8 of 9 Council Candidates Began Skirmishing for 3 Council Seats in White Plains Last Night.Left to right: Benjamin Boykin, Cass Cibelli, Milagros Lecuona, Robert Levine, Anthony Pilla, Dennis Power, Robert Stackpole and August Zicca, Jr. Candyce Corcoran the ninth candidate was out of town on a business engagement previously scheduled.
WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2007. By John F. Bailey. October 9, 2007: The Council of Neighborhood Associations staged the first Candidate’s Forum of the 2007 campaign, and what emerged was sharp criticism of incumbent Benjamin Boykin from his running mates and the present councilpersons not running, ( Thomas Roach, Glen Hockley, Rita Malmud) as well as the city management of Mayor Joseph Delfino (“incompetent” management according to Mr. Stackpole) from Independent Party candidates Robert Levine and Robert Stackpole. Republican Candidates Cass Cibelli, Anthony Pilla and August Zicca, Jr promised to listen to the citizens and encouraging citizens to involve themselves more in government. The Republicans called for more police and firemen, and more attention paid to overcrowding conditions (illegal housing) in the city.
Democrats Dennis Power and Milagros Lecuona were unique in that several of their comments distanced their personal positions from that of Benjamin Boykin, their Democrat running mate, with Mr. Power citing his opposition to the Railside land sale, (which Boykin voted for), and professing a need to end giveaways on development, calling for no more PILOTS (while Mr. Boykin supported PILOTS), and Power expressing interest in a downtown park (which Boykin had voted against on the Avalon Bay project). Lecuona said she felt too much had been given to developers by the present administration (though the council, one of them, Mr. Boykin had voted for all the development taken place), Lecuona added she felt affordable housing agreements had to be strictly enforced with developers.
The harshest criticisms came from Mr. Stackpole and Mr. Levine. Stackpole said the city has been incompetently managed and said the city was at a crossroads, that unless the present council is turned out, the city would see more of the same increases in taxes and giveaways to developers. Levine said he has designed and managed multi-million dollar projects, knows what needs to be done in managing development, and can do the job. Levine called for 5 year financial plans for a start. Stackpole said for starters, the city should no longer give out PILOTS to developers since the city, Stackpole said is no longer in a depressed state. Stackpole when asked from the floor how he’d cut taxes suggested , demanded more information on PILOTS be made available when they were being considered, he also nsaid the Adam Bradley separate Commercial Tax Rate Proposal was a step in the right direction.
On the question of the City IDA proposal, Councilman Power said a county independent audit showed that the Westchester County IDA had only generated $3 Million in fees to the County IDA in two years, indicating it was nowhere near “the millions” the Mayor claims the city would get if it had its own IDA. Mr. Zicca sarcastically noted how Mr. Power was citing county information, a thinly veiled reference to the charge that Mr. Power, employed by Westchester County, was defending the county.
Cibelli played on the theme that the city government had to listen to the people more than they have and that “the White Plains resident” was number one with him. He criticized his opponent, Mr. Boykin, for voting for the Railside project as an example of not listening to the people. Mr. Power, oddly, echoed Mr. Cibelli on this issue, making a point of saying he, Mr. Power, voted against selling the Railside land, too, offering Mr. Boykin no solace there. Power also said encroachment of development on theouter neighborhoods and overcrowding were issues with him, though Mr. Power voted for the 10 Bank Street land sale for LCOR’s affordable housing project and extensive PILOT going out 15 years.
Mr. Cibelli made it a point to say that Westchester County and the city had to grow indicating he was not totally against development.
Mr. Zicca and Mr. Pilla both from the Battle Hill neighborhood said they felt overcrowding was a key issue in White Plains, mainly from illegal housing, which both said had to be dealt with more firmly by the city. Pilla in the “Lightning round” questions from the floor period, came up with a unique suggestion of returiong homes that are zoned multi-family back to single family occupancy if they are found in repeated violation of occupancy regulations. Zicca called for more police and fire personnel and suggested developers purchase a new Super Pumper for the City. Both Zicca and Pilla called for more community involvement with the city. Pilla called for citizens meetings at city hall to register feelings on issues. Mr. Boykin told the throng of some 70 persons he was for more technology upgrading at city hall, televising work sessions and council meetings, and wanted more done with the city website. Power also echoed that sentiment.
Boykin, who perhaps felt that Lecuona and Power were his opponents instead of his running mates, said he was going to have reports from the Commissioner of Building and the Safe-Housing Task Force, on their future illegal housing enforcement efforts, while pointing out that he and the rest of the council (not running) had voted for an extra code enforcement officer.
The issue of cutting the city budget was not addressed in any of the questions asked the candidates, nor were city infrastructure expenditures addressed.
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The Council of Neighborhood Associations Candidates Forum last night at the High School.
