Letter to the Editor: Respect for Prudent Stewardship

(This letter was sent to Scarsdale10583 by Diane Greenwald)
Scarsdale Friends: I want to offer public thanks to Mayor Marc Samwick and Trustees Justin Arest, Lena Crandall, Seth Ross, Rochelle Waldman and Jane Veron for executing on a hard decision last night and passing the Village budget, one that includes a relatively small increase but also a promise of regular review for future relief.

As we all know, COVID-19 interrupted everything, including the village budget process. This budget, supported by the LWVS and the Scarsdale Forum, offers several important features, including a quick pivot by the Village to austerity operations; creation of a COVID emergency contingency fund; and immediate reductions to taxpayers generated from the Library reopening delay. It has more to go, but I am grateful this deciding body did not make rash or dangerous cuts out of panic.

I am not a finance professional but after years of community involvement, I have come to understand the Village budget. Truth is, it’s just not that complicated. Expenses, revenues, savings. The end! What gets complicated are the values that connect to our taxes and the collective priorities that can never be perfect but must respect and reflect our community ethos. Our taxes are the cost of a civil society and must be weighed very carefully.

Some in Scarsdale (the political party, the VCP) circulated a petition seeking immediate and drastic cuts to the proposed Village budget, and while I can understand the instinct, the devil is in the details. We all seek relief; no one is immune, but in truth, we have little discretion over our local budgets, which are heavily mandated by the State, and we have to be careful not to cut off our noses to spite our faces.

The VCP petition suggested cutting amounts largely from our fire and police departments, which illuminates just how tightly formed our Village budget really is. Cutting the funds of first responders (local heroes) during a pandemic is not low hanging fruit. This is not belt tightening -- it’s dangerous.

Thankfully, the Village Trustees did not act on these ill-advised recommendations. Taking into account the long-term health of our Village finances and our community profile, they acted reasonably. Our neighbors in towns like Pelham, Bronxville and Mt. Kisco, also approved budget increases; each of those towns and several other peer communities passed higher percentage increases than our own.

Moving forward, we should not frame future budget discussions in a way that pits neighbor against neighbor. We should not make sweeping assumptions about other peoples’ capacity and resources. And we should not suggest that those supporting iterative, careful, data-driven budgeting are out of touch and out to harm our more vulnerable.

In fact, our more vulnerable community members may rely on our tax-supported services most. Government provides for our collective health, our community safety and various services that improve and save our lives. This is the Scarsdale brand and impacts our investment here, the value of our homes.

We should be protective of our staff. Cuts that hurt village professionals also impact our local economy, our broader ecosystem. Beyond the mandates and legal contracts, we have some duty out of self-interest and as decent people to support our workforce – first responders and others. I want to thank all of Scarsdale’s exceptional employees who support us during these difficult times. We are with you.

I applaud our Village leaders for both their action – passing a careful budget – and for their intention – to continue to work on the budget to find the economies with careful reflection, which the law thankfully permits. As Budget Chair Justin Arest noted, “Unlike previous years, this vote… is not the culmination of our work, it is something of a beginning.”

Good luck going forward safely and thank you for your service.

Diane Greenwald