Village Election Date
For the past several months, the Village Board of Trustees has been exploring the concept of moving the date of the Village Elections from the third Tuesday in March to coincide with the General Election date in November. We observed that there are pros and cons to such a move. Supporting a November election date is the idea that newly elected officers will be able to take office at the beginning of the annual budget process that typically begins in January each year instead of taking office in April just before the budget must be adopted. There are other reasons such as efficiency and cost savings, but personally, I feel the improved timing with the annual budget process is the most significant benefit. Those who support a March election date argue that local issues will get drowned out in the midst of a national election.
In any case, the Board of Trustees voted to change the date of the Village Elections, but the change is subject to the approval of the voters. The following proposition will appear on the November 6, 2012 ballot:
Shall the General Village Election of the Village of Irvington be held annually in November rather than March, specifically on the date of the General Election as defined in Section 8-100 of the Election Law of the State of New York, and the term of office of each elected Village Officer who currently holds such elected office terminate at noon on the first Monday in December in the year in which such term would otherwise expire?
Update on Revaluation
This year, Westchester’s largest City (Yonkers) and largest Town (Greenburgh) have banded together to seek proposals for the joint revaluation of properties within each municipality. As part of the Town of Greenburgh, Irvington’s assessments will be subject to revaluation should it ultimately go forward. In addition to Yonkers and Greenburgh, the following municipalities have agreed to join forces to support a joint revaluation:
City of Peekskill
City of Mt. Vernon
Town of Bedford
Town of North Castle
Village of Pleasantville
Village of Ossining
Through this economy of scale, the hope is to reduce costs. There are a total of 115,000 parcels among all of these municipalities. I have always felt that property revaluation is long overdue and I am happy the Greenburgh has taken the lead on this issue that have been neglected for almost 60 years.
Halloween Season
The Fall is a very busy season for our Recreation and Parks Department. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s coming up:
Halloween Block Party at the Irvington Fire House
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Come by the Halloween Block Party on Wednesday, October 31st, 4:00pm-7:00pm at the Irvington Firehouse to enjoy music, snacks and goodie bags sponsored by The Irvington Fire Company.
Peter Oley Turkey Trot
Sunday, November 18, 2012
1:30 p.m. at the Dows Lane School
For more information, e-mail mdepaoli@irvingtonny.gov
Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em
In addition to all the wonderful events, autumn also means that it is time to deal with leaves. I have asked the Board of Trustees’ resident leaf expert, Mark Gilliland to put together some information for me on Irvington’s wildly successful “Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em” mulching effort to share in my newsletter, here it is:
Leaves are a valuable resource that many property owners let go to waste every fall. Leaves are blown into piles on the street, left for DPW pickup. Too often piles spread out creating a safety hazard for drivers and wash into the storm drains, clogging storm sewers. Leaves decaying on the street release nutrients such as phosphate and nitrogen (aka “fertilizer”) which eventually wash into our rivers.
As a homeowner, landscaper, or property manager, are there better options? Yes! Mulching (shredding) in-place is the best and simplest solution. It is easy to learn, easy to implement, gets great “green” points, and better yet: actually saves time & money!
Saves money: Helps keep your taxes down by reducing municipal leaf pickup and disposal costs.
Saves effort: Many homeowners (and landscapers) find that mulching leaves in place actually is easier and faster than bagging, raking or blowing them to the curb.
Keeps your property healthy: Leaf mulch recycles nutrients into your soil to feed your lawn & plants, improves soil health, and helps retain moisture.
Helps the planet: Transporting and disposing of leaves from your curb wastes energy and contributes to pollution.
By now you’re thinking, “OK, I’m sold! So how do I mulch-in-place? What’s the secret?” Come by the upcoming LELE training event at our new O’Hara Nature Center on Mountain Road, Saturday November 3rd at 10 AM to find out how easy it is!
Check out the valuable information, “how to” videos and related resources on the Village’s Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em pages: www.irvingtonny.gov/green or www.leleny.org.
Thank you Mark and thank you for reading my e-mail, as always, please contact me with any questions or suggestions at bsmith@irvingtonny.gov.
Brian Smith
Mayor