Eastchester REVIEW THE
April 21, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 16 | www.eastchesterreview.com
Town Republicans to seek new council terms By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer
A FITTING
tribute
On April 13, the Eastchester baseball team honored the memory of late coach Dom Cecere, who died on April 1, prior to a game against Sleepy Hollow. The Eagles picked up an emotional 6-5 victory on a walk-off hit. For story, see page 15. Photo/Mike Smith
Westchester in driver’s seat on Uber, Lyft policy By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer While mobile ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft could legally expand their coverage areas across New York state by early summer, it will ultimately fall on Westchester County lawmakers to accept the state’s regulations, or to push for even tighter restrictions. Included in the state budget adopted earlier this month was a law allowing ride-hailing services like Lyft and Uber—which allow customers to order and pay for a ride with a few taps on a smartphone— to operate across New York state, expanding beyond New York City, where those companies have been operating through the city’s taxi and limousine laws since 2011. The state law would require a list of insurance coverage during different stages of the service, and would require drivers to undergo state background checks. Drivers are required to have at least $1.25
million personal liability coverage, and the same amount in supplemental uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. The state law also puts a 4 percent tax on ride revenue. But the ride-hailing legislation also allows the state’s counties and its largest cities to decide for themselves whether to accept the state’s provisions, to block the services altogether, or to further expand on the requirements made by the state. Any municipality with a population of 100,000 or more—in Westchester, that list includes only Yonkers and the county at large—has the option to accept or reject the state’s provision. According to county Legislator Ken Jenkins, a Yonkers Democrat who plans to run for county executive, county lawmakers are not certain whether Westchester will remain in or opt out of the program. He said the decision will be based on if the county can adjust the law to fit Westchester’s individual
needs for fairness and safety. “The taxi and limousine folks would be at a competitive disadvantage,” Jenkins said, explaining that taxi and limo drivers pay state and county sales tax totaling more than 7 percent, higher than the 4 percent ride-hailing tax included in the new state law. Taxi groups like the Upstate Transportation Association have pushed to add fingerprinting to the list of requirements for Uber and Lyft drivers in fairness to taxi and limo drivers, who are fingerprinted as a requirement of taxi and limousine commissions across the state, including Westchester County. But that provision was not included in the final draft of the law. Dan Branda, a spokesman for Republican County Executive Rob Astorino, said the administration was reviewing the legislation while the state DMV works to release its official ride-hailing regulations. UBER continued on page 8
Town Supervisor Anthony Colavita, Councilwoman Theresa Nicholson and Councilman Luigi Marcoccia, all Republicans, each plan to run for re-election, the Review has learned. Colavita has been on the Eastchester Town Council for nearly two decades, and has been the supervisor since 2004; he is currently serving in his seventh-consecutive, two-year term as supervisor. Colavita, 54, has only been contested once as supervisor, when he defeated Democrat Michael Denning, a former Eastchester police officer, in 2013. This year, the incumbent supervisor is running alongside two Republicans whom he has previously appointed to replace council members who stepped down to pursue higher offices. Marcoccia, formerly a three-term Tuckahoe village trustee, was appointed to fill the Town Council seat vacated by Sheila Marcotte—after she was elected as a Westchester County legislator—in 2010, and was elected to the seat later that year. He was elected to his first full four-year term in 2013, and will be seeking a second full term this November. “I’m a lifelong resident of the village of Tuckahoe,” Marcoccia, 45, told the Reivew. “[Serving on the Town Council] is something that I never expected to do, but it’s something I really enjoy doing. I have a lot more to offer.” He said that he hopes to continue improving Eastchester’s parks and the town-owned Lake Isle Country Club, and added that in his time on the council, the Eastchester officials have started holding council meetings in Bronxville and Tuckahoe to keep open communication with village residents. Colavita and Marcoccia will be joined by Nicholson, who could not be reached for comment as of press time. Nicholson, 54, was ap-
INSIDE The Westchester upgrades its dining Story on page 11.
pointed to the Town Council in November 2014, filling the unexpired term of former Councilman Fred Salanitro, a Republican who was appointed town justice. She was officially elected to the seat in 2015 to fulfill the remainder of Salanitro’s term. This would be her first try for a full four-year term. Neither Marcoccia nor Nicholson has previously been contested in a race for council, and the Eastchester Democratic Committee has not announced whether it plans to run a slate of candidates in the November election as of press time. John Filiberti, chairman of the Eastchester Democratic Committee, said the committee would make its announcement at a future time. Eastchester town elections rarely draw large voter turnouts; but elections this March in each of the town’s villages—Bronxville and Tuckahoe—saw the highest voter numbers in at least a decade. Bronxville’s Democratic Committee ran its first candidate since 2006, and Tuckahoe saw both a Democratic and independent slate try to take control of the village board. However, in both of those elections, the Republican incumbents secured their seats. The town supervisor receives an annual salary of $98,093, and each of the council members receives $15,831 per year. Election Day is Nov. 7. Colavita could not be reached for comment as of press time. CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com