Bernstein Vs. Feiner: What are the Takeaways?

The race for Greenburgh Town Supervisor in the primary on September 10 was one of the most closely watched contests in the county. Bob Bernstein, a lawyer, and an Edgemont resident who has advocated for the incorporation of Edgemont as a village challenged eleven-term Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. Though Feiner won with 64% of the vote to Bernstein's 36% there was lively debate and an energized election.

Here is what both candidates took away from the election and hope for the future:

Bob Bernstein:

What is your analysis of the results?

We did extraordinarily well in Edgemont and not so well in other parts of Greenburgh. It seems the people who know me the best also like me the best, and dramatically so, which is gratifying. I am also very proud that we were able to run an honest, clean and competitive campaign that focused entirely on the issues affecting Greenburgh. I cannot same the same for my opponent who, we now know, sent mailings a day or two before the election to areas outside of Edgemont which contained numerous false, misleading and in some cases defamatory statements about me personally. As for the current supervisor, he received more than 500 fewer votes in 2013 than he received in 2007, which is not insignificant in an election in which less than 6,000 people actually voted. That reduction in his vote total suggests that more and more residents outside of Edgemont are beginning to learn what Edgemont already knows -- that the current supervisor's mismanagement of the town is costing taxpayers millions of dollars which will affect all of our wallets today and in the years to come.

What did you learn from the experience of running?

On the positive side, I got to know and work closely with a wonderful group of dedicated volunteers from outside of Edgemont who wanted so very much to see a change in local government, not so much for themselves, but for their neighborhoods and the Town. I also learned that there are pockets of Greenburgh outside of Edgemont that are truly suffering under the current supervisor's continued mismanagement and I regret that I won't be able to help them, at least not in the short term. On the negative side, it is very difficult to run against a desperate career politician who will do anything he can to cling to power. Feiner spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to remove me from the ballot for using the name "Bob," while falsely accusing dozens of innocent people, including Roman Catholic nuns, of trying to forge signatures to get my name on the ballot. He also refused to participate in the only debate held in the Town's unincorporated area, had his supporters remove, deface and destroy my lawn signs, and then, as a last ditch effort, he waged a particularly vicious campaign of fear and smear. For example, he sent divisive mailings to the villages telling them falsely that I planned to raise village taxes over which I have no control 300%, he falsely accused me of personal professional misconduct and in the process, he libeled me. He also sent mailings to the Town's African American community using fabricated quotes to paint me as a racist.

How has Feiner maintained his base of supporters?

As indicated above, Feiner's base of support actually got smaller this time, by a little more than 500 votes. But he was able to maintain his base by, among other things, successfully pitting the unincorporated areas of the Town against the villages, and by pitting the unincorporated areas outside of Edgemont against Edgemont itself, and by using fear and smear tactics.

What does the outcome of the vote mean for the future of Greenburgh and of Edgemont?

I do not want to speculate right now on the future. Edgemont will certainly have to think long and hard about what it wishes to do. Some view the results as a mandate for Edgemont to incorporate as a village, while others see the results as an important and refreshing first step in bringing change to Greenburgh's town government.

What are your future plans?

I plan to continue practicing law, which I love, while keeping my options open. I received the overwhelming support of the party's district leaders at its convention to run as the party's endorsed candidate, I received over 2,100 votes, and I had the support of nearly 80% of Edgemont's residents in what was for Edgemont a record turnout in a Democratic primary of close to 37%. I owe it to everyone who supported my effort to continue to stay involved and work for the change that many of us feel is so desperately needed.

Paul Feiner:

I want to thank everyone who participated in the recent primary regardless of how you voted. I would respectfully like to offer my analysis of the recent primary and what I have learned from this experience. The total vote in the Democratic primary for Town Supervisor was 5922 of which I received 3801 and my opponent received 2121 a difference of 1680 votes. This represents 64% to 36% of the total votes cast. The Town of Greenburgh consists of 81 election districts. My opponent won 10 districts out of 81. However 6 of 10 districts represents votes in the Edgemont community. This means that 4 districts outside of Edgemont voted for my opponent out of the remaining 75 election districts. The total vote in Edgemont was 817 votes. The primary election is over and there is no Republican candidate running in November. Thus I am looking to the future and I am reaching out to my opponent Bob Bernstein his supporters, as well as the majority of the people residing in Edgemont to join with me in an effort to address the concerns of the people in Edgemont. Of course this doesn't mean we will agree on how to resolve past issues or even future issues all the time. What it does mean to me is that we have transparency and not attack each other constantly to gain political points. I realize this was a difficult election and there maybe hurt feelings on both sides. However we must put aside our personal differences and work cooperatively for a better Greenburgh.

I am very concerned that my opponent and some of his supporters are reviving the possibility of Edgemont's Incorporation and becoming a separate village. This has been alluded to in Bob Bernstein's facebook page. If Edgemont became a separate village Edgemont resident taxes will go up significantly to pay for the additional administrative costs. Services that Edgemont residents currently enjoy could also be impacted. The residents of unincorporated Greenburgh will also see significant cuts in services or tax hikes. It would be a disaster for all. The trend in Government is to consolidate instead of creating separate layers of government. In future letters I will be more specific as Supervisor why this would dramatically effect your taxes as well as services you currently enjoy in Greenburgh.

However I am cognizant of the fact I must do better to achieve the support of the people in Edgemont. To achieve this end I will be creating an Edgemont Citizens Committee that will meet with me frequently to discuss ways the town can be more responsive to Edgemont concerns. This citizens group will include open minded residents who have supported and opposed initiatives that I have advocated in th past .I want to better understand your concerns. I am hopeful that the committee will include people who also have not been active in town issues in the past.

If you reside in Edgemont and want to participate in the citizens group please e mail me at pfeiner@greenburghny.com or call me at 993-1545.

Paul Feiner
Greenburgh Town Supervisor