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BUCHANAN, N.Y. Three seats are being contested in Tuesdays Buchanan Village elections.
Aside from the seat for mayor, being contested between Democratic incumbent Mayor Sean Murray and former Mayor Al Donahue, both Trustee Nick Zachary's and Trustee Richard Funchions seats are up for grabs. Republican and Village Choice candidates Angelo Iacomini and Ed Del Monte are challenging the incumbents.
Both Funchion and Zachary are facing their first re-election campaigns.
Funchion, 63, is a 35-year resident of Buchanan and retired U.S. customs agent. Zachary, 62, has lived in the village for more than 20 years and is a site supervisor for an architectural woodworking company in Manhattan.
I think were a flexible board. In a village of 2,000 people we dont have professional politicians, Zachary said. But I've been a combination blue-collar, white-collar guy. The mayor has been a mechanic, the other trustee has worked for the TSA, so what we try to do is get all the information we can and make the best decisions, he said.
I think the biggest issue is trying to maintain services while maintaining tax increases to the least amount possible; thats one of our biggest problems, Funchion said.
The current village board overrode the states tax levy cap, but those up for re-election maintain it was a precautionary measure, and they want to adhere to the cap as closely as possible. They say zero increase is almost impossible because of rising costs and aging infrastructure in the village.
Zachary and Funchion both have pushed for a contingency plan in the event the Indian Point nuclear power plants are not re-licensed. The plants' tax revenue account for more than one-quarter of the village budget. The trustees also considered a utility tax, but eventually abandoned the plan, saying residents using gas would be taxed while residents using oil would not.
Republican and Village Choice candidate Del Monte, 60, is a retired Metro-North Railroad worker who has been living in the village since 1987. He said he decided to join Al Donahues team because he is concerned about tax increases.
Im really concerned about our taxes in general always getting raised, he said. I want to get more information on the local government to make sure theyre running things properly, so I thought I would run for office myself. I want to make sure there is no wasteful spending of the taxpayers dollars because I know that happens in all levels of government.
Iacomini, 63, is a 12-year village resident who is running for trustee for the fourth time.
"I believe that we need to look at where the money is spent today," he said. "And can we take some money from here or there, are we just blanket putting in the same amount of money in for every budget." He said he believes the village "can achieve a zero percent tax increase." He added, "What Im saying is you need to rearrange, realign the budget to fit the needs. We need to look at how the money is budgeted within the existing accounts."
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Buchanan Village Hall.
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