Farber to Bow Out in Mt. Kisco; Democrats Back Schleimer, Markus
Five-term Mount Kisco Village Board member Jean Farber has decided against running for re-election this November while fellow incumbent Trustee Karen Schleimer will seek another term.
Replacing Farber, the village’s current deputy mayor, on the Democrats’ ticket will be former trustee Anthony Markus.
Farber, who has been on the board since December 2010, she thought it was time to move on and give someone else a chance to serve.
“I think 10 years was an amazing opportunity to be part of the village (government) and serve with some amazing people,” Farber said. “I made a decision based on different reasons. It’s time for someone new to step in and enjoy the amazing experiences I had.”
She said the board’s top accomplishment over the past decade was the successful move in 2015 to merge the town’s police department with the county. Additionally, Farber said helping improve the arts and cultural opportunities by working with the arts council has also been gratifying.
Schleimer said she had been undecided to run for what will be a fifth term, but residents continually reached out to her and urged her to stay on the board. Infrastructure work and the amount of taxpayer money that is being spent requires vigorous oversight, a key reason to stay on, she said.
“I think we have a lot of expenditures, we have a lot of projects on the table and that is something that I want to stay on top of,” said Schleimer, who has periodically butted heads on a variety of issues with her colleagues despite it being an all-Democratic board.
She said she hopes to once again work with Markus on the board. Although Schleimer mentioned that she didn’t always agree with his positions, he vigorously participates in important discussions on village issues.
Markus, an attorney, served for 14 years as village trustee until he was defeated in the 2017 race by Isi Albanese.
Village Democratic Committee Chairman William Serratore said Markus has remained active in the village since he left the board, currently serving on the Finance Committee, which should help him seamlessly return should he be elected.
A message left for Markus at his law office was not returned.
Serratore said Farber has been “an outstanding servant for the community,” always doing what she thinks is best for the village and its residents.
“We’ll miss her,” he said. “She’ll be well-remembered.”
He said the committee will honor Farber for her service at its annual spring brunch on Sunday, Mar. 29.
Although no would-be opponents have announced their candidacies yet, Serratore and Schleimer agreed that they wouldn’t be surprised if this year’s trustees’ races will be contested. The Republican Committee hasn’t run a candidate in several election cycles but the independent party 4MK remains active.
In 2017, Albanese and Mayor Gina Picinich’s original candidacy saw them appear on the 4MK line. Picinich ran as a Democrat in her uncontested re-election effort last fall.
“We’re going to raise funds and do the things we need to do to be prepared to run a contested race,” Serratore said. “Should a candidate emerge, we’ll be poised to effectively run a campaign, and if not, we’re still not going to take it for granted, and we’ll be out reminding everyone of who’s running and why we’re running.”
The Democrats also endorsed Village Justice Mark Farrell for re-election.
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