. 19, 2022 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
• Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
• Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

 Primary Day is Tuesday, August 23, from 6AM to 9PM.

Learn about the candidates--
 
Jamaal Bowman https://bowmanforcongress.com/
 
Vedat Gashi  https://gashiforcongress.com/
 
Mark Jaffe https://www.markjaffe4congress.com/
 
Catherine Parker https://www.catherineforcongress.com/
 

Please see below for the link to Monday’s League of Woman Voters forum for the Democratic Primary Candidates for Congressional District 16.

U.S. Congressional District 16 Virtual Democratic Primary
Candidate Forum
Monday, July 25, 2022 / 7:00 p.m.

Hosted by the League of Women Voters of Westchester

A friendly reminder that the Town of Mamaroneck Democratic Committee, the Scarsdale Democratic Town Committee and the White Plains Democratic City Committee are sponsoring a Virtual Forum for Congressional Candidates for the new Congressional District 16

TOMORROW NIGHT (Monday July 18, 7:30 to 9 pm)

There is still time RSVP here to register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MSrtHBs2R2iZGzDCAcSPhw

The forum will be moderated by White Plains Chair Tim James, Scarsdale Chair Myra Saul and Mamaroneck Chair Verena Arnabal. 

VOTE!!!   DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY for CD 16 is AUGUST 23, 2022!!!