Candidate for Village Trustee Ron Schulhof Looks Forward to Making Tangible Improvements to Scarsdale

How long have you lived in Scarsdale? Tell us about your career in public service and your volunteer positions and what do you most value about the community?

I’ve lived in Scarsdale for about 12 years with my wife Rachel and our two sons. Since moving here I’ve volunteered in a variety of ways throughout the community. Most recently I served six years on the Scarsdale Board of Education, including two years as President and Vice President.

Many people may also be familiar with the sustainability initiatives I’ve been involved in – launching the food scrap recycling program, transitioning our streetlights to LEDs, expanding recycling operations at the recycling center, moving to weekly recycling pickup, among other projects. I have also served in several roles in local village and school organizations including the PTA, various school committees, the Scarsdale Forum, the Citizens’ Nominating Committee, and coaching youth sports. A great aspect about local volunteering is that you can really get things done while making tangible improvements to our community!

It’s been terrific not only to serve in these capacities, but also to meet incredible volunteers throughout the community. Working with so many great people has really made me appreciate what a special place Scarsdale is and the amazing work that happens here because of community volunteers and our professional staff.

You served six years on the School Board, two as President and Vice President: What did you learn from the experience? What was most memorable and what are you proud of?

During my six years on the Board of Education there were certainly a lot of memorable events. What I am most proud of is the many tangible improvements we made in partnership with the administration and community for the benefit of our students. We added new class offerings based on student feedback, such as Financial Literacy at SHS. We made improvements to our buildings and fields with the renovation of the High School Auditorium and enhancements to the Varsity Softball Field in partnership with the Village. We implemented safety and security upgrades throughout all of our buildings. These are just a few examples that highlight our focus on continually finding opportunities to improve our district on behalf of our current and future students.  As a Board we also hired a new superintendent and several new administrators who are dedicated to delivering a great experience for our students throughout their K-12 education.

My tenure also taught me a great deal about governing effectively on an elected local governing body. One of the most important lessons was about communication. We all know consistency matters, but what I came to truly appreciate was the need to meet constituents where they are – using multiple channels, repeating key messages, and recognizing that most residents are busy with work, kids, and life, and simply can’t track every development the way a Board member or administrator does. What feels like over-communication from inside the Board often barely registers to someone outside it. We worked hard to improve our outreach, and I’ll carry that commitment to proactive, accessible communication directly into my role as a Village Trustee.

Why do you want to join the Scarsdale Village Board at this time?

This is a really exciting time to join the Village Board with so many exciting and impactful projects currently before the Board and on the horizon, including major projects like the pool, Freightway, and field improvements. As well as the ongoing responsibility to deliver high-quality day-to-day services that make Scarsdale such a great place to live. Equally important is finding a way to do all of this within a fiscally responsible framework that balances investment with taxes.

These are exactly the kinds of issues I’ve worked on as a volunteer with so many great people – residents, fellow board members, and professional staff. I look forward to continuing to have an opportunity to be part of delivering tangible improvements and projects to our community.

What skills and experience will you bring to enhance the Board?

I hope my track record of volunteering over the past 12 years show how I would approach the role of a Village Trustee and the qualities I would bring. Professionally, my background in finance and corporate strategy have given me deep experience with budgets, long-term planning, complex data and systems, and communicating clearly to different audiences. My experience on the School Board – while it focused on school matters – has a lot of overlap with the type of projects and work that the Village Board takes on.

I have enjoyed collaborating and building relationships with many people in Village Government. Over the years I’ve had the chance to work closely with Village Manager Alex Marshall, many of the department heads, and of course the Mayor and current Board members.

I am transparent. I believe elected officials owe the community clarity about how and why decisions are made. One of the areas I focused on when I joined the Board of Education was improving Board communication and encouraging more public input. I always strive to be open in my decision making and thought process.

I am always willing to roll up my sleeves and learn about new topics and do the work.

The Board has approved a major project to replace and enhance the Scarsdale Pool complex. Please share your thoughts on this. At the same time, the School District is close to proposing a $101 mm bond. What are your views on the proposal, the timing and how it will impact Scarsdale taxpayers?

Both projects reflect a challenge every community faces: how do we continue to deliver exceptional services and infrastructure – and invest in our future – while doing it in a fiscally responsible manner. Many of our buildings and facilities are 50 – 100 years old and either need updating because they are at the end of their useful life or do not meet the needs of life today. I appreciate both the Village and School taking on these tough decisions, listening to the community, and bringing proposals forward to enhance what our community has to offer. The reality is that a lot of this work is expensive; It also adds a lot of value for us as residents!

In the spring of 2025, the Village proposed the purchase of new police equipment including cameras, LPR’s and drones to improve surveillance and tracking. What are your views on the need for the equipment and the reaction from residents?

It’s important to find the right balance between keeping everyone in our community safe while respecting privacy rights. As with so many decisions at the local level, we need to listen to both our professional staff – in this case our police department - and our residents to find a path forward that gives our police department the tools they need while considering residents views.

The Mayor recently announced that the Village will move forward with exploration of the development of the Freightway site. Please share your thoughts on this.

I am very excited to work on a Freightway development. There is an amazing opportunity to enhance our downtown area while adding new revenue to our tax base (and avoiding the continued costs to maintain an aging parking garage). Many communities throughout Westchester have successfully developed similar transit-oriented buildings in their downtown area and I believe we can do the same in Scarsdale.

What challenges do you anticipate the Village might encounter during your term?

The perennial challenge for local governments is finding the balance between providing a level of service expected by our residents with the tax burden it places on each household. As I look back over the past several years, I think the Village Board has done a fantastic job keeping a very high level of service while also expanding new services and improvements throughout our Village. Weekly recycling, field improvements, new playgrounds and new tennis courts are just some of the examples of great enhancements that have been made over the past few years. I look forward to continuing this work while doing so in a fiscally responsible manner.

What do you hope to accomplish as a Village Trustee?

I look forward to continuing to make tangible improvements to our community. In the near-term that includes the pool project, Freightway development, field improvements, sustainability initiatives, and many other important topics that are before the Board. As well as continuing to find places to add services that our residents want.

Anything else you wish to add?

Please mark your calendars to vote on March 18^th. I think it is more important than ever for people to be active participants in democracy at every level of government. It only takes a few minutes to stop at Scarsdale Library and vote. Polls are open 6am – 9pm at the Scarsdale Library (54 Olmsted Road).