By Dan Murphy
It was announced last week that the republican leader of the small minority on the Westchester County Board of Legislators will not seek re-election in November, and the current republican mayor of Tuckahoe won’t run for reelection this spring. Both announcements, while not a surprise, are not good news for republicans in Westchester, still reeling from the “blue wave,” anti-Trump sentiment in the county.
BOL Minority Leader John Testa’s announcement marks the third county legislator that has announced their retirements this year, but Testa is the first republican to do so and some political watchers in Westchester are wondering, with a 13-4 democratic supermajority currently on the county board, how low can the county GOP go? Testa’s career as an elected official has spanned 22 years, beginning with his first election in 1997 for Peekskill City Council.
He then served three terms as mayor of Peekskill and now will complete his fifth term as county legislator, serving the last six years as minority leader for the board. “I want to thank the communities I have represented for the continued support given to me over the years,” said Testa. “It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve and now it is time to pass the torch and step back from elected office.”
Testa has never lost an election. As a career educator at his alma mater, Peekskill High School, Testa simultaneously represented the city in local government. He retired from teaching in 2013 after 33 years but continued his governmental service at the County Board of Legislators representing District 1, which comprises Cortlandt, Peekskill and Yorktown. As county legislator, Testa continued his record as a fiscally conservative, taxpayer minded lawmaker. Including his final three years as mayor, Testa had a string of 10 straight years with no tax increase budgets.
Testa was a leading member of the bipartisan coalition that was formed at the Board of Legislators joining with County Executive Astorino that right-sized county government and put policies in place that preserved essential services, kept taxes flat, supported public-private partnership agreements for Playland and Westchester County Airport, The North 60 Biotech project, and protected local home rule control for Westchester municipalities over federal government overreach.
“My record of fiscal responsibility is one I am very proud of,” said Testa. “I wanted to also elevate the standing of northern Westchester communities in county government and bring the appropriate resources and infrastructure improvements we deserve. I was particularly pleased to bring an office to Peekskill that provides free legal services for eligible northern Westchester veterans, seniors and victims of domestic violence.”
Testa spearheaded initiatives to fully rehabilitate approximately 6 miles of county roads across northern Westchester, bring improvements to county sewer treatment facilities and local county parks, support veteran groups, expand programs for youth and seniors, improve public safety, support businesses across the district and be an important influence helping local communities and families during the Indian Point closure process.
Testa was a leader in preventing the establishment of barge anchorage sites along the Hudson River, and his outstanding record for protecting the environment and supporting environmentally sensitive laws and initiatives has been continually recognized by the New York State League of Conservation Voters. As mayor of Peekskill, Testa presided over increased private investment and downtown commerce soared with renewed focus on local business and infrastructure improvements, including a million-dollar restoration of the Paramount Theater. Testa was named a “Champion of the Arts” by ArtsWestchester for his continued advancement of arts and cultural initiatives. He was also named “Champion of History” by the Lincoln Society in Peekskill for his efforts in creating the Lincoln Depot Museum and was given the “Community Service Award” by the Peekskill Area NAACP.
Testa served in the republican model for another former mayor of Peekskill and governor of New York, George Pataki. Testa and Pataki served as moderate republicans who represented the suburban communities they grew up in. Pataki was the last republican to win statewide office in 2002.
With Testa’s departure, many political watchers in Westchester are wondering if the GOP can hold onto the seat. Two Peekskill residents, former Mayor Frank Catalinax and Democratic Councilwoman Vanessa Agudelo, are said to be interested in replacing Testa.
In the Village of Tuckahoe, long-serving Mayor Steve Ecklond has decided he won’t run for re-election next month. “After serving 15years on the Village Board, the last 12 of which have been as mayor and deputy mayor, I’ve decided to not seek re-election,” he said. “I’m going to remain in the village, in the same house that my family has been in for five generations. I’m not moving anywhere, but I’m going to spend the next few years attending more to my own business, New York Ladder & Scaffolding in Yonkers, which has seen significant growth and also looking to free up some time to spend with family, riding my Harley, and some time in Florida.”
Tuckahoe Republicans recently held their caucus and nominated Village Trustee Greg Luisi for mayor. Luisi has served for the past eight years on the Village Board. For more than a decade, Ecklond served as a common-sense mayor who put the interests of the village, and all of its residents, before politics. “I’m very pleased with the condition of our wonderful village and how it looks today,” he said. “The village has never been in such a strong financial position as it is now, it continues to attract many new residents and businesses, and has raised the standard for which I believe all municipalities look to achieve.
“We’ve put in place a very strong management team and infrastructure which will continue to provide our residents with the best level of services for many years to come. As I leave Village Hall, I look back with fond memories on all the great work that my Village Board colleagues and I have done as a team. I will miss the wonderful village staff who continue to amaze me every day in their sincerity of their work and their genuine desire to help our residents.”
We will miss Mayor Ecklond, not because he was a republican mayor, but because he was a good public servant. More on the upcoming Tuckahoe village election before it happens next month. Ecklond’s departure, as is Testa’s departure, is not good news for republicans in the county, who recently held a fundraiser that honored former County Executive Astorino.
The dinner was well attended as republicans reminisced about how just two years ago, they held the County Executive’s Office and a bipartisan majority on the County Board. Westchester GOP Chairman Doug Colety told the audience that the party was looking forward to this November’s elections and that candidates had been found to try and take back seats on the County Board. While we applaud Colety’s enthusiasm, we wonder: How many Rob Astornos or Jim Maisanos or John Testas and Steve Ecklonds can the grand old Westchester GOP stand to lose?
