RyeCity REVIEW THE
March 23, 2018 | Vol. 6, Number 12 | www.ryecityreview.com
Senate candidate Mayer booted from Indy line
In an effort to help curb mass shootings seen nationwide, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is backing a bill that would lengthen background checks for individuals purchasing firearms. The bill is currently working its way through the state Legislature. For story, see page 3.
Con Edison agrees to reimburse customers for losses After two winter storms knocked out power for thousands of Westchester residents, utility company Con Edison has agreed to reimburse some affected customers for spoiled food and medicine. On March 15, the utility company announced that it will reimburse customers who lost power for three or more consecutive days for spoiled food and medicine. According to the company, the limit to reimbursements varies from $225 to $515 if the reimbursement claim also contains receipts. Business owners are also eli-
gible for reimbursements totaling $10,200 with receipts. After two consecutive nor’easter storms pummeled Westchester County earlier this month, downing trees and power lines, and leaving some residents without power for a week or more, lawmakers across the local, county and state levels have begun to question the preparedness of Con Edison and New York State Energy and Gas, NYSEG, the two suppliers of energy in the county. At the storm outage peak, as many as 50,000 Westchester County residents were without power due to the confluence
of high winds and heavy snow brought by both storms. Including neighboring Rockland and Putnam counties, the total of residents without power soared to more than 100,000. While Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a Democrat, called for the resignation of the head of Con Edison and NYSEG, other state lawmakers including Sen. Terrence Murphy, a Yorktown Republican, has called for a hearing to evaluate the companies’ level of storm preparedness. Murphy, who also chairs the New York State Senate Commit-
tee on Investigations and Government Operations, said that next week a hearing with members of the public, lawmakers, and officials from Con Edison and NYSEG will convene to discuss the storm response. The meeting will take place on March 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the John F. Kennedy High School auditorium in Somers. Members of the public are invited to attend and can submit written testimony to John Winton at winton@nysenate.gov. Oral testimony is given by invitation only. -Reporting by James Pero
Assemblywoman and state Senate candidate Shelley Mayer, a Democrat, was removed from the Independence Line ballot this week after a ruling came down from a state judge. The decision, by Justice Henry Zwack, ruled that because the Independence Party broke its own procedures and nominated Mayer without a quorum present, and because the meeting wasn’t properly noticed, that Mayer will not appear on the line’s ballot for an April 24 special election. Mayer has not yet appealed the decision, as of press time. The Independence Party, headed by Dr. Giulio Cavallo, endorsed Mayer in February over Republican candidate for the state 37th Senate District seat, Julie Killian. According to Board of Elections numbers, there are about 8,000 registered Independence Party voters in that district. The party is also the third biggest party in Westchester County, where Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 2-1. The 37th District boasts about 27,000 more Democratic voters over Republicans. The party’s endorsement of Mayer marks a shift from a race in 2016 when Killian—a former Rye City councilwoman—secured the line in her unsuccessful bid to unseat then-state Sen.
George Latimer, a Rye Democrat, who, in turn, vacated his seat after winning a 2017 bid for Westchester County executive. Mayer and Killian are set to go head to head in a special election next month in what will be a pivotal seat in the New York state Senate where Republicans currently maintain a slim oneseat majority over Democrats. Republicans have been unsuccessful in their efforts to win the District 37 seat for some time, including several well-financed and highly organized runs against previous incumbent, Latimer. The district covers the cities of Yonkers, White Plains, New Rochelle and Rye, and the towns of Eastchester, Harrison, Mamaroneck, Rye, Bedford and North Castle. Senators are elected to two-year terms for a base salary of $79,500 per year. -Reporting by James Pero
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