In Their Own Words: The Tarrytown Incumbents

We've interviewed the other candidates running for office in the Villages but we hadn't yet cornered the . Though they may be familiar faces, you're bound to learn something new from each as they talk candidly below.

Mary McGee (referred to here as MM), Thomas Basher (TB) and Robert Hoyt (RH) each submitted their responses in email to five (admittedly very huge) questions Patch posed. If you have further questions for these and other candidates, please submit them, with your full name, to kristamadsen@gmail.com.

1. What's your background on the Board, how long served; what you're proudest of?

MM: I was elected to the Village in 2006. In my six years on the Board, there are many things to be proud of. These include: our new Village Hall, two new firehouses, new and revitalized parks, Comprehensive Plan, new Zoning Codes. 

I am very proud of my work on the Ethics Board and the writing and adoption of our Ethics Code. Also, I have been the Village's liaison to the Warner Library Board. This lead to my work on getting a new Library Agreement with Sleepy Hollow. I also have been on the Library Budget which decides the final Library budget. I have pushed for the finding of grants so that the communities needs can be met without our taxpayers baring the entire burden.      

TB: After my current term I will have served 20 years on the board. Over the past 20 years there are many things to be proud of but the completion of the Village Hall/Police Station is probably the standout. It could not have happened without the tireless effort of Village staff and the Mayor and the entire Board.  

RH: I have been on the BOT for 6 years, and am liaison to the following committees:

• Parks and Recreation
• Communications Committee
• Tarrytown Volunteer Ambulance Corp
• Historical Society
• Tree Commission
• Pierson Park Design Committee

There are many things to be proud of. We built a new Village Hall, Police Station/Court Room, two new Fire Stations, and we continue to upgrade/rehabilitate old and tuberculated water pipes that have been aging.

2. Can you speak to your history in general in the Village: how long here, your career? 

MM: I first arrived in the Village in 1966 to attend Marymount Collage. I felt at home immediately. After graduation, there was no question that I would stay in Tarrytown. My family has lived in our current home since 1984. We have three grown children. All who live in Tarrytown. I am a parishioner at Transfiguration.

As my children were growing, I became involved in their schools. I spent eight years on the Board at the Community Nursery School. This included seven years as Treasurer. I was also an active member of the PTAs in the Tarrytown Schools. In 1992, I was elected to the School Board. I served twelve years, including two years as Board President. 

My love of this community, long time as a resident, and varied experiences led me to run for the Village Board in 2006.

TB: I was raised here in Tarrytown and other than a few years in the '70s have lived here my entire life. Over the years I have been active in different organizations and volunteer groups such as Transfiguration Parents Guild, Hope Hose Co.#1, Tarrytown Dad's club, a forerunner to the TNT baseball program, to mention a few. I am President of Laser Print, Inc. a print broker company located here in Tarrytown. 

RH: I am a lifelong resident of Tarrytown. I am currently a Sr. Manager with and have been with them for 16 years. I am a 30-year active member of the Tarrytown Fire Department, and have over 13 years of active service with the Tarrytown Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and was Captain of both departments. I was President of the Tarrytown Dad's Club baseball program, and proud father of four.

3. What might citizens look forward to going forward - will your approach be any different this time around or more of the same? What do you see coming down the pike in the next two years?

MM: There are many projects that I want to see completed. These include the revitalization of the Pierson Park and Andre Brook area and I always focus on infrastructure, especially our water system, roads and sidewalks. The things that add to the quality of life here in Tarrytown are very important. At the moment, most the projects we have planned have already been awarded grants so that our taxpayers will not have to bare the entire burden. In terms of a different approach, we may need to stretch our timelines a bit. We will continue to be very careful in our financial planning for all our projects. Of course, it is important that we learn to live within the two percent tax levy cap. I have no doubt that we will find a way to do this and continue our desire to meet the needs of all who live, work, and visit our wonderful village.

TB: My approach has always been and will continue to be one of a policy maker. I believe the role of a Trustee and the Board as a whole is to set the policy for the Village Administrator and Department Heads to carry out in the day to day operations. In the past I have seen trustees get involved in the day to day operations telling employees what to do and it causes nothing but confusion in the chain of command.

RH: It has been a great honor to serve as a member of the BOT. Over the years, our current Board has achieved and accomplished many new endeavors while being fiscally responsible. I will continue to work hard and listen to the people of this community, and will make every effort to best serve all of the residents of this great village.

4. What were the hot-button issues you had to deal with and how did you handle them?

MM: When I think of hot-button issues, I certainly must mention the . We have been doing all we can to make sure that this does not happen again. We hired experts in the field to help us write a new Confined Space Policy, and provided training for our workers. We have, and will continue to, reenforce that training. We also set up a Safety Committee to address safety issues with our workers. We handled the issues within the parameters of the law and cooperated with all authorities in this matter.

Another issue was the . I listened to both sides of the argument. Many people contacted me about this issue, both pro and con. It was a hard decision. A lot rested on my belief that we really couldn't stop a legitimate business from opening. But we could regulate the business, so we adopted a policy that provided for health inspections, limited where it could be located, and wrote in regulations dealing with signage and what could be seen from the street. As of now, the owner is in compliance and knows that we are serious about enforcing these regulations.

TB: There will always be "hot button" issues for different people depending if the issue concerns a person directly or not. I have tried over the years to listen to all sides of an issue and make a decision on what I think is best for the Village as a whole. An example would be the tattoo parlor which caused quite a debate. In my final decision I felt that placing safeguards that were very stringent forbidding the business was not the proper thing to do. By the way I do not have a tattoo nor do I encourage anyone to get one but that was not the issue.

RH: I would say the Tattoo Parlor legislation. There were residents who were in favor of the parlor, and there were residents who were not. I voted against the Tattoo Parlor because there are no health codes in Westchester County regulating them.   

5. What are your biggest priorities for the village?

MM: I would just like to say that the financial pressure of living within the two percent tax levy cap needs experienced people who have been keeping tax increases low. Our village is on a solid financial footing and we need to maintain this. We will continue to work with our Village Administrator and Treasurer to do this. We also must continue work with our citizens committees, whose advice is invaluable, to keep Tarrytown moving forward and meet the needs of community.

TB: To see the completion of the riverpark and to keep Tarrytown the jewel of the Hudson River Villages as it has become with events like 3rd Fridays and venues like .

RH:  I have a few:

• I want to see the completion of the RiverWalk Park and rehabilitation of Pierson Park projects
• As a member of the Communications Committee I am actively working with the Village of Sleepy Hollow to implement a local PEG access station
• Continue to look for ways to increase parking in our downtown area. We have been able to located on South Washington Street.

We will continue our conversations with all of the Trustee candidates in both villages as the season continues. Again, if you have further questions for these and other candidates, please submit them, with your full name, to kristamadsen@gmail.com.