The Croton Democrats – ‘Our Team Is Committed to Putting Progressive Principles into Practice’ 

All information on this page was written and submitted by The Croton Democrats (who are running unopposed). All local campaigns were invited to submit statements on “What to expect if we’re elected.” River Journal North, as a matter of policy, does not endorse candidates.  

The Croton Democrats candidates and the offices they seek are (from left) Sherry Horowitz (Board of Trustees), Brian Pugh (Mayor), Alejandro Rosales (Board of Trustees).

Our slate is committed to building on the progress of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson over the past four years since voters elected a Democratic majority to the Board of Trustees. Our team is committed to putting progressive principles into practice and making government work for the people. Our priorities include: taming taxes, investing in infrastructure, protecting our environment and creating new housing options for people of all income levels and stages of life.  

Since 2017, the Village has controlled property taxes with tax levies beneath the cap and below the rate of inflation–including the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Board reduced total spending in the 2021-22 budget adopted in April by $559,601 from the pre-pandemic 2019-2020 budget. The adopted budget also reduced total Village debt by $1,822,825. We will work closely with our Village’s professional staff to rebuild the Village’s fiscal strength as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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Our Village has also completed important infrastructure projects including upgrades to the water system, the Elliott Way walkway connecting Senasqua to Croton Landing, and the Croton Point Avenue Improvement project. We will continue to ensure investments to protect public health & safety and improve the quality of life, consistent with our financial resources. 

The Croton community has heeded the call to think globally and act locally when it comes to climate change. In 2020, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) designated the Village of Croton-on-Hudson as a silver-level Climate Smart Community, making it one of only seven silver-level communities, and one of only two silver-level villages, in New York State. Our silver designation is in recognition of 43 specific steps to reduce or mitigate climate change. This includes enrolling in Sustainable Westchester’s Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program and creating a community solar array on the roof of our Department of Public Works. 

We continue to move forward on new initiatives to protect the environment. Earlier this year, the Board entered into a contract with Sol Systems for the installation of a community solar array at the Croton-Harmon Train Station. If completed, this project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide the Village with needed revenue. 

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We believe that it is important for the health of our community to fully welcome people of all economic backgrounds to participate in the life of our Village. The County’s 2019 Housing Needs Assessments shows that there are 200 households paying more than 50% of the income in rent in the Village. The Board of Trustees adopted the Model Fair & Affordable Housing ordinance in 2018. Already, our Village has projects in the pipeline that will double our Village’s supply of affordable housing. This is an important down payment on closing the affordable housing deficit. 

As members of the Board, we will continue to work to keep our Village affordable for working and middle class families. Our slate is a team with a broad array of experiences and backgrounds. We will bring all of this to the table in the service of our community. 

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