I had hoped to submit only my positive endorsement of Marjorie Hsu for Sleepy Hollow mayor and of Cory Krall, Jairo Triguero, and Jared Rodriguez for trustees, but I must also comment on a critical disagreement between the two slates — whether the Village should take on substantial new debt to pay for the full buildout of the new DPW and other amenities planned for the East Parcel.
I follow important policy discussions and testify at Board meetings on issues I care about, including the financial health of the village. So I’ve tracked the budget discussions carefully, listening to the Treasurer present her financial reports, often with the Auditor sitting beside her. I was shocked by Trustee Husslebee’s repeated lengthy attacks on the accuracy of her spending and revenue numbers during the April 22 board work session earlier this year. He also ignored her attempts to explain how she came to the conclusion that the General Fund balance is dangerously low, and payments from Edge-on-Hudson may well be delayed, as sales of condos and townhomes have slowed down.
Now the USH slate, with Husslebee running for Mayor, is doubling down on their call for substantial new bonding, but offer no data on their website to back up their alternative budget analysis. Unwilling to entertain the option of moving forward more slowly in this time of uncertainty, they refuse to acknowledge that the timing of large payments and revenues from Edge-on-Hudson is not set in stone, and that there is a real likelihood of reduced grant funding opportunities as the Federal government carries out its threat of reducing or eliminating funding for New York projects.
I urge voters to study the current numbers presented by the Treasurer at recent work sessions of the Board of Trustees — and decide for yourself if it’s wise for the village to take on new debt right now to complete the buildout of the DPW, as USH proposes. Make no mistake: the Edge-on-Hudson tax base and the milestone bonuses the developer will pay the Village at various stages of completion will soon give the Village a modest boost out of the dangerous financial hole we’re in at the moment. But the timing is entirely in the developer’s hands, and the money from Edge, while helpful, will not by itself make us whole. Would you prefer our financial projections be based on hope or reality?
I urge you to vote on November 4th for Sleepy Hollow Democrats Hsu, Krall, Triguero, and Rodriguez to lead Sleepy Hollow responsibly and safely into a stable, prosperous future for all our Sleepy Hollow residents and business owners.
Anne White
Sleepy Hollow
