Martin Deserves Chance to Finish What he Started
The following editorial ran in the Nov. 1 issue of The White Plains Examiner
When then-Councilman Tom Roach won the special mayoral election in March, the all-Democrat Common Council appointed Democrat John Martin to take the seat Roach vacated. In a race for the remaining two years of that term, Republican James Arndt will face off against Martin.
Martin has the government experience out of the two; Arndt brings a bold entrepreneurial approach to the race, coming from the upscale retail apparel industry, where he worked his way up from a sales position at a local White Plains store to executive positions at well-known Manhattan-based retailers.
While we admire Arndt’s enthusiasm for White Plains and his hands-on approach to turning businesses around, we feel Martin should keep the council seat and finish the remainder of the term he was appointed to.
Both candidates agree that the number one issue facing White Plains is maintaining fiscal strength while keeping taxes down. However, Arndt’s contention that “government and business are the same thing,” and that the same approach used in retail would work for a city is flawed and may be based more on wishful thinking than the complex realities that go into governing.
During a time of unprecedented challenges White Plains needs sure-footed leadership. Martin is an attorney and owner of a White Plains-based business. He served on the Common Council from 1994 to 1995 and chaired the committee responsible for developing the White Plains 1997 Comprehensive Plan. He has served as a member and chair of the city’s Board of Assessment Review and as treasurer and chair of the Downtown Business Improvement District. With this résumé, Martin brings knowledge of both business and governmental processes.
As chair of the last comprehensive plan, Martin showed he had a progressive vision and positive ideas for the city. Many of that plan’s recommendations – added housing downtown, movie and performing arts theaters, a supermarket – have come to fruition and have played a positive role in the city’s growth. With another comprehensive plan coming up, White Plains will benefit from having Martin’s expertise at its disposal.
Looking to the future, Martin says the city is on the right track, while Arndt believes there is room for improvement. Arndt would like to see White Plains become friendlier, going back to the way things were during previous administrations. “We are chasing people away,” he says. “You don’t want to annoy people who come into the shop,” he added, referring to the city. Arndt believes cutting back parking fees would encourage more business in the city, which in turn would grow the sales tax base.
In this sense, Arndt touches on a very real and complex problem for the city. The city’s reliance on revenue from its parking department has helped alleviate the property tax burden but has given the city a reputation as being unfriendly to parkers, alienating residents and visitors alike. Martin acknowledges this conundrum, but notes that White Plains parking tickets are actually less than in other municipalities. “I don’t buy into the idea that cutting back parking fees will automatically result in higher sales tax revenue,” he says, emphasizing the importance the department’s revenue plays in the city’s budget.
There are merits to both candidates’ positions: it’s unlikely lost parking revenue will be entirely offset by increased sales tax revenue, but Arndt is correct in saying the city must take significant steps to improve its image regarding parking enforcement.
Overall, we believe Martin’s approach to working with the assets White Plains has, combined with his experience as a local business owner who has tackled projects that bring the public and private sectors together to accomplish big things, are what White Plains needs today and heading into the future.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.