Hello everyone,
I have heard from members of the community that they would have liked to have seen debates between the candidates. The candidates all participated in a forum sponsored by the Town at the Cortlandt Community Center, but that was held in the late morning and was primarily attended by members of the Senior programs in the Town. I thought a debate was a great idea and would have loved taking part in one for our community.
I attended a panel discussion held at the Croton library for all Town and Village and County candidates (topic: "How Westchester Governments Can Help Small Businesses); unfortunately, the event was attended by only a few people and I was the only Town Board candidate who attended (it was also attended by Brian Pugh, the Croton candidate for Mayor). Since so few attended the program and the panel was limited, the moderator allowed us to make brief statements and then we met with folks individually.
The local newspapers have been somewhat helpful in getting the word out, but there is always the fear that few people are reading those local papers these days. They provide excellent coverage of our communities, and they perform a valuable public service with editions like these.
The Northern Westchester Examiner printed its Election preview edition the week prior to the election and printed some valuable, though understandably limited information about the candidates:
https://www.theexaminernews.com/four-vie-for-two-seats-on-cortlandt-town-board/
I am honored to receive The Examiner's endorsement for Town Council along with Debra Carter-Costello (who is running for re-election); it also endorsed Cortlandt Supervisor Linda Puglisi for re-election:
https://www.theexaminernews.com/puglisi-has-continued-to-push-the-right-buttons-in-cortlandt/
I have been going door-to-door throughout the Town and have been to the train stations and supermarkets and delis and Family Fun Day and dozens of other outreach events (while also available after Town Planning Board meetings and at every Indian Point state task force and local task force meetings); I also participated last week in a regional Indian Point conference in Garrison hosted by the Journal News and Clearwater and have also been making phone calls and am on Facebook. Unfortunately, with all that, we still only get a chance to meet and speak with a fraction of our residents. Mailers and signs are a necessary evil (I generally consider them wasteful and visual pollution), but we need to get the message out to our residents so they can make informed choices.
To that end, I have copied below five questions that the local newspaper had asked each of the candidates to answer. The questions and answers did not appear in the newspaper, but I think you will all find them useful. I trust other candidates also have their responses and could share them as well, though I have not seen any do so.
Why are you running for office this year?
This year brings tremendous opportunities and challenges to our Town. I have been committed to making Cortlandt a better place for the last twenty years, and I have helped to plan for its future and to advocate on behalf of our community. After working with Supervisor Puglisi and the Town Board to adopt last year's Envision Cortlandt comprehensive plan, I saw how critical it was that we work together to implement that master plan to protect Cortlandt and keep it sustainable for the future. I bring unmatched experience to help keep our Town moving forward with smart development that mitigates traffic, protects our environment (including our lakes, historic roads, Hudson River access and more), encourages business activity, keeps taxes low and expands recreation and housing choices for our young adults, seniors, veterans and working families.
What experience can you point to that would make you an effective councilman?
I have been completely committed to helping the Town of Cortlandt for the last 20 years. For 15 years I was a member and then chairman of the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Advisory Board and helped to provide great parks and recreation services to our residents. I am proud to have helped bring many new facilities and services to our Town, including the youth center, dog park, skating facilities, hiking trails, riverfront parks and boat launches, negotiated a public/private partnership for reduced rate golf access for our residents at Hollowbrook Golf Club and so much more. As a member of the Planning Board, I have been helping to protect our environment and plan for smart development. I have worked on the last two master plans for our Town's future -- including our award winning Envision Cortlandt plan last year. I am president of a lake association and a member of the New York State Federation of Lake Associations as well a member of as Clearwater, and I will continue fighting for our lakes, streams and Hudson River as a member of the Town Board. My experiences managing infrastructure (like roads and dams), fighting invasive species, protecting our lakes, developing budgets and working collaboratively with others in those groups (as well as president of my local church and as an officer in my local homeowners' association and many other local groups) demonstrate my effectiveness as a future Town councilperson.
How do you feel the town should be approaching the pending closure of Indian Point?
With the impending closure of Indian Point, I believe that our Town and its schools and villages have been unfairly placed in a precarious position. While Entergy and the leaders in Albany and Washington failed to consult with or advise our Town of their negotiations to close the nuclear plants, our Town will play a pivotal role in ensuring that the decommissioning process is done safely and will account for the needs of the local residents. We must ensure that we are able to redevelop the Indian Point site sooner rather than later to keep jobs in Cortlandt, we must push to ensure that lost revenue for our villages and schools is replaced, and we must ensure that our people and environment are protected. Our Trusted Leadership Team has pledged to fight to ensure that Entergy retains local skilled workers for a safe decommissioning process as well as for securing the site after shut down. We also will fight to bring new commercial development with good paying permanent jobs, and will insist upon federal and state job training assistance for any workers that are laid off in the closure. My skills and experience as an attorney and as a lake advocate fighting for fairness from Albany for funding and challenging unfair dam infrastructure regulations will be particularly helpful as we fight in Albany and Washington to restore lost tax revenues from Entergy as a result of the closure and for our fight to obtain the maximum tax revenue from the owners of the decommissioned Indian Point site (particularly since they will likely continue storing dry cask spent fuel rods there as a de-facto nuclear waste storage site for years while the federal government finds a suitable location for spent nuclear material. Finally, we must demand a thorough study of all environmental impacts of the decommissioning of the plants and seek a remediation plan that ensures a perpetually safe site and ground water free of radioactivity or other pollution.
Besides Indian Pt, what do you feel are the most pressing issues facing the town?
One area that so many of our seniors and working families are very concerned about is housing affordability and taxes. I agree with Supervisor Puglisi and all of our Trusted Leadership Team that we must keep taxes low; I have committed to keeping taxes low, but we must go further. As a parent of four children, I see the challenges our young people, families and seniors face as they consider whether they can continue to live here in Cortlandt. Many young adults cannot find affordable housing near jobs and transportation. Our plan addresses this problem in a way that leverages our train stations to help reduce traffic, increase business activity and provide a more walkable and sustainable community. Along the same lines, expanding senior housing choices in our Town is crucial, as many seniors are seeking more affordable housing with fewer stairs and near supportive health services to allow them to stay here rather than move away from Cortlandt. Our Plan leverages the excellent medical services around Hudson Valley Hospital to encourage economic development and to provide that critical continuum of care that planners call “aging in place.” We must also continue to work cooperatively with the schools and in our recreation department to assist our youth as they struggle with challenges involving drug use, abuse and mental health concerns. While we are right to focus on the opioid crisis in our community, many of our youth are also struggling with depression and similar mental health issues that place them in harm's way; we must have a comprehensive approach in working with our youth and help equip parents, schools and others to deal with these issues. Finally, we must protect Cortlandt's lakes, streams and historic roads and continue to enhance access to recreation along the Hudson River.
What do you feel are your strengths that will help in your role as a public servant?
I believe that my proven experience working and fighting for the the Town of Cortlandt over the last twenty years highlights my commitment to moving our town forward. My wife and I raised our four children in the excellent and diverse local schools and taught them to value volunteerism. I am a professional with integrity who can work collaboratively with others without regard for party politics. I was raised by a NYC police detective and a cardiac care nurse to be a "Man for Others" with a heart for public service, and I have taken that responsibility seriously in my volunteer work in the Town (as well as in leading several community groups, my local church and as an advisor to our bishop). I can speak with a strong voice for our residents: I know Cortlandt and its people well and understand the issues facing our town so I can tackle the challenges head on from day one. I also recognize that town boundaries do not necessarily define our community, and I will strengthen our regional cooperation with the adjacent towns and villages to find common ground and to further consolidation of services where appropriate to help reduce the tax burden. Over the years, I have attended hundreds of hours of meetings working for Cortlandt's future and have listened to our people's concerns at public meetings and have been guided their responses to surveys when evaluating and drafting plans for our Town's future; this is what it means to be a public servant, and I am hopeful I will have our people's support on November 7th so I can continuing serving our people as Cortlandt's newest Town Councilman.
I am running with the Trusted Leadership Team led by Supervisor Puglisi and have been endorsed by the Democratic Party, the Independence Party, the Working Families Party, the Women's Equality Party and will also appear on the Green Party line.
Remember that the polls open on Election Day at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7th.
We hope you will remember to VOTE.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Jim
James F. Creighton
Candidate for Cortlandt Town Council
I have heard from members of the community that they would have liked to have seen debates between the candidates. The candidates all participated in a forum sponsored by the Town at the Cortlandt Community Center, but that was held in the late morning and was primarily attended by members of the Senior programs in the Town. I thought a debate was a great idea and would have loved taking part in one for our community.
I attended a panel discussion held at the Croton library for all Town and Village and County candidates (topic: "How Westchester Governments Can Help Small Businesses); unfortunately, the event was attended by only a few people and I was the only Town Board candidate who attended (it was also attended by Brian Pugh, the Croton candidate for Mayor). Since so few attended the program and the panel was limited, the moderator allowed us to make brief statements and then we met with folks individually.
The local newspapers have been somewhat helpful in getting the word out, but there is always the fear that few people are reading those local papers these days. They provide excellent coverage of our communities, and they perform a valuable public service with editions like these.
The Northern Westchester Examiner printed its Election preview edition the week prior to the election and printed some valuable, though understandably limited information about the candidates:
https://www.theexaminernews.com/four-vie-for-two-seats-on-cortlandt-town-board/
I am honored to receive The Examiner's endorsement for Town Council along with Debra Carter-Costello (who is running for re-election); it also endorsed Cortlandt Supervisor Linda Puglisi for re-election:
https://www.theexaminernews.com/puglisi-has-continued-to-push-the-right-buttons-in-cortlandt/
I have been going door-to-door throughout the Town and have been to the train stations and supermarkets and delis and Family Fun Day and dozens of other outreach events (while also available after Town Planning Board meetings and at every Indian Point state task force and local task force meetings); I also participated last week in a regional Indian Point conference in Garrison hosted by the Journal News and Clearwater and have also been making phone calls and am on Facebook. Unfortunately, with all that, we still only get a chance to meet and speak with a fraction of our residents. Mailers and signs are a necessary evil (I generally consider them wasteful and visual pollution), but we need to get the message out to our residents so they can make informed choices.
To that end, I have copied below five questions that the local newspaper had asked each of the candidates to answer. The questions and answers did not appear in the newspaper, but I think you will all find them useful. I trust other candidates also have their responses and could share them as well, though I have not seen any do so.
Why are you running for office this year?
This year brings tremendous opportunities and challenges to our Town. I have been committed to making Cortlandt a better place for the last twenty years, and I have helped to plan for its future and to advocate on behalf of our community. After working with Supervisor Puglisi and the Town Board to adopt last year's Envision Cortlandt comprehensive plan, I saw how critical it was that we work together to implement that master plan to protect Cortlandt and keep it sustainable for the future. I bring unmatched experience to help keep our Town moving forward with smart development that mitigates traffic, protects our environment (including our lakes, historic roads, Hudson River access and more), encourages business activity, keeps taxes low and expands recreation and housing choices for our young adults, seniors, veterans and working families.
What experience can you point to that would make you an effective councilman?
I have been completely committed to helping the Town of Cortlandt for the last 20 years. For 15 years I was a member and then chairman of the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Advisory Board and helped to provide great parks and recreation services to our residents. I am proud to have helped bring many new facilities and services to our Town, including the youth center, dog park, skating facilities, hiking trails, riverfront parks and boat launches, negotiated a public/private partnership for reduced rate golf access for our residents at Hollowbrook Golf Club and so much more. As a member of the Planning Board, I have been helping to protect our environment and plan for smart development. I have worked on the last two master plans for our Town's future -- including our award winning Envision Cortlandt plan last year. I am president of a lake association and a member of the New York State Federation of Lake Associations as well a member of as Clearwater, and I will continue fighting for our lakes, streams and Hudson River as a member of the Town Board. My experiences managing infrastructure (like roads and dams), fighting invasive species, protecting our lakes, developing budgets and working collaboratively with others in those groups (as well as president of my local church and as an officer in my local homeowners' association and many other local groups) demonstrate my effectiveness as a future Town councilperson.
How do you feel the town should be approaching the pending closure of Indian Point?
With the impending closure of Indian Point, I believe that our Town and its schools and villages have been unfairly placed in a precarious position. While Entergy and the leaders in Albany and Washington failed to consult with or advise our Town of their negotiations to close the nuclear plants, our Town will play a pivotal role in ensuring that the decommissioning process is done safely and will account for the needs of the local residents. We must ensure that we are able to redevelop the Indian Point site sooner rather than later to keep jobs in Cortlandt, we must push to ensure that lost revenue for our villages and schools is replaced, and we must ensure that our people and environment are protected. Our Trusted Leadership Team has pledged to fight to ensure that Entergy retains local skilled workers for a safe decommissioning process as well as for securing the site after shut down. We also will fight to bring new commercial development with good paying permanent jobs, and will insist upon federal and state job training assistance for any workers that are laid off in the closure. My skills and experience as an attorney and as a lake advocate fighting for fairness from Albany for funding and challenging unfair dam infrastructure regulations will be particularly helpful as we fight in Albany and Washington to restore lost tax revenues from Entergy as a result of the closure and for our fight to obtain the maximum tax revenue from the owners of the decommissioned Indian Point site (particularly since they will likely continue storing dry cask spent fuel rods there as a de-facto nuclear waste storage site for years while the federal government finds a suitable location for spent nuclear material. Finally, we must demand a thorough study of all environmental impacts of the decommissioning of the plants and seek a remediation plan that ensures a perpetually safe site and ground water free of radioactivity or other pollution.
Besides Indian Pt, what do you feel are the most pressing issues facing the town?
One area that so many of our seniors and working families are very concerned about is housing affordability and taxes. I agree with Supervisor Puglisi and all of our Trusted Leadership Team that we must keep taxes low; I have committed to keeping taxes low, but we must go further. As a parent of four children, I see the challenges our young people, families and seniors face as they consider whether they can continue to live here in Cortlandt. Many young adults cannot find affordable housing near jobs and transportation. Our plan addresses this problem in a way that leverages our train stations to help reduce traffic, increase business activity and provide a more walkable and sustainable community. Along the same lines, expanding senior housing choices in our Town is crucial, as many seniors are seeking more affordable housing with fewer stairs and near supportive health services to allow them to stay here rather than move away from Cortlandt. Our Plan leverages the excellent medical services around Hudson Valley Hospital to encourage economic development and to provide that critical continuum of care that planners call “aging in place.” We must also continue to work cooperatively with the schools and in our recreation department to assist our youth as they struggle with challenges involving drug use, abuse and mental health concerns. While we are right to focus on the opioid crisis in our community, many of our youth are also struggling with depression and similar mental health issues that place them in harm's way; we must have a comprehensive approach in working with our youth and help equip parents, schools and others to deal with these issues. Finally, we must protect Cortlandt's lakes, streams and historic roads and continue to enhance access to recreation along the Hudson River.
What do you feel are your strengths that will help in your role as a public servant?
I believe that my proven experience working and fighting for the the Town of Cortlandt over the last twenty years highlights my commitment to moving our town forward. My wife and I raised our four children in the excellent and diverse local schools and taught them to value volunteerism. I am a professional with integrity who can work collaboratively with others without regard for party politics. I was raised by a NYC police detective and a cardiac care nurse to be a "Man for Others" with a heart for public service, and I have taken that responsibility seriously in my volunteer work in the Town (as well as in leading several community groups, my local church and as an advisor to our bishop). I can speak with a strong voice for our residents: I know Cortlandt and its people well and understand the issues facing our town so I can tackle the challenges head on from day one. I also recognize that town boundaries do not necessarily define our community, and I will strengthen our regional cooperation with the adjacent towns and villages to find common ground and to further consolidation of services where appropriate to help reduce the tax burden. Over the years, I have attended hundreds of hours of meetings working for Cortlandt's future and have listened to our people's concerns at public meetings and have been guided their responses to surveys when evaluating and drafting plans for our Town's future; this is what it means to be a public servant, and I am hopeful I will have our people's support on November 7th so I can continuing serving our people as Cortlandt's newest Town Councilman.
I am running with the Trusted Leadership Team led by Supervisor Puglisi and have been endorsed by the Democratic Party, the Independence Party, the Working Families Party, the Women's Equality Party and will also appear on the Green Party line.
Remember that the polls open on Election Day at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7th.
We hope you will remember to VOTE.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Jim
James F. Creighton
Candidate for Cortlandt Town Council