Covill Seeks Second Term on BOL Against Somers Candidate

By Martin Wilbur

Two years ago, Democrat Kitley Covill was able to defeat then-incumbent Francis Corcoran for the Board for Legislators’ District 2 seat, which includes Mount Kisco and other northeastern Westchester communities.

Seeking re-election this year, Covill is the incumbent, faced by Republican Gina Arena of Somers.

“Fascinating, eye-opening, a lot of work and a lot of joy,” responded Covill, 64, an attorney from Katonah, when asked about the past 22 months on the board.

Arena, running for public office for the first time, has been involved in various efforts, from Midnight Runs, to advocating for those with autism and opioid addictions, which she has had personal experience with. The mother of eight children, one daughter is autistic, another has struggled with opioids.

Arena, 53, who works in the county medical examiner’s office, wants to make sure that those populations as well as seniors have adequate services while making sure families aren’t priced out of Westchester.

“We can do better and give better services than what we’re doing, and that includes the elderly, all the things that are important to the county and keeping people here,” said Arena. “We need to work on it, we need to pull together and figure it out.”

For Covill, one step toward improving the county’s fiscal situation was approving the increase in sales tax from 7.375 to 8.375 percent. While Covill said she had committed herself to adhering to the tax cap, no amount of cutting would increase the fund balance, restore the bond rating to AAA and address the infrastructure and other concerns. It also supplies a portion of money to the municipalities and school districts.

The sales tax supplies the county with an extra $90 million, as opposed to raising taxes 2 percent, which provides about $11 million, she said.

“I feel good about that,” Covill said. “I feel like the budget is finally getting itself to a good place with more added to the saving account, the reserve fund. But I also think it’s the time to look at what investments we want to make, repairs that we still need to do, then maybe – maybe – some projects that are new.”

Covill said she would like to see more attention paid to park infrastructure, including at Muscoot Farm. Covill said the county is also awaiting word from the state Supreme Court about whether the county will be granted relief from the limitations placed on its operation of Merestead.

Arena said since the Latimer administration took over nearly two years ago, she has seen little changes in the function of county government. One of the few changes, the increase in sales tax, wasn’t for the better, Arena said.

“I really don’t want to raise taxes on people anymore. That’s the only topic in this county that we ever hear about,” she said. “Tell me what I’m getting for what I’ve giving. That’s what I hear when I’m knocking on doors.”

Arena said service sharing among emergency service department for people with special needs should be explored.

“There’s no crisis intervention team for that kind of situation,” she said. “So I would like to see mental health get involved with that and really let’s put together something that works for the whole county, that works for everyone.”

Arena gives credit to the county for a successful year at Playland but said the facility must be privatized as soon as possible. She also questioned what the county is doing with the airport.

With five county parks in the district, making sure those facilities are viable is critical, Arena said. She said the county needs to address the deteriorating condition of structures at Muscoot Farm and was critical of the county trying to change some of the permitted uses at Merestead.

“When someone gives you an estate, you don’t take them to court to try and change what the wishes were,” Arena said.

Covill said there should be more environmental awareness in the county. While a Styrofoam ban will take effect by Jan. 1, there are other issues such as an expansion of the septic repair program that’s been successful in Katonah, she said.

In a second term, Covill wants to have greater involvement with the county police and the Department of Community Mental Health to help combat the opioid crisis.

Covill said she also enjoys helping constituents with small problems that are not necessarily the county’s purview, such as getting a Route 117 road sign in Bedford replaced. She urged the state DOT for its replacement.

“It’s easy to say ‘not my problem,’” Covill said. “Not everything is doable but at least you can have a conversation about it.”