A Message from Nyack’s Mayor Jen White

(L to R) Orangetown Supervisor Andy Stewart, Orangetown Police Chief Kevin Nulty, Fire Inspector Vincent Fiorentino, NYS Senator David Carlucci, Nyack Mayor Jen White speak to about 150 Nyack residents from the steps of Village Hall on Oct 31 about the response to Hurricane Sandy.

Dear Fellow Nyack Citizens,

It is that time again… Election 2013, and I am asking to be re-elected as your Mayor. Just a year ago, we faced the shocking and fearsome devastation of Sandy. Never have I loved Nyack more than when we all stood together near the steps of Village Hall to support one another, help one another, and share what we knew. In those moments, I felt deeply proud to be a part of a place so filled with compassion, generosity, and solidarity. That feeling holds true today, and it’s why I’m asking you to give me the honor of continuing to serve you as Mayor on Election Day, November 5, 2013.

In the past two years we have rebuilt from two epic storms and worked our way through a crushing recession. Despite those challenges, we have beautified our village and reduced the tax burden on our property owners.

Memorial Park is undergoing amazing changes. Crime is down and the stories in the local media are no longer about the noisy bars in Nyack, but about Art Walks and Farmers’ Markets. We have paved and painted our streets and downtown and kept tax increases below 2%.

At Village Hall we have balanced the budget and built an emergency reserve, eliminated overtime, and our village government is now more transparent than ever. It has been hard work but it’s gratifying how so many have pulled together to get through the worst with the goal of making our village the best.

Here are just a few highlights of what we have accomplished:

• We have newly-paved streets run from almost one end of the village to the other. The 50/50 Sidewalk program, that allows residents to share costs of sidewalk reconstruction with the village is getting underway.

• For the first time in decades, Nyack has a balanced budget. A full system of checks and balances providing full accountability has been instituted. With over half a million dollars in savings over the past two years, we have stayed below the 2% tax cap as required by law. Regular overtime has been reduced to zero, and The Village Board has consistently declined pay raises. The only increases in staff pay have been those required by contracts.

• Memorial Park is well on its way to completion. Through grants, private donations and appropriate spending, a brand new Children’s Playground, a new Skate Board Plaza, and a refurbished fishing pier will be completed in the next six months. The Memorial Park Gazebo will be moved to a location in the park that will allow for additional playing fields. New recreational activities have been added, including a Three-on-Three basketball tournament and an annual Earth Day event. Additional sports activities are now being planned to fill a desperate need in our community.

• The Nyack Marina, devastated by three storms in three years, should once again be ready for occupancy by boaters in the spring. Although Superstorm Sandy destroyed our docks, they were replaced as quickly as builders could accommodate and our waterfront was active again by the end of last summer.

• Extensive effort has been made to reduce flooding caused by Nyack Brook by encouraging building owners to better maintain their properties that border or cover the creek. As a result of building-owner participation, we are already seeing a substantial reduction in flooding in one area of the village.

• Nyack leads Rockland County in the area of environmental responsibility. The village is looking at methods to reduce runoff and are implementing many innovative and forward-thinking programs to combat storm damage. We are taking a comprehensive look at code changes that will improve the community by incentivizing green infrastructure choices.

• We have streamlined our Building Department process, and are continuing to work on ways to make it easier to positively change your home or business. We have seen several great projects begin the development or construction process in the village, and we have also had the first affordable housing built here in decades.

• Village Hall is working with residents to create neighborhood watch groups. Additionally, we have begun to tackle the issue of abandoned houses in an innovative way. We continue to work with the Nyack School District on how to keep our kids safe, drug-free, and away from crime. We are also working with residents village-wide who have problems with housing or quality of life issues.

• We continue to work on keeping the impact of the Tappan Zee Bridge construction low and keeping the chance of future of transit in connection to the bridge high.

• Nyack has submitted more grant applications in the last six months than prior administrations have completed in the past ten years.

• We have seen a decrease in bar-related crimes. We continue to work with merchants on important matters including business development, parking strategies, advertising, and the stories in the newspaper are no longer about unruly bar patrons but about the addition of new programs like First Friday, Walk to the Beat and the continuation of successful cultural initiatives like Art Walk. Our innovative 11-to-6 parking program has helped keep our streets clean while reducing crime, with the added benefit of financial success.

• Benjamin Moore selected Nyack’s downtown to “Paint What Matters” this fall, a free facade makeover for a portion of our business district. The village was the film location for several film and television shoots, adding $26,000 to our coffers in permitting fees. Our streets are more beautiful than they have been in years and our downtown is busy despite the recession. And when we sadly lose a business, another comes in right behind it.

What do I see in our future? Continued low property taxes, a greater diversity of businesses, and an easier time for those that already exist to thrive. I see substantially improved public transportation that will allow us to get to and from work faster, and bring in visitors on weekends to see what we are all about. I see new, responsible green development, more residents living in our downtown, a greener healthier community with even more attractive streets. I see a Memorial Park and a fully functioning marina of which we can be proud. I see new sidewalks and fresh pavement expanding even further. I see even more recreation and education projects for our kids, our seniors and everyone in between.

I see the same kind of support and pride in community that we all shared during those dark days of Sandy, growing and thriving as we all acknowledge that we live in the greatest village anyone could live in.

We are finally in good shape, but it can still be better… and I would love to spend another two years working for Nyack – and for all of us.

If you have questions or concerns, please call me at (914) 282-3068 or email me at jenwhiteformayor@gmail.com