“It was important for me to be able to finish some of the things that I had started and had been working on,” says newly reelected Village of Buchanan Mayor Theresa Knickerbocker, describing why she decided to run again this past March after briefly considering not to run.
Knickerbocker is a fourth-generation Buchanan native who has worked in village government in various capacities for much of the last three decades, including two stints serving on the Village Board, then Deputy Mayor from 2010-2014 before being elected Mayor in 2014.
“My mother was born in the family home with her seven brothers and sisters and lived on Henry Street for more than 93 years. I have lived on Henry Street my whole life,” says the Mayor. She enjoys helping the community that’s been her family’s hometown for many generations.
Knickerbocker also has close ties to the Buchanan business community, co-owning T and M Deli for 16 years with her late mother Mary, and now operating the new Mary’s Ice Cream Shop on Lindsey Avenue.
“The thing I like the most about being Mayor is helping residents. The Village has a strong sense of community,” says Knickerbocker. But the biggest reason she decided to run for a third term can be summed up in two words: Indian Point.
The nuclear power plant was decommissioned in April 2021, and since then there have been questions about how the plant’s 240-acre property would be used. “The development of the property is the Village’s future. Developing it will help replace the tax base loss that occurred with the shutdown of IP,” says Knickerbocker. “I have been involved since the closure announcement in 2017… I am a member of the State Decommissioning Oversight Board and was on previous boards … There are many challenges to deal with, not to mention outside organizations that want to tell the Village what they think is best for the property.”
There are other items on her agenda besides Indian Point. The Mayor says the Village is “in the process of reinventing ourselves.”
She would also like to “upgrade the Village wastewater plant” and deal with the state “to get the Entergy community and environmental funds to do that.” Improving cell phone service in the Village is also a priority.
“I like to look for ways to improve the community and maintain our quality of life,” says Knickerbocker, adding that she’s always just a phone call away. “I have always been available to speak to residents and I don’t mind if they have my cell phone number.”
The hypocrisy is pretty obvious. All she cares about is the tax incentives, not the danger environmental impact from Holtec, that is still attempting to dump toxic radioactive wastewater into the Hudson. The Governor stopped this. Over 400,000 concerned New Yorkers signed the petition to stop this. The economic impact of an apparent radioactive wastewater dump, affects the entire State. All she cares about is her small town , with about 3,000 residents, of whom probably are also concerned about the safety of their children and the safety issues of this defunct, unsafe Nuclear power plant. This is a pathetic display of arrogance, not town pride.