What Are the Qualities of a Good Village Trustee?

At an organizational meeting of the CNC, current trustees Randy Whitestone, Lena Crandall and Justin Arest offered their thoughts on the qualities of good Village Board members.What are the qualities of a good candidate to serve on the Scarsdale Village Board, either as a Trustee or as the Mayor of Scarsdale? That was the subject of remarks by the current Mayor and several Village Trustees at an organizational meeting of the Scarsdale Citizens Nominating Committee on Monday November 30 via Zoom.

The purpose of the meeting was to learn more about Scarsdale's non-partisan system for selecting candidates to run for Village office on the Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party slate.

The Citizens Nominating Committee, a volunteer group of elected representatives will meet from November to January to seek, interview, and evaluate potential candidates to run for Village office. This year the CNC will nominate individuals to run for three openings on the Scarsdale Village Board and Village Mayor. Trustee Seth Ross will be finishing his second two-year term and Trustees Rochelle Waldman and Jonathan Lewis will be completing their first two-year terms and eligible for second terms. Village Mayor Marc Samwick will be finishing his two-year term. The General Village Election will be held at Village Hall on Tuesday, March 16, 2021.

At Monday night’s meeting, Mayor Marc Samwick and Trustees Justin Arest, Lena Crandall, Seth Ross and Randy Whitestone all offered their thoughts on what characteristics make good board members and mayors. Excerpts from their statements are below.

If you would like to be considered for a position or would like to nominate someone else, reach out to CNC Chair Eric Lichtenstein at edlichtenstein@gmail.com.

Mayor Marc Samwick

….We are here to share our thoughts on the attributes that make a good Trustee and Mayor. I believe the most important trait of a potential elected official is integrity. In fact, integrity is the cornerstone of the Board of Trustees and one weak link can undermine the entire Board. The CNC performs the important, extensive diligence on potential nominees and that hard work has successfully upheld the integrity of the Board of Trustees.

Other critical characteristics of a successful Trustee or Mayor are open mindedness, good listening skills, critical thinking, collaboration, adaptability, willingness to dive into a wide range of issues, and the ability and willingness to communicate thoughts in a clear, concise and logical manner. It is also important that Trustees understand the role of Board and the value of our political system and the roles and responsibilities of each member.Former Mayor Jon Mark with current Mayor Marc Samwick

As Mayor, one must balance the competing interests of different individuals and constituents, including residents, Trustees and staff. There are increased demands that the Mayor consider all interests and work with all constituents to balance the views and priorities of all parties to steer a course toward consensus. This does not mean that consensus is always able to be achieved, but it requires a good faith effort to use one’s judgment to balance competing interests, goals and objectives with a steadfast view of what is in the best interests of the Village. The Mayor may have to take unpopular positions that do not please all parties and it is important that the Mayor’s guiding principles are steadfast and anchored in the integrity of the system that has served Scarsdale well for over a century.

As a group, the Village Board has historically sought to migrate its views to a consensus position that may have the appearance of coming from a nearly singular view. In fact, we often start with divergent opinions and work diligently to incorporate the community’s and each other’s thoughts and concerns to develop a more unified perspective. This process involves mutual respect, clear, consistent and timely communication, willingness to compromise and the ability to understand issues from a 10,000-foot perspective as well as a feet-on-the-ground view. Being able and willing to listen to other views and work collaboratively is critical.

As far as experience is concerned, it is important to have Trustees who have backgrounds in law, finance and land use, as well as experience bases in a wide array of other areas, including but not limited to environmental stewardship, communications and personnel matters. Experience volunteering within the Village is also important. There are many ways to volunteer within the Village and there are a wide range of volunteer experiences that can add value and diversity to the Board and the community.

In addition to individual characteristics, there are overarching attributes of the group that should also be addressed. The Board and Village benefit from diversity in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, neighborhood representation and skill sets – each of which is important. With limited vacancies being filled at any given time, diversity is not necessarily addressed in a single year, but is something to be cognizant of year-in and year-out as the CNC selects candidates to serve on the Village Board.

Our non-partisan system has thrived in part because it encourages a wide range of people step into leadership roles that never would have done so in contested, partisan elections. Over the past few years, a very small, yet vocal group has mistakenly viewed the CNC’s non-partisan process as exclusionary. Nothing could be further from the truth – our unique non-partisan process encourages the best candidates – those who might not otherwise seek election to the Village Board.

As a result of this very small group, the CNC should now also consider a candidate’s willingness and ability to stand in a contested election. The unfortunate result of more regularly contested local elections that mimic the national and international trends toward increased partisanship and less civil campaigns may be a reduced number of people that are willing to stand for election for Mayor and Trustee.

Justin Arest

When it comes to qualities for Trustee, my comments will discuss Respect, Civility, Courage, Education, Experience, and Integrity. Of course it is a balance of these traits, I do not believe that any of them should stand on its own without additional considerations.

Respect, Civility and Courage: The Board of Trustees is not about one individual. It is about moving our community in the right direction. And that is why trying to reach consensus is important and usually leads to better policies. But, discourse and the ideas of Respect, Civility and Courage are not mutually exclusive. Disagreements can often make policy better. And even if challenging what may be viewed as the status quo does not lead to radical changes it can impact the path to consensus and make our processes and our intended policies better and more effective. A Trustee must be willing to demand the best information possible and stand up and make decisions that she or he believes are in the best interest of the community. Having the courage to speak up or challenge an assertion, with respect and civility, is absolutely part of the job. And, I believe these traits can be discovered through the numerous references you will speak with during the vetting process.

Education and Experience: I know you will pay close attention to an applicant’s CV for education as well as professional and voluntary experiences. All of these events in an applicant’s life can benefit the board. We as a board can never fully anticipate the important issues that will come before us and therefore a variety of skills can be helpful. Backgrounds in finance, business and the law can help a candidate and the board in a number of areas but should not be requirements for the job.

Integrity: It is essential for any role. Even when we disagree, it is imperative that we believe we are disagreeing for the right reasons. Never should it even appear that a Board Member is dealing from a position of self-interest, or personal issues. This could be toxic and very damaging to the effectiveness of the Board. This is again where a CV and references play a critical role.

I believe references are the key to finding the best candidates. We are a community of smart people. I imagine all of the CVs you will receive will be impressive. Where I believe candidates can really stand out is in their volunteer experiences here in Scarsdale. Did they make a difference? Were they additive to a project? Could they lead? Could they follow? Could they listen? Could they only cooperate when their ideas were adopted? I do not believe that a long track record of volunteerism in Scarsdale should be a requirement. However, this is not an entry level position. I would humbly suggest that no candidate should advance from this body unless it is your consensus that she or he has demonstrated integrity as well as strength in both intellectual and emotional intelligence throughout her or his volunteerism.

Lena Crandall

-When considering what makes a good Village Trustee, Lena Crandall recommends someone who is:

-Willing to keep an open mind, learn from others and interested in doing independent research if warranted. Avoid candidates with agendas.

-Able to discuss difficult topics with sensitivity and clarity.

-Able to keep information discussed in Executive Session confidential; but clear and transparent when appropriate.

-Courteous and understanding of residents.

-Feels comfortable talking about race relations, money, or any other potentially explosive topic. … someone who can give you the benefit of the doubt.

-A problem solver.

And for Mayor – what are Crandall’s thoughts about that role. She would look for:

-A team player, who can represent the consensus of the Village Board to the Village Manager and relay relevant information from staff back to the Village Board

-Someone who is trustworthy to accurately represent both parts of Village government and should not promote any initiative that doesn’t have the support of the Village Board, which ideally represents the best interests of the public it serves. In other words, the Mayor has a defined role to play as an intermediary between the Trustees and Village Management

-A mentor and teacher who can helps new Trustees transition into the role of public servant.

-A voice of Village Government and a representative of Scarsdale

-A leader who will attend and speak at public events such as the Memorial Day Parade, the Scarsdale Forum State of the Village, Westchester County intergovernmental meetings, State level hearings (e.g. Con Edison after a storm event), etc.

-Someone who is responsive to complaints and inquiries from residents and speaks to the press.

-Someone who leads by example and inspires and welcomes public participation.

Seth RossTrustee Seth Ross will complete two terms of service in March, 2021.

As I am nearing the end of my service as a village trustee, I could not help but formulate my statement as to the experience and abilities that would be desirable in a candidate for the forthcoming election with an eye toward the kind of public servant that I myself strive to be. This meeting is, after all, a step in the process of selecting my replacement as trustee, as well as a new mayor.

The job of village trustee is multi-faceted. It requires a certain mindset, marked by good judgment, a desire to serve the community, a willingness to work, an understanding of the kind of community Scarsdale is and the needs, desires and aspirations of its citizens. Trustees read, observe, and listen a great deal. They also interact with the members of the community in many ways both formal and informal. They participate in public meetings and other events, they serve as liaisons to village boards and councils and community groups, and they interact in any number of other ways with their fellow Scarsdale residents. So a trustee must be someone with both the skill set and the willingness to engage with other community members, not only with his or her fellow trustees and village staff.

But, of course, the bulk of the job of a village trustee consists of being a member of the village’s governing body. This involves deliberating and voting on matters of concern to the community, which in turn involves review of sometimes voluminous written materials and the formulation of positions as to what is best for the village and its residents.
The range of substantive areas involved in the trustees’ work is broad. It includes, but is not limited to:

Law
Finance
Public safety
Management
Recreation
Sustainability and conservation
Technology
Communications
Land use
Disabilities and special needs of various populations
Sanitation
Facilities maintenance, and last but not least,
Ethics

Specific knowledge in any of these areas can make a difference. Areas like law and finance, of course, are involved in many of the decisions made by the trustees, and Scarsdale is fortunate to have many residents who are quite well versed in these areas.

While a trustee need not come to the board as an expert in any of these fields, he or she must have the general education, experience, and intelligence to develop an understanding of the concepts and language of each of these areas of endeavor, and others, in order to be able to deal with them when they arise.

It helps to be a quick study, but perhaps more important is the ability to spot issues and formulate, or often more to evaluate, possible resolutions.

I cannot stress too strongly that the work of the board is collaborative, and the most effective trustees are those who are adept at the exchange of ideas with others.
I’m going to finish with a consideration that’s sometimes overlooked but shouldn’t ever be. Village trustee is a volunteer job that takes quite a lot of time and energy. The person who’s chosen for the job should be someone will enjoy doing it – someone who not only has the attributes and knowledge and capabilities I’ve mentioned but who gets real satisfaction out of putting them to use.

And now a relatively brief word on the attributes of a good mayor. To a great extent they’re quite similar to those of a trustee. But it does take more to be mayor. The mayor of Scarsdale has to be comfortable being the center or the focus of a discussion. He or she must be able to think especially quickly, to act especially decisively, and be willing and able to be the one the board, the village staff, and the community look to for guidance, direction and frequently for explanations. The mayor must also be skilled at leading a public dialogue, keeping things on track and ensuring that all voices are heard. Service as mayor is, among other things, a balancing act.

Randy Whitestone

…As far as qualifications for trustee, I’d start with a love of learning – an interest in doing the reading, the research, in studying, and in reaching out to people in the community.

It’s critical to ask the right questions to elicit the information that matters. And actively listen – really hear what’s being said.

A good trustee should have an open mind: it’s OK to have a point of view but not a rigidly pre-formed one. As my colleagues have said, it’s important to be collaborative. And a good trustee should be inclusive of those who might otherwise be overlooked, who may not have the loudest voices

You’d look for professional and/or volunteer expertise with some level of accomplishment.

And in my view it’s important to have a bias toward excellence, process, transparency and high standards

Finally, trustees should have strong leadership presence and skills – particularly for the mayor, who must be an ambassador for the community, a communicator, a focal point for public discussion and the community’s views and agenda.

And, above all, trustees must possess a deeply held belief in service and stewardship and mission to represent everyone in the community.

If you would like to be considered for a position or would like to nominate someone else, reach out to CNC Chair Eric Lichtenstein at edlichtenstein@gmail.com.