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Your Vote November 7th is Essential

We are concerned that voter turnout could be low because there are no national candidates on the ballot.  Local government matters –it drives crucial legislation that affects our daily lives here. And government works best when there are checks on the party in power. Consensus is built by having more than one party represented on the Town Board. 

A Winning Track Record

I am proud that I have worked so well with our government in the past three years and have accomplished a great deal. My priorities remain largely the same: 

ü  Planning and community engagement

ü  Diversity of leadership

ü  Fiscal responsibility

ü  Transparency

ü  Preserving and protecting open space and the environment.

As for my accomplishments:

Climate and Energy Efficiency:  I am proud of what I have accomplished as chair of the Climate Smart Community leadership team.  Due to the efforts of my team, the Town earned bronze certification, joining the ranks of Bedford and other towns on the cutting edge in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a cleaner, more energy efficient economy.  We conducted a greenhouse gas inventory, passed a Climate Action Plan, adopted NY Stretch (an energy-saving enhancement to our Building Code) and made some energy saving improvements to Town buildings.  We also conducted a series of educational campaigns to help residents improve the efficiency of their homes and businesses.  We continue to work closely with NYSEG and other groups to improve the electric grid and make it more resilient to flooding, excessive heat, extreme weather and other challenges associated with climate change.  We continue to promote composting, waste reduction and recycling and support efforts to preserve North Salem’s wetlands, woodlands and open space.  In three short years, we have accomplished a lot, but there is more to do.  I am fully committed to getting even more done.

Capital Planning:  Although North Salem’s Comprehensive Plan has called for a capital plan since 2011, until I joined the Board in 2020, there was no capital planning committee and no formal effort being made to plan for capital improvements, such as replacing aging pipes and equipment in the water and sewer districts, improving Town buildings and expanding our capacity for recreation and other services.  For example, it has been decades since Town Hall was last renovated.  Delancey Hall is a beautiful historic building, but it is run down and there was no plan to fix it.  Generally, we have been deferring maintenance on Delancey, Lobdell and other Town buildings, forcing the Board to scramble when critical systems fail.  Good capital planning ensures that the Town will have money in place and be prepared to deal with potentially large expenditures before they happen to avoid large fluctuations in budgeting.  It also gives residents a clearer idea about what is important and when to expect things to happen.  I am working with a great team of volunteers to develop a capital plan for North Salem.  I am fully committed to getting this done too.

Good Governance:  Upon joining the Town Board three years ago, I realized how inefficiently things were operating.  Information was stranded in silos on individual computers and inaccessible when employees were out of the office.  Much of the financial work was being done manually.  The process was not transparent to the Board and prone to error. This needed to change.  With the help of the Director of Finance and others, I convinced the Board to invest in municipal software that will eliminate many of the inefficiencies and make it easier for the Board to carry out its fiduciary duties. 

I appreciate the opportunity to serve on the Town Board and I hope you will continue to support me in that role.  Please make sure to vote on November 7th or take advantage of early voting, which starts on October 25 and runs through November 5.  Absentee ballots can be obtained through the absentee request portal.  Remember, be strategic.  Target what matters most and cast your vote for me.  Encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.

You can support my campaign again this year by sending a donation using the following link:  DONATE.  You can also mail a check to The Committee to Elect Katherine Daniels at 768 Peach Lake Road, North Salem, NY 10560.

Sincerely,

Katherine

I was one of the leaders of the Town Task Force that reviewed the procedures and policies of the Town Police Department and made recommendations to promote transparency, community engagement, and the betterment of the Department.

I drafted a policy and procedure for the use of our Town properties for public events. Perhaps you visited the pocket park in Croton Falls last June for the arts festival that was held there in 2021. (Hopefully, you enjoyed the music that my jazz duo played at that event!) We needed a policy that encourages and regulates such events, and I took on that job.

I enjoy my service on the Town Board. We conduct the Town’s business in a civil, non-partisan and effective manner. The most important task that we are confronting is protection of North Salem’s rural character and open spaces, while keeping our taxes down and our property values up. I will continue to be a strong advocate who will protect North Salem from over development.

I feel a genuine commitment to the welfare of the North Salem Community, and have involved myself in many civic groups. I am an active member of the Croton Falls Fire Dept. (Interior Firefighter and EMT); of the North Salem Historical Society (as an officer, past Trustee and former President); of the North Salem Lion’s Club; and was an Assistant Scoutmaster with North Salem Boy Scout Troop 1.

It is of paramount importance that the Town Board fulfill the wishes and goals of the entire community – its residents, property owners and business operators – in everything we do.  I draw on my knowledge of the Town’s affairs from my Town Board service and from my participation in local civic groups to accomplish these goals.  But I need your help.  Please contact me at 914-276-0212 (my home phone) or at maronchick@northsalemny.org<mailto:maronchick@northsalemny.org> (my Town email) or at mnrj@optonline.net<mailto:mnrj@optonline.net> (my home email) to share your ideas about what the Town should be doing or if otherwise you wish to speak to me about any aspect of Town business.

The Town needs your help as a volunteer as well. The diverse array of Town committees provides a means of getting involved in the Town’s affairs in a manner that appeals to your specific interests. Please contact me if you wish to explore being a Town volunteer.

It is a privilege to serve as a Town Councilman, and I thank the voters of North Salem for giving me the opportunity to do so! 

Martin C. Aronchick