To the Editor:
Dec. 2, 2015: Years of reform at the Eastchester Fire District are on the line in the upcoming EFD election. Please vote Tuesday, December 8, 2-9 pm, and encourage your friends and neighbors to vote for Dennis Winter for EFD commissioner.
Mr. Winter has been a tireless advocate for the public. He has worked to manage responsibly the $16.5 million EFD budget. This budget is funded by a tax levy; therefore, this is a critical election.
In the past, Mr. Winter and Chief Grogan discovered thousands in improperly spent tax dollars. Following this discovery, the Eastchester Fire Board placed the former EFD treasurer on paid administrative leave.
The former treasurer simultaneously collected a salary from the Greenburgh Schools while she was on this paid leave.
It is also important to note that the EFD has had to spend over $15,000 in legal fees to defend successfully itself and its commissioners from four matters brought by the former treasurer (10/13-2/15).
The former EFD treasurer is Mr. Winter's opponent in this contested race. While Mr. Winter's opponent is justly proud that she has a family member who is an EFD firefighter, that is a not a qualifier for candidacy.
The EFB needs to be absent of any conflicts of interest, especially when negotiating union contracts with the paid firefighters.
Please visit www.publicsearchpro.com and www.bronxville.org for access to public documents regarding the candidates in this important election.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Neagle Smith
36 Avon Road
Bronxville, New York 10708
Editor's note: MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements in letters to the editor, and the opinions do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff. Its objective in publishing letters to the editor is to give air to diverse thoughts and opinions of residents in the community.
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
337-6500
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Police Department
337-0500
Open 24 hours
Bronxville Parking Violations
337-2024
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400