Bonanno Launches New Party, Running for Mt. Pleasant Board on Transparent Planning Platform

By Mike Gold

Joe Bonanno, a candidate for a seat on the Mt. Pleasant Town Board this November, is launching a new local political party, Taxpayers for Accountability, to spotlight transparency and smart development in town governance.  

There are two open seats in the election, with three candidates in the race, including Bonanno and two Republicans: incumbent Tom Sialiano and retired Thornwood fire chief James Gedris. Board member Laurie Rogers-Smalley is retiring, and the top two vote-getters will claim the seats on the board, which is currently all Republican. 

Bonanno is staking his campaign on ensuring the board becomes more open with the public, especially about zoning changes and development plans. He points to the rezoning of the 75 North Kensico Avenue property in Valhalla as an instance of favoring developers over residents.

The March 11 decision to rezone the 75 North Kensico Avenue parcel for multi-family housing was a galvanizing event for residents, Bonanno said. 

Neighbors, including Kurt Myers, who lives next door at 65 North Kensico, complained that the town board approved the zoning change without notifying them.

“[The] 75 North Kensico is a prime example of what people are unhappy with,” Bonanno said in an interview with The Examiner. “All these big projects start out with a zoning change. Why wouldn’t you ask the developer to go out there and notify the public? Why wouldn’t you start by being a good neighbor? The sooner you reach out, the sooner you get buy-in. Get feedback from the neighbors.”

As a result of the rezoning decision, “people feel railroaded,” Bonanno also said. 

“The board isn’t really listening,” he continued. “Saracino was the only one who voted against this zoning change. 75 North Kensico crystallized my message.”

Board member Mark Saracino indeed voted no, while Republican Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi and Sialiano, Rogers-Smalley, and Danielle Zaino supported the rezoning.

“People feel kind of helpless, like they haven’t been heard, that something else is going on that they’re not telling us,” Bonanno said. “If you’re on the other side of an issue with the town board, there’s nobody you can reach out to and listen.”

Bonanno had already secured a line on the town board ballot as a Democrat but hopes his new party will broaden his appeal. As of May 23, he’d collected 700 signatures for Taxpayers for Accountability, aiming for 1,000 even though only 880 are needed. He’s been knocking on doors and gathering signatures outside local supermarkets like Acme, ShopRite, and Key Food.

The 62-year-old previously ran as a Democrat for town supervisor in 2021 and for the Town Board in 2023. 

“We came up with it to give independents a way to protest the town board,” Bonanno explained.

He also said providing the public with more advance notice and engagement on development plans could yield better deals with developers. 

“How do you grow smart?” he asked. “To grow smart is to engage (with the public).”

Supervisor Responds to Criticism

Fulgenzi strongly refuted Bonanno’s claims about the board.

 “I have no idea what he’s talking about,” said the supervisor, who defeated Bonanno in the 2021 election. “He obviously doesn’t know what the town board does. The town board listens more than at any other time.”

Fulgenzi, addressing Bonanno’s criticism about the rezoning of 75 North Kensico, said the board’s decision was misunderstood.

“The town board felt this property should be included in the zoning [of the hamlet],” he said. “We extended the line to that point. The town board had two or three public meetings regarding it. The town board didn’t approve a building. All we approved was the zoning of that property.”

He also said Bonanno’s complaint is political. 

“He doesn’t have a clue about what goes on in the town board and my office,” the supervisor stated.

On the developer’s proposal for 34 apartment units, Fulgenzi added, “It was a concept. It goes to the planning board for them to review. Thirty-four units could go to five units. It’s a mistake saying the town board approved the building.”

Traffic and Development Concerns

Bonanno questioned the practicality of a 34-unit apartment building with 43 underground parking spots at 75 North Kensico, especially given traffic issues exacerbated by the closure of Kensico Dam Road after 9/11.

“This monster is out of character for the community,” Bonanno said. 

“Everybody’s funneled through downtown Valhalla,” he also remarked. “Traffic gets all backed up between 7:45 and 8:30 a.m. Fire trucks can’t get through the Lakeside development. Thirty-four units on one acre? How did they even let it get that far? Why even start with thirty-four?”

He pressed for a broader conversation about the town’s growth. 

“It’s all development all the time,” he said. “Let’s figure out congestion and traffic. Is it (a development) a net positive or a net negative? Look at the tax revenue before and after (a project is completed). Why wouldn’t they share that with anyone? There can’t just be no growth. How do you grow smart?”

A Familiar Candidate

With it being Bonanno’s third run for a position on the town board, the veteran commissioner with the Valhalla Fire Department explained his rationale for returning to the ring: “I get energized by it. It’s nice to listen to people and actually help them. Things have to change. I’m here to get votes.”

Bonnano also said providing the public with more notification and getting their engagement on the front end could help the town get more concessions from developers. 

“How do you grow smart?” he asked. “To grow smart is to engage (with the public).” 

Bonanno and his wife have three children, aged 20, 18, and 16. After a quarter century at Nestle in Westchester in accounting and sales management, he’s now vice president of sales operations for Charcuterie Artisans, a cured meats producer with offices in Rhode Island and Salt Lake City.

In a post-interview email, Bonanno summed up his vision: “Let’s bring transparency, vision and community-first leadership to the Town Board.”

Post-publication note: This article was updated on the evening of May 31, 2025 because the name Mark Saracino was mistakenly published in the original version as Tom Saracino. We regret the error.