Supervisor Blog

 Happy New Year Ossining! 

 Let me introduce myself – I am Elizabeth (Liz) Feldman and I am your new Town Supervisor for the Town of Ossining. As a lifelong resident and having served seven years on the Town Council I look forward to serving the community in this expanded role. I thank the Town Board for appointing me to fill out the remaining term of our previous Town Supervisor Dana Levenberg, who has been elected to represent us as our new State Assemblywoman. We expect great things from her and wish her the best in her new position.  

Thank you Mayor Rika Levin and the staff from the Village of Ossining for putting together a moving Inauguration Ceremony on New Year's Day. I was sworn in alongside our new Congressman Mike Lawler, State Senator Pete Harckham, our new Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg, Town Councilwoman Jennifer Fields-Tawil, Mayor Rika Levin and Village Trustees Manuel Quezada and Dana White. 

 I would also like to say thank you to Deputy Fire Chief Scott Gallery for six years of dedicated service as Chief and congratulations to incoming Fire Chief Michael Scarduzio, First Assistant Chief Louis Sanchez and newly elected Second Assistant Chief Anthony Martinez. Thank you all for you service and dedication to our community.

It is an honor and a privilege to be able serve the people of Ossining. Please feel free to reach out anytime with your thoughts, comments, questions or concerns.  

I look forward to working with each and every one of you to make our community the best it can be. 

That’s all from me as your Town Supervisor! For upcoming events and more, click here to go to the blog. Be sure to check out our new 2023 waste and recycling calendar for changes to your pickup schedule - or, better yet, download the Recycle Right app if you have not already done so. It’s the easiest way to stay current with waste and recycling schedules. Click here to download for Android and here for iOS.

Thank you and may you all have a wonderful 2023! 

-          Liz

If your business, non-profit, or community group has an event that you would like to submit to be a part of the Supervisor's Update, please completethis form. We are happy to pass along events that provide a benefit to the community and support our local economy. Thank you for helping us to highlight all the best Ossining has to offer!

Subscribe to our email blast list and receive Town news and updates. 

Happy Friday! Hope everyone has found some time to rest, reflect, and spend time with loved ones as the holiday season comes to a close. 

It is hard to believe that this is the last weekly update I will send as Town Supervisor! Serving as your Town Supervisor has been such an incredible honor, privilege, and pleasure and truly the best job I have had to date.  Every challenge has been an opportunity to do more and do better and I thank you for trusting me and our entire team. 

Team Town and I have accomplished a lot together in seven years as your Town Supervisor. I always say that my mission as a public servant is to build healthy communities - environmentally healthy, economically healthy, physically and mentally healthy, all through the lens of equity. I have taken every opportunity to pursue that mission, and I am so grateful for the tremendous team that has helped me make it all happen on behalf of our constituents, businesses and our world. 

Environmentally, we made strong commitments to cut carbon emissions, joining CURE 100, earning Clean Energy Community status, and making progress toward the Climate Smart Communities designation. We’ve accelerated the Town’s transition away from fossil fuels in a number of ways, including adding electric vehicles to the Town’s fleet. The most recent addition came two days ago: an electric bus for the Senior Nutrition Program! 

We put together a “highlight reel” detailing the work Team Town and I have done over the past few years; click here to view it!

I am so proud of the work we’ve done to make the Town a healthier community. I feel confident that Ossining will continue to get better and better with the foundation we have laid since 2016, and I will do my utmost to support Ossining, Briarcliff and all of the communities of the 95th Assembly District in my new role. 

During my last Town Board meeting on Tuesday, before passing a number of resolutions to close out 2022, we took a few moments to honor retiring Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, who has done so much for the Town during her long and distinguished career as a legislator. We have also declared January 1, 2023 Sandy Galef Day in the Town of Ossining!

She leaves big shoes to fill, and I am grateful for her support and mentorship as I step into the role. I am also grateful to her for physically swearing me in to begin my service as your Assemblywoman! Please join the Town and Village for Inauguration on Sunday, January 1, 2023, where our new Supervisor, Liz Feldman, will be sworn in along with State Senator Pete Harckham, myself, newly elected Town Board Member Jennifer Fields-Tawil, and the recently re-elected Village officials, Mayor Rika Levin and Trustees Manuel Quezada and Dana White. 

And save the date for a 95th Assembly District-wide inauguration ceremony, to take place on Friday, January 20 at Cortlandt Town Hall. Click here to RSVP. 

My departure and the appointment of Liz Feldman to Supervisor will leave a vacancy on the Board. The Town is now seeking letters of interest for a one-year appointment to the Town Board, to end effective December 31, 2023. Please note the seat will be up for election in November of 2023 for a four year term beginning January 1, 2024.  You can learn more about the election process and how to run for office at the Westchester County Board of Elections website.

While all residents of the Town of Ossining are welcome to apply, the Board will be giving special consideration to those who live in the Unincorporated area of the Town of Ossining. Residents of the Unincorporated Town currently have just one representative on the Board, newly elected Councilwoman Jennifer Fields-Tawil, and we would ideally like to increase this representation. Of course, that will not be the only consideration. All interested parties should submit a letter of interest and resume to Martha Quituisaca in the Office of the Town Supervisor () by noon on Friday, January 6, 2023. 

The Supervisor’s Office is also looking for a part time Confidential Secretary to assist the incoming Supervisor. Click here to review the job description and learn how to apply. 

In other news, as winter continues, one last reminder that help is available for heating costs for eligible households. The New York Public Service Commission expects heating costs to rise by at least 20% this winter. If you are anticipating difficulty with paying your heating costs, check out the New York State Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). HEAP can help eligible households with assistance to pay their energy bills this winter.  Learn more about this program and other ways to reduce your heating costs by visiting www.ny.gov/heat. If you are low-income and behind on your bills, you can learn more about the Electric and Gas Debt Relief program here. The deadline to enroll is December 31st, 2022.

County Executive George Latimer reminds all residents to check their energy bills and make sure you are not being charged Westchester County sales tax for your home energy costs. The County has suspended sales tax collection on home energy costs this winter to help combat the effects of rising costs on our households. If you see that you were charged County sales tax on home heating fuels after December 1, contact the County right away at (914) 995-2900. 

That’s all from me as your Town Supervisor! For upcoming events and more, keep scrolling. Town offices will be closed on Monday, January 2 in observance of the New Year holiday. Be sure to check the waste and recycling calendar for changes to your pickup schedule - or, better yet, download the Recycle Right app if you have not already done so. It’s the easiest way to stay current with waste and recycling schedules. Click here to download for Android and here for iOS.

My nascent Assembly office has set up my new communications channels so they will be ready to go starting in January. Click here to opt in to email updates from me as your new state legislator. My official government social media handle will be @AMDanaLevenberg on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter; like and follow to stay up to date with important information from around the district and the state legislature!

We will see you soon, in my new office (still at 2 Church Street, still with the land line number (914) 941-1111)! Till then, be safe and healthy, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

--Dana

If your business, non-profit, or community group has an event that you would like to submit to be a part of the Supervisor's Update, please complete this form. We are happy to pass along events that provide a benefit to the community and support our local economy. Thank you for helping us to highlight all the best Ossining has to offer!

Subscribe to our email blast list and receive Town news and updates. 

Hope everyone is staying warm, safe and dry! A few words on safety before our regular administrative updates: temperatures are expected to drop sharply this evening, potentially creating icy conditions on wet roads. Please avoid travel if at all possible this evening into Saturday morning. The Town posted a weather advisory yesterday on our Facebook and Instagram pages; click through for more details. Click here for storm preparation information from Con Edison and here for information from Westchester County. 

It’s been another busy week in the Town! At this week’s Board meeting, we officially appointed Deputy Supervisor Liz Feldman to complete the remaining year of my unexpired term, beginning January 1, 2023. Soon-to-be Supervisor Feldman has already served the Town well during her seven years on the Board, including a previous and current stint as Deputy. I am sure she will do a great job as Supervisor and continue moving the Town forward, sustainably. 

Our Deputy Supervisor has been pinch-hitting for me quite a bit this week, as I tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and have been isolating per CDC and State guidelines, though thankfully I do not have any symptoms. She attended the Menorah Lighting in Market Square on Tuesday evening prior to the Board meeting. Thanks to Rabbi Dovid Labkowski for organizing the event and to Ossining Police Chief Kevin Sylvester for lighting the menorah. 

She also attended this week’s meeting of the Westchester-Putnam Association of Town Supervisors along with Victoria Cafarelli, our Budget Director and Administrative Assistant. 

Please join the Town and Village for Inauguration on Sunday, January 1, 2023, where our new Supervisor will be sworn in along with State Senator Pete Harckham, myself as Assemblywoman, newly elected Town Board Member Jennifer Fields-Tawil, and the recently re-elected Village officials, Mayor Rika Levin and Trustees Manuel Quezada and Dana White. 

This Supervisor appointment will leave a vacancy on the Board. The Town is now seeking letters of interest for a one-year appointment to the Town Board, to end effective December 31, 2023. Please note the seat will be up for election in November of 2023 for a four year term beginning January 1, 2024.  You can learn more about the election process and how to run for office at the Westchester County Board of Elections website.

While all residents of the Town of Ossining are welcome to apply, the Board will be giving special consideration to those who live in the Unincorporated area of the Town of Ossining. Residents of the Unincorporated Town currently have just one representative on the Board, newly elected Councilwoman Jennifer Fields-Tawil, and we would ideally like to increase this representation. Of course, that will not be the only consideration. All interested parties should submit a letter of interest and resume to Martha Quituisaca in the Office of the Town Supervisor () by noon on Friday, January 6, 2023. 

The Supervisor’s Office is also looking for a part time Confidential Secretary to assist the incoming Supervisor. Click here to review the job description and learn how to apply. 

Speaking of transitions, this week and next week’s messages will be my last Supervisor’s Updates! My nascent Assembly office is setting up my new communications channels so they will be ready to go starting in January. Click here to opt in to email updates from me as your new state legislator. My official government social media handle will be @AMDanaLevenberg on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter; like and follow to stay up to date with important information from around the district and the state legislature!

In other news, I’m happy to report that last weekend’s food drive with Senator Pete Harckham was well-attended and fruitful. Senator Harckham and I were joined by Deputy Supervisor Feldman, staff members from the Town and the State Senate offices, volunteers from the Ossining Food Pantry, as well as students from Yorktown High School’s Civic Internship class. We collected more than 1000 donations with an estimated value of almost $2700!

Thanks to everyone who brought food and good cheer to this drive, and to all who generously donated to this year’s various donation drives for our neighbors in need. 

As temperatures plunge today into tomorrow, a reminder that help is available for heating costs for eligible households. The New York Public Service Commission expects heating costs to rise by at least 20% this winter. If you are anticipating difficulty with paying your heating costs, check out the New York State Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). HEAP can help eligible households with assistance to pay their energy bills this winter.  Learn more about this program and other ways to reduce your heating costs by visiting www.ny.gov/heat. If you are low-income and behind on your bills, you can learn more about the Electric and Gas Debt Relief program here. The deadline to enroll is December 31st, 2022.

County Executive George Latimer reminds all residents to check their energy bills and make sure you are not being charged Westchester County sales tax for your home energy costs. The County has suspended sales tax collection on home energy costs this winter to help combat the effects of rising costs on our households. If you see that you were charged County sales tax on home heating fuels after December 1, contact the County right away at (914) 995-2900. 

That’s all for this week! For upcoming events and more, keep scrolling. Merry Christmas to all who will be celebrating this Sunday, continued Happy Hanukkah for those celebrating, and Happy Kwanzaa to those observing that holiday starting Monday. If you’re doing some last-minute shopping for the holidays, be sure to do it locally and #ShopSmall! And click here for some tips from the New York League of Conservation Voters for making gift wrapping a little more environmentally friendly. 

Town offices will be closed on Monday, December 26. Be sure to check the waste and recycling calendar for changes to your pickup schedule - or, better yet, download the Recycle Right app if you have not already done so. It’s the easiest way to stay current with waste and recycling schedules. Click here to download for Android and here for iOS.

We will see you soon - till then, be safe and healthy!

--Dana

If your business, non-profit, or community group has an event that you would like to submit to be a part of the Supervisor's Update, please complete this form. We are happy to pass along events that provide a benefit to the community and support our local economy. Thank you for helping us to highlight all the best Ossining has to offer!

Subscribe to our email blast list and receive Town news and updates. 

Happy Friday! Hope you’re staying warm and dry at the end of a cold, rainy week. 

We had a very busy Town Board meeting Tuesday. First, more personnel updates: as expected, the Town Board accepted my resignation (effective December 31) at this week’s meeting. However, because one of our Council Members was not able to appear in person, we did not have enough Board members present to vote on a motion to appoint Deputy Supervisor Liz Feldman to serve the remaining year of my unexpired term. That resolution has been tabled until next Tuesday, December 20, at which point we expect to officially make the appointment.  

The Town Board also accepted, with regret, the resignation of Victoria Cafarelli from her position as Administrative Assistant and Budget Director in the Supervisor’s Office, effective December 31. I have known Victoria professionally since she started interning for Assemblywoman Sandy Galef when she was just 14 years old. At the time, she was also teaching CCD at St. Ann’s, a student in the acclaimed Ossining Science Research Program, a leader in Junior States of America, and a high honors student, among many other responsibilities. She has continued to exceed all expectations as an employee and a leader in various roles, diligently executing all responsibilities while also, at different points in time, earning her bachelors’ and master’s degrees in public administration, and pinch hitting as Town Clerk. We are incredibly fortunate that someone so intelligent, competent, and kind has chosen a career in public service right here in our community! While her departure from Town government is a loss for 16 Croton Avenue, I know that she will continue to serve the Town and the Lower Hudson Valley well in her next role. 

There were also happy personnel changes this week! We were very excited to promote Martha Quituisaca to the role of Administrative Assistant and Budget Director in the Supervisor’s office, effective January 1, 2023. Martha has been working for the Town for several years now, first in the Tax Office, and now as Deputy Town Clerk. She has contributed so much to these offices during her years with the Town, all while completing her Masters in Public Administration from John Jay College (just like her predecessor!). She is already learning the ropes from Victoria and we are confident she will hit the ground running in January. We are so proud of Martha and cannot wait to see all she will accomplish in this new role in her continued service to our community.

In other good news, we passed a resolution increasing the real property tax exemption available to senior citizens. County law now enables seniors to exempt all medical and prescription drug expenses that were not reimbursed or paid for by insurance from their income calculations. These exemptions, combined with the recent increase in the income level one can receive while still qualifying for the tax exemption, will make it easier for senior citizens to afford to age in place in Ossining. We are always looking for ways to improve affordability, while making fiscally responsible decisions that enable us to maintain services.

We also officially adopted our 2023 Budget! The final budget is tax cap compliant and contains a 6.5% tax rate decrease for the Town General Fund and a 6.3% decrease for the Unincorporated Fund. This does not necessarily mean that the amount you pay in taxes will go down; it means that because the overall pool of assessed value has increased, everyone can pay a slightly smaller piece of the pie. Thank you to everyone who provided input during the budget process. A huge round of applause is due to our incredible finance team of Comptroller Dale Brennan, Deputy Comptroller Liz Naccari and Budget Director Victoria Cafarelli, as well as all of our Department Heads, for their input and work helping us put forth a sound budget for 2023. This budget will continue to help keep our community environmentally, economically, physically and mentally healthy while working toward improving equity. 

Lastly, we passed resolutions for a number of intermunicipal agreements to secure key services for next year and beyond, as well as authorization to enter into an agreement with Mike Risko Music to administer the Summer Concert Series part of RiverJam, in 2023. Thank you to the Riskos for once again helping to select an awesome line up of diverse musical styles and coordinate the bands so we can offer another great summer of music, food, and fun at the Ossining Riverfront. It certainly feels nice to think of warm summer days as the temperatures continue to drop! 

In other news, the season of giving continues! Tomorrow, December 17 from 12 - 2 PM, State Senator Pete Harckham and I will be hosting a holiday food drive at the Ossining High School parking lot. If you can, please pull together some non-perishable food items to donate and stop by! Collected items will benefit the Ossining Food Pantry. The most needed items are listed on the flier below.

There are also multiple ongoing drives for holiday gifts, winter clothing, and more. We are hosting a Toys for Tots box here at Town & Village Hall (16 Croton Avenue)!

If you’re in need of generosity as the temperatures continue to drop, help is available for your home heating costs. The New York Public Service Commission expects heating costs to rise by at least 20% this winter, which will undoubtedly be a huge burden for many households. If you are anticipating difficulty with paying your heating costs, check out the New York State Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). HEAP can help eligible households with assistance to pay their energy bills this winter.  Learn more about this program and other ways to reduce your heating costs by visiting www.ny.gov/heat. If you are low-income and behind on your bills, you can learn more about the Electric and Gas Debt Relief program here. The deadline to enroll is December 31st, 2022.

That’s all for this week! For upcoming events and more, keep scrolling. Happy Hanukkah to everyone who is celebrating! All are welcome to join in the fun for the menorah lighting in Market Square on Tuesday, December 20.

If you’re doing some last-minute shopping for the holidays, be sure to do it locally and #ShopSmall! We will see you soon - till then, be safe and healthy. 

--Dana

If your business, non-profit, or community group has an event that you would like to submit to be a part of the Supervisor's Update, please complete this form. We are happy to pass along events that provide a benefit to the community and support our local economy. Thank you for helping us to highlight all the best Ossining has to offer!

Subscribe to our email blast list and receive Town news and updates.