After observing repeated violations of residents’ rights, hostile personal attacks aimed at citizens and disregard of the law by Village officials, Sharon Torres and Nora Lucas created the Building Bridges Party to unite residents across all affiliations in a campaign to restore respectful governance in the Village. Below is an outline of their campaign platform.
Restore Respect for Residents' Tax Dollars:
- Protect residents' tax dollars through tight fiscal controls.
- Align spending with the needs of the Village.
- End wasteful litigation spending.
- Increase the tax base through industrial area re-zoning.
- Explore affordable housing solutions that will not increase property taxes.
Restore Respect for Residents’ Voices (learn more):
- Listen to the views of all residents.
- Stop the polarizing personal insults and profane language at Board meetings.
- Conduct transparent decision-making with no backroom deals.
- Promote open communication – provide more information online.
Practice Respect for Residents' Quality of Life and our Green Spaces:
- Protect our Village character.
- Oppose re-zoning of Hampshire Country Club. View the candidate's discussion on this topic here.
- Improve pedestrian safety.
- Improved maintenance of our streets, sidewalks and sewers.
- Attack rat infestation and other environmental health risks.
- Maintain all our public parks.
Provide Comprehensive Flood Mitigation (learn more):
Sharon and Nora have called for a Time Out on development in the Village. They propose suspending building in the floodplain while the Village creates a Floodplain Overlay District with stricter building and stormwater controls designed to protect residents and property. The Village's newly adopted Comprehensive Plan recommends an overlay zoning district which is compatible with using a building moratorium to maintain the status quo while we draft stricter laws. Sharon and Nora will also -
- Provide honest communications regarding flood risk in the Village.
- Hire full-time certified floodplain administrator
- to strictly enforce flood zone rules, promote mitigation strategies and identify grant opportunities
- Implement a reliable early warning system
- Install river gages to track changes in velocity and volume of water for effective risk assessment
- Develop a property-specific mitigation plan targeting repetitively damaged areas
- Implement a moratorium on building in the floodplain while the Village creates a Floodplain Overlay District with stricter building and storm water controls designed to protect residents and property
- Enforce zoning code requirements for construction in the floodplain.
- Follow all FEMA regulations required to maintain FEMA insurance eligibility.
- Prohibit placement of mobile structures and objects in the regulatory floodway.
- Work with upstream communities and Westchester County to adopt a comprehensive approach to flood mitigation.
- Ensure the Army Corps Plan and other flood mitigation measures proceed in compliance with all required state and federal regulations.
