New, Returning North Castle Officials Are Sworn In

ARMONK, N.Y. -- North Castle town officials, both those beginning their time in municipal office and those who are returning, were sworn in on a chilly Monday evening before relatives and community members.

Alison Simon takes her oath of office as North Castle Town Clerk.
Photo Credit: *Tom Auchterlonie*

José Berra takes his oath of office for a North Castle council seat. Berra returned to the town board after winning an election a year after losing a special election to stay on the board during his first tenure.
Photo Credit: *Tom Auchterlonie*

North Castle Supervisor Michael Schiliro takes his oath of office for his second term.
Photo Credit: *Tom Auchterlonie*

Stephen D'Angelo takes his oath of office for a second term to a North Castle council seat. D'Angelo has also served as deputy supervisor.
Photo Credit: *Tom Auchterlonie*

North Castle Town Justice Elyse Lazansky is sworn in for another term in office. Fellow Town Justice Douglas Martino is pictured administering the oath.
Photo Credit: *Tom Auchterlonie*

Tom Auchterlonie

01/07/2016 4:30 a.m.

“We should be very happy that we have such high-quality people serving our community,” said Town Justice Douglas Martino, who administered the oaths of office.

The newest face to town government is Alison Simon, who was sworn in as town clerk. Simon, who ran unopposed on both the local Republican and Democratic tickets, succeeded Anne Curran.

Simon thanked her precedessor, who was seated in the audience, and described her as a mentor. She also noted that Curran presented her with a list showing every clerk in the town's history since it was incorporated in 1736.

Returning to the town board is José Berra, who will serve for a full 4-year term after defeating incumbent Guy Mezzancello.

For Berra, running for local office has been an annual occurance. He first ran for unsuccessfully a council seat in 2013 but was appointed in early 2014 to a seat vacated by Michael Schiliro due to his initial election as supervisor. Berra ran in a special election that November but narrowly lost to Mezzancello.

“I loved every minute of being on the board and it's just a great honor to be here again,” Berra said.

Commenting on his perennial nature as a candidate, Berra joked about his relative absence from campaigning that a full term brings.

“I can promise you all now that I will not be running for the town board next year," he said.

Berra ran on a Democratic slate while Mezzancello ran on a Republican slate. The two had shared running mates who were backed by both local parties.

Also sworn in were Schiliro and incumbent Councilman Stephen D'Angelo, who were each re-elected in November.

The two, who ran on both the Democratic and Republican tickets, each noted the bipartisan tenor of the town board.

“Politics ends on election day and then we govern,” Schiliro said.

“We all work together, we work for the town,” D'Angelo said.

Town Justice Elyse Lazansky, who was easily re-elected and ran on both local slates, was also sworn in.

Lazansky, who has already served on the bench for 12 years, said she is “honored to be re-elected for my fourth term.”

The town officials also receive words of praise from state Assemblyman David Buchwald and state Sen. George Latimer, whose districts include North Castle.

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