New Village Board Adopts Surveillace System and a Cafe to Open at Scarsdale Library

Jason Kofman, Justin Arest, Dara Gruenberg and David Goldschmidt were sworn into office on Monday April 7, 2025.The Mayor and newly-elected Village Trustees were sworn into office on Monday April 7, 2025 at noon, and quickly got back to work with a work session and Village Board meeting on the evening of Tuesday April 8.

Village Clerk Taylor Emanuel began the proceedings on Monday when she swore in Mayor Justin Arest for his second term in office. He then swore in first time Trustee David Goldschmidt, returning Trustee Dara Gruenberg and newly elected Trustee Jason Kofman.

The ceremony was attended by Village staff, former trustees, current trustees and family and friends who offered a hearty round of applause for the new board.

Without missing a beat, the new Village Board was back in action on Tuesday April 8. 2025. At a work session prior to the meeting they heard a presentation from Scarsdale’s new Police Chief Steven DelBene calling for the adoption of a new surveillance system in Scarsdale. The system utilizes “an eco-system of inter-connected tools to monitor and identify vehicles in Scarsdale in order to find and apprehend criminals. Included are live-view cameras, license plate readers (LPR’s) and drones which will alert police of the presence of vehicles and match license plates in real time to pre-existing databases (National Crime Information Center – NCIC.)

Once there is an alert, a drone will be immediately deployed and will be on scene prior to officer’s arrival to provide critical real-time information to aid in the response. See all the details of the new system here.

Why is this new program necessary?

According to Chief DelBene: Since 2010 Scarsdale has experienced 329 burglaries, 1,557 larcenies, and 139 motor vehicle thefts. These are extremely difficult to solved as the perpetrators are well organized, transient or individuals committing crimes with obscure identities. He cited seven other lower Westchester municipalities who are currently utilizing the technology. (As far as we know, Police never found the people who broke into 52 cars in the Village in the early morning hours of Labor Day in September 2024.)

At the meeting of the Village Board that followed the work session on 4/8, the Board voted 6-1 to adopt the technology which the Mayor said will be paid for by a federal grant. They agreed to retain Flock Safety to “provide the Scarsdale Police Department with First Responder Drones including hardware, software, training and services for a total of $116,142.86 annually with an initial term of seven years; and to provide the Scarsdale Police Department and with public safety video cameras and license plate reader cameras and all corresponding hardware, software, training and services for a total of $141,000.00 annually with an initial term of seven years.”

Trustee Jeremy Gans was the lone “no” vote. He cited concerns about privacy and the sharing of personal data.

Mayor’s Comments

"At the opening of the Village Board meeting on April 8, 2025, Mayor Justin Arest made the following comments:

I’d like to begin by taking a moment to recognize the passing of Merrell Clark, a longtime Scarsdale resident whose quiet leadership and enduring civic commitment left a meaningful imprint on our community.

Merrell was deeply engaged in the life of the Village. In 1985, he chaired the Scarsdale Futures Committee—an initiative that sought to take a broad, forward-looking view of Scarsdale’s needs and values. Under his leadership, the Committee conducted what remains one of the most ambitious and inclusive surveys in our community’s history, with over 3,000 residents participating. The results guided conversations for years and are still remembered today as a gold standard in community engagement.

Merrell also served on the Board of Ethics and was active in the Town and Village Civic Club, which is now the Scarsdale Forum, where he helped promote transparency and thoughtful local governance. Whether contributing to neighborhood conversations or participating in public meetings, Merrell brought a calm, reasoned presence and a genuine desire to serve the public good.

Outside of Scarsdale, Merrell dedicated his time to nonprofit organizations focused on mental health and social justice—continuing his lifelong commitment to service and compassion.

Here in Scarsdale, we will remember him as a neighbor who listened closely, acted with integrity, and believed deeply in the importance of community. We are grateful for all he gave, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.

May his memory be a blessing.

Continuing now with some reflections on a weekend that really captured the energy and spirit of Scarsdale. I had the privilege of helping start the 55th Annual Scarsdale 15K and 4-Mile races—an incredible community tradition made possible by the coordination and dedication of so many. I want to especially thank our Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of Parks, Recreation and Conservation, along with their entire department, for leading the effort.

Their hard work didn’t end with the race. Thanks to their strong stewardship and investments we have made in recent years, our athletic fields were in excellent shape and open for community use all weekend. That’s no small feat in early April—and a testament to how well they manage both infrastructure and weather challenges. I heard from many residents who appreciated that we could be open when many other communities could not.

Yesterday, we marked an important milestone with the swearing-in ceremony for Trustees Goldschmidt, Gruenberg, and Kofman. I want to warmly welcome Trustees Goldschmidt and Kofman to the Board. I’m excited to work with both of you and continue building on our tradition of thoughtful governance. And to Trustee Gruenberg—congratulations on your continued service.

I also had the honor of being sworn in for a second term as Mayor. It has been an incredible honor to serve Scarsdale, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue doing so.

Tonight, we open our public hearing on the Tentative Village budget for FY2025–2026. I know Trustee Gans will offer our thanks to the Village Treasurer, the Village Manager, and all staff involved in this year’s budget process—and rightly so. But since I get to speak first, I want to offer my appreciation as well.

What continues to impress me about Scarsdale’s budgeting is how transparent and inclusive the process is. Many local governments don’t begin public budget conversations until the tentative budget is filed. Here, we start much earlier—typically at least eight months out for staff and at least six months of deliberation and discussion for the Board and public. Capital planning—and by extension, long-term investment in community infrastructure—is a year-round effort.

This extended process matters, especially in communities like ours where the majority of the tax levy comes from single-family residential properties, and where much of our spending is non-discretionary—shaped by collective bargaining agreements, state mandates, and long-term obligations. That means every discretionary dollar must be carefully weighed. And it’s why we work to take the long view—balancing our immediate needs with investments in the future.

As we look ahead, we are mindful of potential economic headwinds. Signs are emerging that point toward a possible weakening of broader economic conditions. This year, we’ve made more aggressive revenue assumptions—particularly around sales and income tax—than we typically would. While we believe these projections are reasonable, they may become harder to achieve if economic conditions continue to deteriorate. And because the performance of the equity markets directly affects the pension rates set by the State Comptroller, market volatility could also impact future obligations.

Of course, these financial uncertainties don’t just affect our budget—they can weigh heavily on the households and families that make up our community. Our residents are not only our constituents, they are also our friends and neighbors, and we are always mindful of how broader economic challenges can ripple through their lives. I share this not to raise alarm or suggest immediate changes are needed, but to reassure the community that we are closely monitoring these factors. We remain prepared to make prudent adjustments if and when they become necessary.

With the information available to us today, I believe this budget represents a sound, responsible, and forward-looking fiscal plan for our community.”

Public Comments

During Public Comments Anne Hintermeister expressed concerns about a budget line that calls for the issuance of a $37 million to pay for the pool complex.

She said, “The Board chose to go forward with a $53 million year-round facility. Is the $37 million bond realistic? It sounds kind of low. Does it include contingencies and bond issuance costs? You originally rejected the year-round option due to staffing costs and anticipated losses – have these changed? Who will operate it, run it, staff it? Subsidizing pool operations from the Village budget is not a good idea. Would you charge residents even more? I think it should continue to be run with the Enterprise Fund. I don’t think the public has an idea of what is going on.”

Mayor Arest responded, “In terms of the true cost, until we get to 25% of the schematic design, it is fairly uncertain. We want to spend the least amount while providing the community with what they want. I am comfortable leaving it at this level for now. We will produce the plans so we can understand the costs moving forward once we have a better idea of the operational structure. We can’t do it without knowing how many buildings there will be and how much staff will be needed. The intent is to have it as an Enterprise Fund and keep it self-sustaining.”

Trustee Jeremy Gans said, “I appreciate that you go back and look at prior presentations. If nothing happens with the tariffs, we won’t be able to build this pool. But we need a number for the budget at this time.”

During Trustee Reports, Trustee Gruenberg said, “I attended the Junior League of Central Westchester fundraiser last Friday night. They do 8,000 hours of community service a year. They donated over 2,000,000 diapers. Assemblymember Paulin threw the first die to get the party started.”

Meals on Wheels

The Board signed an agreement to provide administrative support for Meals on Wheels to deliver meals to recipients in the Village at a cost not to exceed $12,000. Trustee Gruenberg pointed out that the recipients pay for their meals, but the Village steps in to support the delivery.

Village Wide Fees and Charges

Trustees voted to adopt a schedule of fees and charges for the 2025-26 fiscal year. You can see the new schedule here.Baked goods from Boleria.

Teen Travel Camp

The Board awarded a contract for teen travel buses to Nationwide Bus Charter of Staten Island for the travel camp for the summer of 2025.

A Café for the Library

The Board voted to execute a revocable license agreement with Boleria NY LLC as licensee for the operation of café services at the Scarsdale Public Library. Boleria is a Brazilian bakery in Mamaroneck that makes cakes, treats, quiche, soup and more.