www.myharrisonreport.com
Vol. 13/Number 21
Avalon To w n C h o o - C h o o - C h o o s e s
The Metro-North Railroad station downtown may get a whole new look, with AvalonBay Communities, Inc. expected to present design proposals for the long-awaited Transit Oriented Development project. For story, see page 6. File photo
District voters approve $108M school budget By DANIEL OFFNER STAFF REPORTER dan@hometwn.com
Voters in the Harrison Central School District passed its $108 million budget with 71 percent of all votes cast on May 21. As a result, tax bills will increase by 3.7 percent next year. The 2013-2014 budget comes with no reduction to class size and no program cuts, but necessitates
minimal layoffs to come in under the state-mandated 2 percent tax levy cap. According to unofficial tallies, 1,385 residents voted “yes” and 553 voted against the budget. “We have consistently tried to meet our dual commitment of providing a comprehensive education while being responsible to our taxpayers,” Schools Superintendent Louis Wool said on Wednesday regarding the results. “The Board of
Education would like to thank our residents, and express our profound appreciation for the support of our students that came from every corner and neighborhood of the community.” The spending plan marks the second time in history that the budget passed in the polls of each of the four voting districts in Harrison. BUDGET continued on page 10
May 24, 2013
Democrats: LaDore for Town Council By DANIEL OFFNER STAFF REPORTER dan@hometwn.com
Democratic district leaders gathered last week and endorsed Michael LaDore on his run for Town Council. According to the Harrison Democratic committee, LaDore is the first of a full slate to run for local office in the 2013 election providing Democrats an opportunity to retake control of the Town Council for the first time since 2007 during the administration of former Mayor Joan Walsh. “Over the last 20 years, I’ve been a proven fighter for all the people of Harrison,” LaDore said this week. After the Democratic caucus on May 13, Elizabeth “Jimmi” Pritchard, the committee chairwoman, said LaDore won the overwhelming support of the party as the front-running candidate for Town Council. “He is always respectful…and is a really good candidate,” Pritchard said. “He knows a lot of people, and knows a lot of issues [downtown].” Although LaDore has yet to hold public office, he made a bid for the mayoralty in 1995 on the Independence Party line and, more recently, sought the GOP nomination in 2011 but dropped out before a primary was held. He was also endorsed by the local Republican committee twice in the past for a Westchester County Board of Legislators seat. After switching party registration to Democrat in 2011, LaDore returned to the realm of local politics with the hope of unseating one of two long-standing politicians hold-
Michael LaDore
ing together a five-member GOP monopoly on the Town Council. LaDore said he hopes to run a good, spirited campaign that encompasses key local issues, including the need to implement a comprehensive master plan, eliminating pensions and benefits for part-time officials, addressing transparency concerns and working towards changing the former site of Project Home Run into a low-lying nature preserve. Since LaDore is the only one to receive the Democratic nomination as of press time, he will square-off against two incumbent members of the council, Republicans Joe Cannella and Marlene Amelio, whose terms are set to expire. Councilman Cannella, an 11-year incumbent, said he also plans to seek re-election in the fall. For Cannella, his biggest concern is maintaining quality municipal services while staying within the limits of the state imposed two percent tax levy cap. LADORE continued on page 13