April 14, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 15 | www.harrisonreview.com
Eastchester REVIEW THE
April 14, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 15 | www.eastchesterreview.com
New Rochelle resident, attorney to challenge Marcotte By SIBYLLA CHIPAZIWA Assistant Editor Westchester County Legislator Sheila Marcotte will face another challenge from the city of New Rochelle in the form of 23-year resident Damon Maher, the Review has learned. Saying the timing was right, Maher, in announcing his candidacy, has immediately gone on the offensive in attacking his District 10 opponent. “I think it’s a good year to challenge the alt-right agenda,” said Maher, a registered Democrat, adding that he wants to run a progressive, Democratic campaign against Marcotte. “I think people are energized in view of what happened in the national election.”
Maher is a managing partner with Levy Davis & Maher, a Manhattan-based law firm that focuses on employment disputes. He feels that Republicans like Marcotte and Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino are aligned with the alt-right, a type of governing philosophy defined by the Associated Press as a blend of racism, white nationalism, white supremacy and populism that rejects the American democratic ideal that all people are equal. “To have [President Donald] Trump allies and enablers governing us in this county, in the district, in the office of county executive is just unacceptable to me and people I know,” Maher said. Maher, 61, described the alt-
right agenda as in favor of guns and against immigrants and fair housing. Maher’s platform is simple: no more gun shows at the Westchester County Center; embracing affordable housing; protecting the county’s immigrant population; and stopping “phony county budgets that make it appear like taxes are frozen, when you’re just kicking current and recurring expenses down the road for somebody else… or the electorate to pay later,” he said, referencing Astorino’s claims of holding the tax cap stagnant for the past seven years. Maher has served on the board of trustees of the New Rochelle Public Library since 2014, after being elected to fill one of two vacancies. He also sits on the
EFD wins transparency case against volunteers
in a variety of ways, including through the collection of so-called foreign fire insurA New York state Supreme ance premiums, also known as Court judge recently ruled that 2 percent monies. A settlement the volunteer arm of the East- between the VFBA and the prochester Fire District is subject to fessional firefighters union in the the Freedom of Information Law early 1990s gave that union the requiring it to release dozens of right to 45 percent of the 2 perNew Rochelle Bar 14, Association cent monies; the VFBA, in turn, previously withheld documents. April 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 15 | www.mamaroneckreview.com board of directors, which comThrough those documents, keeps the remaining 55 percent. prises nearly 400 attorneys, law fire district officials could now A benevolent association finanstudents and legal professionals. gain insight into the meeting cial statement shows that the 2 Maher graduated from Yale practices, finances, tax docu- percent monies in 2015 amountUniversity with a bachelor’s ments, expenses and member- ed to almost $170,000 in total. in Russian and Eastern Eu- ship of the Eastchester Volunteer The VFBA gave about $76,000 ropean studies in 1977, and Officers Association, VOA, and of that income to the union. went to law school at Fordham the Volunteer Firemen’s BenevThat statement also shows olent Association, VFBA, of the that the benevolent association MARCOTTE continued on page 9 town of Eastchester. had spent $135,669 that year, In March 2016, after being and had an account balance of denied access to documents nearly $2 million. The FOIL remaintained by the VOA and the quests which were disputed in VFBA, the district filed a lawsuit the lawsuit are seeking a more asking a court to decide wheth- detailed explanation of the VFer those documents should be BA’s account balances and ex| Vol. 4, Number 11 penditures, | www.cityreviewnr.com April 14, deemed 2017 public. as the volunteers The district argued—and the have refused to explain how they court agreed—that the VOA is have accrued a $2 million sursubject to Freedom of Informa- plus. According to the district, tion Law, FOIL, because it per- the VFBA has not released its forms a governmental function 2016 financial statement, which on behalf of a government agen- was due by the end of February, cy, the fire district. The judge, as of press time. Fire Commissioner Steven Helen Blackwood, further ruled that the VFBA—although a pri- Baker said the district’s FOIL vate, nonprofit organization—is requests are an act of due diligence. “We’re asking for finanalso an agent of the district. Steven Blau, an attorney rep- cial records to make sure that resenting the volunteers, told the there’s no misappropriation of Review he will be filing a notice funds,” he told the Review. The fire district is also seekof appeal. “The benevolent [association], especially, doesn’t fit ing a roster of volunteers and the within that category,” Blau said. transcripts of meetings they’ve “The benevolent is totally in- held. The district has said it has dependent. [The fire board has] not seen an updated roster in no say over what the benevolent years. Winter said it’s important for does.” The VFBA raises money to fund the volunteer firefighters VOLUNTEERS continued on page 8
By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer
Mamaroneck REVIEW THE
Dozens of first responders gathered in the parking lot of William B. Ward Elementary School in New Rochelle on April 3 as part of an awareness campaign for autism. Chris Greco, a police detective, organized the movement, which has spread across 90 different departments and as far away as Texas. For story, see page 10. Photo/Jen Parente
INSIDE Bronxville school budget stays under cap Story on page 7.