Candidates Pledge to Do What is Best for Scarsdale

Randy Whitestone, Lena Crandall and Justin Arest are running for Scarsdale Village Trustee.This letter was written by Justin Arest, Lena Crandall and Randy Whitestone, SCNP Candidates for Vilage Trustee

To the Editor: At the root of the word “trustee” is the word “trust.” Village trustees are entrusted with faithfully representing the people they serve, namely, village residents. The three of us were honored to be nominated by the Citizens Nominating Committee for the office of Village Trustee last January. We pledge to never take that trust for granted and to work hard to deserve it. We pledge to be faithful to our duty to fight for what we believe is best for Scarsdale, even if at times we disagree with one another. We pledge to debate each other respectfully in a fact-based manner with the goal of getting things done for you, our neighbors.

We’ve had a record length of time as nominees because the pandemic postponed the March election. However, during these eight months we have demonstrated our dedication to serving you – Lena and Justin, as trustees, patiently grappled with tough fiscal, service, small business, and public health issues, and Randy, as an attendee at every village board meeting and work session, spoke as an engaged and thoughtful observer. Each of us has volunteered our time on a variety of boards and committees over the years, and shown, as others have attested in numerous letters, that we can work well with others, build consensus, and achieve results.

The world has changed since March in an eventful, uncertain and tragic year the likes of which we hope never to see again. But we’re not through this crisis yet, and more hard work is needed in these uncharted waters. We seek your vote for village trustee because we love this community and we believe we offer the kinds of skills, experience, knowledge and temperament to merit your vote.

Each of us was subject to a careful vetting process by 30 elected neighbors from every neighborhood in Scarsdale. We chose to run because we believe strongly in the Scarsdale schools’ motto of non sibi, serving not for ourselves. For us, public service is not about drawing attention, it’s about the dedication of time and hard work necessary to achieve the best outcome.

We are a village filled with smart residents, who represent a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds and who value innovation in service to our beautiful, stable village. This cognitive diversity makes Scarsdale a wonderful place to live and build community. We pledge to listen to all voices and engage in caring, civil discourse and be open to new ideas on what kind of village we together want to be in the future. We will do everything we can to make it comfortable and easy for residents to voice their ideas to ensure a process-driven government of openness and transparency.

We respectfully ask for your vote September 15. But most importantly, we ask you to vote, period, and engage with us on the many important issues facing our village.

Sincerely,

Justin Arest
Lakin Road

Lena Crandall
Fox Meadow Road

Randy Whitestone
Sprague Road