Forum Focus
December 2018




Message to Our Membership
Pictured above is the scene at the “Light the ‘Dale,” held last night in the village center. Despite some drizzle and low temperatures, spirits were high among the many who gathered to celebrate the start of the holiday season. 

As the year winds to a close, members are reminded that we have a meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 13 . We have planned a full program, beginning with Ben Boykin, chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators. Following Boykin will be Scarsdale Board of Education President Scott Silberfein and Scarsdale Assistant Superintendent of HR and Leadership Development Drew Patrick, who will discuss the "State of the Schools."

The event will be held at the Scarsdale Woman’s Club , 37 Drake Road, beginning with a reception at 7:30 pm and followed by the program at 8:00 pm. We look forward to seeing you there.

In other news, we are pleased to announce that our updated website is up and running at scarsdaleforum.org . The site continues to be a work in progress; some operational difficulties remain unsolved and additional improvements are expected. We invite members to visit and note its new look. Again, we extend our thanks to ML Perlman and Bruce Wells for the enormous amount of time and effort they have spent moving this project forward.

Jon Mark

Committee Updates
County Fiscal Affairs

The County Fiscal Affairs Committee is reviewing the Westchester County proposed budget and plans to submit its report to the County by Wednesday, December 5.

The work of the committee is being led by its chair, Mark Lewis ( markannlewis@msn.com ).

Fiscal Affairs Scarsdale and Program


The Fiscal Affairs and Program Committees, along with the League of Women Voters Scarsdale, will host a panel discussion, “Where Your Village Property Tax Dollars Go: An Overview,” on Thursday, January 10, 2019 in Scarsdale Village Hall at 8:00 pm. A number of senior village officials will participate, including Scarsdale Village Manager Steve Pappalardo, Scarsdale Village Treasurer Mary Lou McClure, Scarsdale Police Chief Andrew Matturro, Scarsdale Fire Chief James Seymour and Scarsdale Superintendent of Public Works Benny Salanitro. 
 
The event is an important opportunity for the community to learn more about how local taxes are allocated, the scope of services that Scarsdale Village provides, and how our taxes and spending compare to other municipalities in Westchester. The panel will be moderated by Paul Schwarz, of the League of Women Voters, and will be followed by a question and answer session with residents.
 
Janice Starr, co-president of the League of Women Voters Scarsdale said, “We are pleased to offer the community an opportunity to learn more about how the village works. This event is part of our larger efforts to promote civic education, and provide citizens with the knowledge they need to protect and support our democracy.” 

For more information, email Fiscal Affairs Scarsdale Committee Chair Steve Pass ( smpass@gmail.com ) or Program Committee Co-Chair Dara Gruenberg ( dara513@gmail.com ).

Scarsdale Forum Inc.

Scarsdale Forum Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to community education through discussion and analysis of issues relevant to Scarsdale residents. Since 1904, it has contributed meaningfully to village affairs through written reports, public speaker events and committee discussions. Membership is available to all Scarsdale and Mamaroneck Strip residents, regardless of citizenship status. 

Forum Focus generally is distributed to Scarsdale Forum members in the first week of each month. Story ideas should be sent to communications@scarsdaleforum.com one week prior to be included in the coming issue.


Media Contact/Communications Chair
Tim Foley 

Forum Focus Editor
Laura Halligan