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YORKTOWN, N.Y. -- The Yorktown Daily Voice accepts signed letters to the editor. Send letters to yorktown@dailyvoice.com.
To the editor:
This year's election for supervisor is about the future of Yorktown. On one hand, we have popular incumbent Michael Grace. He has two solid years of results moving Yorktown forward, with a bright future that mixes smart commercial development with preservation of residential life.
Supervisor Grace has lowered our tax levy this past year and wants to lower our taxes again for 2014, while keeping a more-than-adequate fund balance of cash reserves.
His opponent, councilman Nick Bianco, has been on the town board for 17 years.
The most notable vote I have seen Nick Bianco make was his opposition to the Yorktown Master Plan because, even though it had the support of the Green Party, Bianco thought it had too much development for his liking. Yorktown cannot afford a backward-looking Supervisor who thinks "development" is a dirty word.
At the Oct. 23 debate, Grace spoke about “New Urbanization” for Yorktown Heights. New Urbanization is a "smart growth" philosophy that features walkable neighborhoods with a mixture of business and residential construction to promote pedestrianism. The best example of New Urbanization is Celebration Florida, built by The Disney Company. Hardly something for Yorktown to be fearful about. But Bianco at the debate mocked "urbanization" of any kind. He obviously is unaware that "New Urbanization" is highly recommended by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Grace understands that a better balance of businesses in our town contributes to the commercial revenue collected by the town and will lower the taxes collected from you and me, the “tax levy.”
Bianco is on record clearly saying he does not want young families moving into Yorktown with school age children. When he sees kids, all he sees are taxes.
If Yorktown is no longer desirable to young families, many people will have trouble selling their homes. This will lead to decreased property values and an increase in the tax levy, as there is less property value to tax.
Never has Yorktown faced such a clear and compelling choice for who should lead us into a future of growth and prosperity. There is only one qualified candidate for Yorktown Supervisor: Michael Grace, a family man who advocates progress with preservation.
We thank Nick Bianco for his years of service to Yorktown, but he talks about “taking Yorktown back.” How far back? it's time to move forward.
I encourage you to go out and vote your conscience on Nov. 5.
Ed Lachterman Yorktown Heights
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