LWVS Questions Code Change on the Role of the Village Manager

(This letter was submitted by the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale)
Dear Mayor and Board of Trustees,

The Board of the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale (LWVS) thanks the Mayor and the Village Board of Trustees for their dedicated volunteer service to the Village of Scarsdale as public officials. We appreciate all the hard work you put in serving our community.

We are writing with regard to the proposed legislation to amend Chapter 57 of the Scarsdale Village Code, which concerns the Village Manager’s Office. At the time that former Manager Rob Cole resigned, Mayor Arest announced that the Village Board and the Village Attorney were working on an amendment to the Village Code to incorporate the current language in Chapter 57 and Section A318, a codification of a 1962 Village Board resolution, and that further clarification would be provided to the public. At that time, the Mayor and Board of Trustees stated that nothing would change with regard to Village operations.

Upon consulting with a professional organization, we have reason to believe that the proposed legislation may limit the authority of the Village Manager relative to certain personnel decisions and direct supervisory authority over certain department heads in a way that changes how the Village government has operated, in practice, since 1941. The LWVS Board is poised to undertake further study of this issue and is also concerned that the community may not have had sufficient notice, time, nor opportunity to weigh in on the proposed changes.

Because of the significance of the potential changes to Village governance, the LWVS Board respectfully requests that the Mayor and Village Board pause on any action until the public has had the opportunity to learn more about the proposed amendments and to ask questions about them.

Sincerely,
Heedan Chung and Jessica Zellner
Co-Presidents, League of Women Voters of Scarsdale