By Dan Murphy
The Town/Village of Harrison is one of the few remaining republicans strongholds in Westchester County. The Republican government in Harrison is currently led by Mayor Ron Belmont, who is well known for his decades of service to the people as recreation director and, for the last six years, presiding over the town and delivering the services taxpayers demand based on their property taxes – among the highest in Westchester and the nation – that they pay.
Seeking to turn Harrison into a Democratic town are mayor/supervisor candidate Frank Gordon, and Lauren Leader and Michael Romita for Town Board. The three democrats are running on a slogan of “Moving Harrison Forward/Making Harrison Better.”
Gordon is a retired certified public accountant and attorney who worked for two of the biggest names in accounting, Deloitte & Touche, and New York City law firms Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Since his retirement in 2011, Gordon has been an advocate for residents’ rights at Town Board and Zoning Board meetings and in 2016, co-founded Harrison Residents for Gun-Free School Zones to oppose the opening of a gun shop in Harrison. In 2017, Gordon was elected to the Town Board as the only democrat.
Leader is an author and advocate for women’s equality. She is co-founder and CEO of All In Together, the only non-partisan organization training women on civics and civic leadership. Since its founding in 2014, she has trained nearly 10,000 women and reached millions through her advocacy work.
Romita is a former attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, who ran the family business Castle Oil, and now works as a partner at Mercury Strategies, a small public policy firm, and a founder of Ranger Asset Management, a commercial real estate investment company.
“Harrison is our home and we have enjoyed raising our families here,” states Gordon, Leader and Romita on their website, movingharrisonforward.com. “We are accomplished executives who have had successful careers in large organizations. We intend to apply the experience and acumen we have gained during our careers to make the smart choices for Harrison in a nonpartisan and transparent way. We will not allow party politics to interfere with our duty to minimize the tax burden on our residents and to deliver municipal services as efficiently as possible. Town officials should adhere to high ethical standards and be held accountable if they violate the public trust. The town’s workforce should likewise conform with the highest standards of conduct. Legal and ethical violations of any kind will not be tolerated.”
Their message of smart development, fiscal responsibility and inclusive government that benefits the local community rather than a small group of political insiders is one that will have to be presented to the public with detailed proposals, to prove their claim that “Harrison is ready for a change. The people of Harrison deserve a town government that works for them and not a self-perpetuating and entrenched political establishment.”
Gordon, Leader and Romita have brought in the “big guns” in the democratic party to help them in their campaign. Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Ben Boykin and Legislators Catherine Parker and Nancy Barr, said: “It’s a new era in Westchester, with pragmatic, can-do leadership bringing a spirit of fiscal responsibility, openness and transparency to county government. It’s time that Harrison had new leadership with the same kind of spirit. That’s why, as county legislators representing Harrison, we’re proud to endorse the Moving Harrison Forward slate – Frank Gordon for mayor, and Lauren Leader and Michael Romita for Town Board.”
In their statement, the legislators cited mayoral candidate Gordon as “an ideal person to manage Harrison’s financial future, protect property tax payers and facilitate economic growth while retaining the town’s cherished character.”
The legislators also highlighted the strengths of Town Board candidate Leader, which make her particularly well-suited for the position: “When elected to the Town Board, Lauren Leader will be its only woman and its only parent with children in Harrison schools. As such, she will bring important, missing perspectives to town decision-making… (She is) sharp, articulate, committed.”
Finally, the trio praised Town Board candidate Romita for his “deep family ties to the community, outstanding business experience and a background in fighting for environmental protection. He has been honored by the Westchester Parks Foundation with its ‘Best Green Friend’ award.”
Reginald A. LaFayette, chairman of the Westchester County Democratic Committee, added: “Harrison has stagnated at the hands of the incumbent political party for far too long. Frank, Lauren and Michael will bring to Harrison an effective combination of professional skills and practical experience. They will be a refreshing change.”
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli also endorsed the three candidates.
“Harrison residents deserve leaders who will be accountable to taxpayers and implement smarter fiscal policies,” he said. “Frank, Lauren and Michael have the knowledge and experience to move Harrison forward and understand the importance of transparency and inclusivity. Harrison deserves better, and I encourage all Harrison voters to support this slate at the polls in November.”
In a joint statement, Gordon, Leader and Romita said: “We are committed to being responsible stewards of Harrison residents’ hard-earned tax dollars and will do everything in our power to minimize taxes and ensure town finances are managed responsibly and ethically while maintaining essential town services.”
In Harrison, republicans hold a 4-1 advantage on the Town Board, with republican Councilmen Richard Dionisio and Fred Sciliano up for re-election.
There is also a competitive race for town justice in Harrison, with incumbent Judge Pat Gizzo facing a challenge from Patricia O’Callaghan. xxxxx
This year’s election cycle in Westchester does not have a race for president, governor or county executive at the top of the ticket. In years past, the result has been election successes for republicans in small, local races across the county.
That was until the “Blue Wave” election of 2017, when democrats swept most of the offices across the county, leaving republicans with a few remaining pockets of strength – in Harrison and Eastchester. Republicans will also try to hold onto, and perhaps win a seat or two on the County Board of Legislators. Currently, democrats hold a massive 13-4 majority, and one republican legislator, John Testa, is retiring.
The Town of Yorktown is another community where republicans lost in 2017 but are hoping to retake the supervisor’s office in November.
We will be featuring competitive races this fall in Westchester. If you have an election in your community that deserves mention, email us at dmurphy@risingmediagroup.com.
