Eastchester REVIEW THE
February 9, 2024 | Vol. 12, Number 6 | www.eastchesterreview.com
Mamaroneck Village’s new mayor: Sharon Torres By Seamus Higgins
DIVISIONAL SHOWDOWN! Joe Roche celebrates a win at the Section 1 qualifier tournament at Suffern High School on Saturday. Roche won the 215-pound bracket to qualify for this weekend’s Section 1 Championship event. For story, see page 16. Photo/Mike Smith
County passes affordable housing land acquisition acts Joined by members of the Westchester County Board of Legislators, Westchester County Executive George Latimer signed Land Acquisition Acts that allocate $2,700,000 for the purchase of land in Yonkers, and $3,000,000 for the purchase of land in the village of Ossining for the construction of affordable housing. Both properties will be marketed and leased to residents ages 62 years and older. The Yonkers property will offer 94 affordable housing units for seniors earning at or below 30% of the area median income, and the Ossining property will provide 74 units for seniors earning at or below 40% of the area median income. The Land Acquisition Acts are the first pieces of legislation Latimer will sign in 2024, proving that furthering fair housing throughout Westchester remains a primary focus. Latimer said: “Our responsibility as a County government is to make sure that the opportunity for affordable housing is always there. Having access to decent
housing is a basic, human right, and homes need to remain at a price point that all people can afford. This legislation is about filling a critical need that people have across our County, and when we allocate significant funding towards the construction of affordable units, we are helping to improve the quality of life for many of our residents and families.” County NHLA funding is being used to fund a portion of the acquisition costs related to three privately owned parcels in Yonkers. County funds will be utilized to fund a portion of the acquisition costs in Ossining, excluding the value of the non-residential commercial space. The project also received $995,000 in sales tax benefits from the Westchester County IDA. Since Latimer first took office in 2018, the availability of affordable housing has remained a top priority. Six years into Latimer’s administration, more than 5,599 units of affordable housing have been built, gone under construction, or are in the pipeline for the future.
Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Planning Blanca Lopez said: “As 2020 Census data shows that seniors represent the fastest growing cohort in Westchester County, the Department of Planning fully supports the County Executive’s continued commitment to invest in the development of senior housing throughout the County.” Board Chair Vedat Gashi said: “Words are powerful when actions follow. It’s appropriate that these are the first items we take up in our first legislative session. These actions today reflect the concrete steps that the BOL is taking to provide more affordable housing in Westchester. Residents in Westchester – particularly seniors– suffer from a lack of affordable housing. This is a step to bring relief to our seniors. I want to thank our partners on the state level, municipalities, my fellow Legislators and County Executive George Latimer. We will do whatever we can to help seniors and all residents of Westchester County.”
The village of Mamaroneck has a new mayor. In November, Sharon Torres — running as an independent — won the seat, beating incumbent Tom Murphy, who had served as mayor for the past three terms. Campaigning from August through Election Day, Nov. 7, Torres made history as the fourth woman and first of Hispanic descent to serve as mayor of Mamaroneck. Torres has an interesting history and unusual road to becoming mayor of Mamaroneck. She graduated with a Bachelors of Science from Farmingdale State College and received her MBA from Pace University, Lubin School of Business. Torres’ background before entering the political sphere was in human resources, also including 10 years of experience in accounting. Torres decided to run for mayor because as she was volunteering she noticed a divisiveness in the village. People were saying that they missed the moniker of Mamaroneck as the “friendly village” and things were starting to get negative. She felt she could change the way people view the Board of Trustees, the village’s governing legislative body. “We can be more inviting, I think we can make policy by listening to people and bringing them into the conversation,” she said. “I don’t wanna legislate for people, I wanna legislate with them.” She mentioned in her work in HR and social work they had a phrase which she called “Never about you without you.” Why she ultimately decided to run for political office was the goal
of having a community based feeling within the Board of Trustees. The balance to work her fulltime job and campaign was tricky at first, but she said her campaign was completely volunteered, they were passionate and helped out where she couldn’t be. Torres credited her volunteers with helping spearhead her campaign. Spending time on social media provided another way to campaign. Not only was she able to post when and where she was campaigning, but to hear Mamaroneck residents’ feedback and what they want for the village was also illuminating. Torres mentioned that social media allows all residents from different parts of Mamaroneck to speak out, lend their voice and be heard. “I tried my very best to use it [social media} to meet and greet people,” she said. Part of being mayor for Torres is about being a public servant. She felt while there can be a negative connotation with it, she leans on the public servant side. “Tax dollars that run this village come from those residents, they have a voice. We should have a space where we are listening and feel respected,” Torres said. Torres’ focus is projects regarding housing, pedestrian safety and flooding. The mayor mentioned how whatever decision is made she asks, “Does this make the situation … better?” On being the first person of color and fourth woman to be installed as mayor in Mamaroneck, Torres said, “Representation matters. I hope being the fourth female, first Hispanic — where we have a 24% Hispanic population — that more women want to step up and do these things. Because I think we need that.”