Meet the Pleasantville Trustee Candidate: Colleen Griffin Wagner

Colleen Griffin Wagner is seeking office as a village board trustee in Pleasantville for the first time.

There are currently two open seats on the board. Incumbents Stephen Lopez and Jonathan Cunningham, along with George Dolce, are also vying for the spots. Current Mayor Peter Scherer is also running for re-election, unopposed. Village board members serve three-year terms.

The village election will be held on Tuesday, March 20 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at .

Wagner, 49, has lived in the village for 12 years and describes herself as a "homemaker and dedicated volunteer."

She is a co-founder of the Pleasantville Special Education Parent Teacher Association (SEPTA) and its current president. She previously served on the parks and recreation board and coached for both the Pleasantville Dads Club and Pleasantville Youth Soccer Club. She also served for a decade as the Pleasantville American Youth Soccer Association (AYSO) regional commissioner. Wagner was also president of the Pleasantville Children's Center from 1998 to 2011 and has served as a member and committee chair of both the and Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs).

Patch: Why are you running for election and why should residents vote for you?

Wagner: I have a keen sense in identifying problems and I know how to get things done. My experience in the various organizations in town coupled with my strong communication skills and can do attitude are just what is needed on our village board. I am running for trustee because I care deeply for this village and feel that I have the time, skills and dedication necessary to guide us through the next three years and lay the foundation for the future.

Patch: What are your thoughts regarding the state tax cap and how the village board should address it? Should the board consider overriding the cap?

Wagner: The village tax cap is a good first step in providing tax relief and bringing back the idea that all residents and businesses can remain in Pleasantville if they choose to. But it’s only the first step. We must work to eliminate the numerous unfunded mandates that are crushing our ability to do business. I hope to support this endeavor by communicating and pressuring the State’s Mandate Relief Council who has been charged with eliminating future mandates and repealing unnecessary mandates. At this time, I would not consider overriding the 2% tax cap.

Patch: What should the village's top three priorities be heading into budget season?

Wagner: 1. We need to do business differently. I would like to see a campaign to encourage current and future businesses identified through the Business Support Council to invest in proposed development projects once thought feasible through the village budget.

2. We need to ensure that all of our basic needs and services are provided for in our budget, despite the 2% cap, being careful to balance the needs of residents against the needs of our businesses. 

3. We need to sell or find a use for the real estate properties currently on our books, not in use but draining to the budget.

Patch: What are your thoughts about the village considering a police merger with Westchester County or another municipality?

Wagner: While I do believe that we should look for fiscal opportunities in sharing resources among the local police departments or county police, I believe it is absolutely critical that any agreement maintains a uniform and constant local police presence in the village at all times. I would also like to explore part time staffing positions in the police department to offset overtime costs. I do not believe that the police department is a place to cut corners. We need the police to be proactive in prevention and detection of crimes while ensuring public safety and order.

Patch: What is an example of something you think the current board does well?

Wagner: I believe the current board is committed to both short term and long term financial planning. They work hard to lay the groundwork for success down the road and always consider the long term effects of all decisions. In addition, they have a very strong and collaborative relationship with our neighboring towns, which allows us to depend on one another in times of crisis and needed support.

Patch: How can the board improve and work better, if at all? How will you address this if elected?

Wagner: I believe the current board needs to work faster and more decisively. While it is very important to gather information, hold meetings and get input, decisions must be made and changes implemented in a more timely manner. I also believe the board needs to communicate better, in both directions. There are many things that the village does well, but marketing itself to its own residents is not one of them. Through web-based technology and re-implementation of a newsletter, I believe we can disseminate information and also receive immediate feedback on pressing issues.

Patch: What are three areas the board could consider cutting spending in the coming budget year?

Wagner: I do believe that the budget in Pleasantville is lean and that fiscal opportunities will present themselves only by thinking out of the box, looking for ways to pool our resources with neighboring communities and looking to partner with current and future businesses. It is difficult for me to pinpoint where we should cut spending in the coming year until I have the opportunity to discuss the details of the previous budgets with the current administration and see where we are on actual spending vs. last year's budget. But, we must continue to pressure the State’s Mandate Relief Council to eliminate all future mandates and to do away with unnecessary mandates that make the business of doing business in Pleasantville extremely difficult.

Patch: From the DOT tower proposal to flooding [], the Saw Mill River Parkway is a big issue in the village. How will you address it?

Wagner: We need to continue to make our voices heard about the parkway flooding so that when there is opportunity in the DOT budget to spend some money, they will spend it here on flood mitigation, not viewing traffic. The community action group together with our village board did a fantastic job connecting with our neighbors in New Castle and Mount Pleasant as well as our local and state legislators to make it clear that we did not want the microwave towers in our towns. We need that same commitment to our flooding situation. 

Patch: What are your thoughts on the Westchester County affordable housing settlement? Has the village been addressing it well? How will you address this issue if elected?

Wagner: Today’s affordable housing provides a stepping stone for young families, smaller, more manageable homes for seniors and creates housing for the County’s workforce. Affordable Housing in Pleasantville is very important to ensuring our village does not become a one-generation town. Because there is so little land available in Pleasantville for development, affordable housing opportunities are rare. I believe we need to be proactive and look to the small parcels of land currently owned by the village to see if these would be feasible affordable housing locations so that Pleasantville can continue to support the Westchester Affordable Housing settlement.

Patch: Are there any other major issues you hope to address as trustee?

Wagner: Pleasantville needs a Recreation Center. I would like to ensure that we have one established in the old Ambulance Corps on Marble Avenue, a building we already own. A functioning Recreation Center is an important part of our community and its been missing for too long. Not only does a quality Recreation Center attract new families, it is one of the few (if only) revenue generating departments in our village. The programs that we would be able to provide in a new facility, would eventually pay back the debt associated with retrofitting the new facility, and would continue to generate revenue for years too come.

Editor's Note: Meet the Candidate Q&As are being published in the order they were received by Patch.