Tuesday, November 8 is Election Day in New York. Voters in Rye Brook will casts their vote for a number of races for the Town of Rye and a County Legislator seat.
Races for County Legislator, District 6, as well as Rye Town Supervisor, Town Council, Superintendent of Highways and Receiver of Taxes have several candidates vying for a spot in November's general election; Rye Town Justice is an uncontested race.
Whether you're still deciding for whom to vote or are puzzled about the new voting machines, Patch's guide should supply you with all the information you need before you enter the voting booth. Including links to debate forum, candidate videos and websites.
Information about the candidates was submitted to the League of Women Voters Rye, Rye Brook and Port Chester.
Candidate Forum:
League of Women Voters of Rye, Rye Brook and Port Chester
Larchmont Mamaroneck Community Television
Rye Brook Public Access Television
*A Guide to the Races
Rye Town Supervisor: Term of 4 years
Joseph Carvin (Republican, Conservative, Independence)
Rye, Rye Brook
Education: BA International Relations, Tulane University; MBA, New York University; MPA, Harvard University
Asset Manager, Altima Partners in Agricultural Space
Prior Civic Service: Amigo de las Americas-Guatemala & Ecuador; Rotary Fellow, Economic Development in Dakar, Senegal; Co-Founder, Building Community Bridges; Founder, One World United and Virtuous
Statement: We led a dramatic turnaround in Rye Town, restoring financial integrity, reducing taxes by 50 percent while improving services. Our goals are continued best practice government in a Model American Community.
Website: www.ryetowncampaign.com
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Rico Dos Anjos (Democrat)
Rye, Port Chester
Education: MBA, Long Island University
Finance Manager; Mercy College Finance Professor; Entrepreneur; Martial Arts Instructor
Statement: Retired IBM Finance Manager; Entrepreneur Education MBA, College Professor, Don Bosco Community Center; Board Director, United Hospital; Board Trustee, Voting Rights Commission; Against airport expansion
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Rye Town Council: Vote for two, term of four years
Christina Collins (Republican, Conservative, Independence)
Rye , Port Chester
Education: BA, Iona College
Co-Owner & Operator, Counterspace Technologies, Inc.
Statement: As Councilwoman, I will commit to reduce the tax bill, explore local government. Restructuring and ensure modern, professional practices are in place for an effective and efficiently run county government.
Website: www.ryetowncampaign.com
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Bob Nioras (Republican, Conservative, Independence)
Rye, Port Chester
Education: Port Chester High School; BS Chemical Engineering, SUNY Buffalo/Cornell University; MBA Corporate Finance, Lubin School of Business, Pace University
Management Consultant
Prior Civic Service: Councilman
Statement: Continue to improve Town governance, implement a capital budgeting and development program to restore and maintain our physical assets, and continue progress in changing the tax dynamic in our community
Website: www.ryetowncampaign.com
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John Reavis (Democrat)
Rye, Port Chester
Education: BS, Fayetteville State University; MA, New York University
Retired SUNY Farmingdale Administrator, English/ESL Professor
Prior Civic Service: President, Board Member, Port Chester/Rye Town Council of Community Services, 1990-present; Vice President, Port Chester Midget Football, 1991-1995; President, Port Chester/Rye NAACP, 2009-present; Ex. Dr. P.C. Carver Center, 1990-1999
Statement: Concerned about expansion of airport; operation of town parks, operation of administration including costs, consolidation of services with immediate government entities
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Gary Sullivan (Democrat)
Rye, Port Chester
Education: BA, Bentley College
Vice President of Merchandising, Allster Products Group
Prior Civic Service: Port Chester Beautification Commission, 2008-present; Board Member, Port Chester Youth Baseball League, 2007-present.
Statement: I am against any and all Airport expansion in Westchester and will fight for the town of Rye residents in any efforts to expand flights or service out of Westchester.
Website: www.votegarysullivan.com
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Town Justice: Term of 4 years
Anthony M. Provenzano, (Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independence)
Rye, Rye Brook
Education: BBA Public Accounting, Pace University; JD, Pace Law School
Attorney
Prior Civic Service: Member, Port Chester School Board, Rye Brook Recreation Commission; Port Chester Special Prosecutor; Executive Committee, NYS Association of Towns
Statement: For the last 12 years, I have been fair and impartial. If reelected, I will continue to demonstrate these same traits in court
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Receiver of Taxes: Term of 4 years
Nicholas Mecca (Democrat)
Rye, Port Chester
Education: Business School & American College of Banking
Receiver of Taxes
Prior Civic Service: Records Clerk, Town of Rye; Self-employed concessioner
Statement: Twenty years experience in all facets and operation of the! Town. Responsible for the formation of a Records Management system. Streamlined tax collecting, augmenting on line and major credit tax payment.
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Janusz Richards (Republican. Conservative, Independence)
Rye, Port Chester
Education: Port Chester High School; AS, Westchester Community College; DC, Palmer College of Chiropractic
Doctor of Chiropractic
Prior Civic Service: Member, P.C. Youth Board; Zoning Board of Appeals & Planning Commission, Current Member; Town of Rye Board of Assessment Review; P.C./ Rye Brook Chamber of Commerce; 40/40 Club
Statement: Utilizing the latest technology and best practice financial controls and procedures will cut costs, streamline efficiency, and create a model tax office in a model Town
Website: www.Ryetowncampaign.com
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Superintendent of Highways: Term of 4 years
Thomas Nardi (Democrat)
Rye, Port Chester
Education: Port Chester High School
Owner, Nardi Plumbing, LLC
Prior Civic Service: Assistant Leader, Boy Scout Troop 4F
Statement: I am currently Superintendent of Highways. I have worked on one footbridge replacement and currently working on! Having two bridge walls repaired. I check the three cementings for any maintenance issues.
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District 6, County Legislator
Term, 4 years
Daniel Brakewood (Democrat, Working Families)
Port Chester
Education: BA, Bowdoin College; MA, PhD, Indiana University
Global Director of Market & Consumer Insights, Pitney Bowes
Prior Civic Service: Village of Port Chester: Trustee, 2006-Present; Police Commissioner, 2006- Present; Deputy Mayor, 2010; Zoning Board of Appeals, 1999-2000
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David Gelfarb (Republican, Conservative)
Rye Brook
Education: BS, University of Pennsylvania
Attorney, Moss & Kalish, PLLC
Prior Civic Service: Councilman, Town of Rye,
2008- present, Bellefair Homeowners Association, 2005-2007, Board Member & Treasurer, 2002-2005; NYC Civil Court Small Claims Arbitrator
Statement: Westchester cannot continue as the nation’s property tax leader. I will work to lower property taxes and provide efficient delivery of needed services. I will fight to airport expansion
Website: www.gelfarb2011.com
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Edward Borelli (Republican, Conservative)
Robert DiBella (Democrat, Republican)
Paul Marx (Democrat, Working Families, Independence)
*Where to Vote in Rye Brook
Rye Brook residents have several local polling places. You can visit the county's website and enter your address to find which of the polling places below is your designated voting place.
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840 King St; Rye Brook, NY 10573
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390 North Ridge St.; Rye Brook, NY 10573
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24 Bellefair Boulevard; Rye Brook, NY 10573
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Election Inspectors will be on hand to assist voters with the new machines. For further information, call the Westchester County Board of Elections at (914)-995-5700 or visit their website at www.westchestergov.com/boe.
*Using the New Voting Machines
New York is the last state in the country to implement new voting technology after a federal law was passed in 2002 that mandated changes in the voting process in the wake of the 2000 Gore vs. Bush election. , is an update from the lever machines that voters throughout county have used during previous election cycles.
Here is a quick step-by-step guide for how to use the new voting machines (provided in a previous story by our reporter, William Reynolds):
1. When a voter enters the polling place, they will be handed a scannable ballot. They will then be escorted to a privacy booth area where they will physically mark the ballot with a special marking pen.
2. The voter will then place the completed ballot into a privacy sleeve and take it to the scanning machine.
3. The voter will then take the ballot out of the privacy sleeve and feed it into the scanning machine.
4. If everything is filled correctly on the ballot, the scanning machine will read 'Ballot Successfully Cast.'
5. If, however, there is a problem, either with a 'blank ballot,' a ballot with an over vote—say for instance, the voter marked three choices for an office that calls for vote for any two candidates, or a misread—the ballot will be rejected. The ImageCast will notify voters with a series of beeps combined with a warning message on the screen if the ballot is not acceptable. The voter will have two more opportunities to successfully cast his or her ballot, for a total of three opportunities to cast their ballot.
***Voters who want a complete overview of how to use the ImageCast can visit the Westchester County Board of Elections website to download of PDF presentation of the new voting technology.
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New York State Board of Elections
40 Steuben Street
Albany, NY 12207-2108
Phone: 518-473-5086
Fax: 518-486-4546
Email: info@elections.state.ny.us
Web: http://www.elections.state.ny.us/
Editor's Note: The title of this story was changed for clarification from Patch Guide For Rye Brook Elections to Patch Guide for Rye Brook Voters. A sentence was added to the first paragraph to delineate what races are on the ballot for Rye Brook voters. It is intended to provide election information specifically for Rye Brook voters.
You left off a couple of polling places in Rye Brook: PORT CHESTER MIDDLE SCHOOL 113 BOWMAN AVE RYE BROOK, NY 10573 Port Chester High School 1 Tamarack Road Rye Brook, NY 10573
It would also be helpful if this guide was published on the front page of Port Chester Patch as well. Right now this story is being billed on Port Chester Patch as available on a "nearby" site. Port Chester is an integral part of Rye Town, and the bulk of Rye Town voters live in Port Chester.
This election day, instead of village positions, Rye Brook voters will choose candidates for Rye Town elections as well as a county legislator seat. The Town of Rye is served both by Rye Patch and Rye Brook Patch. Some posts are shared, others are not.
The Town of Rye is also served by Port Chester Patch. That's PORT CHESTER PATCH. As of this writing, not only is your "Rye Brook" story not even referenced on their front page, but they have yet to even mention the Rye Town election story, the LWV and News12 debates, the LWV guide, nothing. And, mind you, both Rye Town competing slates of candidates have Port Chester residents on them Frankly, I cannot understand this incredible Port Chester Patch oversight.
I can only assume that the Patch has decided to put the City of Rye and Rye Brook together because the volume of news and articles appears to be greater in Port Chester, so it is big enough to stand on its own. However, as far as interest and being more closely linked, in my opinion having Port Chester and Rye Brook together would make more sense.
One other note, George. Patch is a terrific local news network. Key stories from other parts of Westchester, and even Connecticut, wind up on our local Patch. The question is: why has Port Chester Patch Editor Nik Bonapartis studiously avoided covering Town elections for a Town that is headquartered in - yes, has its Town Hall in -- Port Chester? Sadly, this dialogue is now restricted to Rye Patch.
There is hope, however, as a Town of Rye Dissolution study, funded by New York State, Rye Town, Port Chester, and Rye Brook, with the active participation of the Village of Mamaroneck (of which Rye Neck is a part), is currently looking at all the options as to whether Rye Town should be dissolved, or whether there should be a plethora of shared services, or other answers. You find find the study (and bookmark it, please! at: http://www.cgr.org/ryetown/index.aspx The simplification and streamlining of local government is an ambition I hope we all share.
Thanks for the link on the study. My personal hope is that the study shows that we shouldn't be eliminating Rye Town and that it could be used as a mechanism to provide more shared services between the villages and save the taxpayers money.
My gripe is directed at the Journal News people who refer to "Rye" and then talk about Rye TOWN. Everybody who is "local" knows "Rye" means the area covered under Rye City. "Rye Town" is an exceedingly small govt entity, and is, truthfully, an anachronism.
As for "anachronism" - not yet. Rye Town is still responsible for assessing and taxing 11,000 properties, collecting tax monies for three school districts, two villages, the County, and a sewer district, running and maintaining two parks, courts, a Town Clerk's office, and has a Superintendent of Highways responsible for maintaining bridges in the Rye Neck section. All vital services, and all being analyzed by CGR under a NYS grant (with additional funding and cooperation from the Town, Rye Brook, Port Chester, and the Village of Mamaroneck) to see if it makes financial sense to dissolve the Town or keep the Town and promote more shared services. You can get more information at: http://www.cgr.org/ryetown/index.aspx I urge all citizens wishing to be informed on Town affairs and the Town election to visit the two web sites mentioned in this post.