Republican Primary to Determine Next Supervisor in Carmel

Next week’s Republican primary in Carmel has winner-take-all ramifications regarding who will lead the town for the next two years.

Former Carmel supervisor Kenneth Schmitt, whose 14-year reign came to a halt after losing a GOP primary to current Supervisor Michael Cazzari, is looking to turn the tide and return to his former job.

“Public service is in my DNA, it’s in my blood,” Schmitt said. “Public service is what I enjoy doing. I have a passion for serving the community. I have the knowledge, experience and leadership skills to run the Town of Carmel.”

Cazzari, who was once Schmitt’s superior in the town police department, retired in July 2020 after 34 years of service. One of the main messages of the last campaign was Schmitt had become too complacent after 14 years in the position.

He said the knowledge and leadership he gained from being a police officer has proven valuable in his current role.

“I’ve never been in it for self-serving (purposes). You feel good when you’re helping people,” Cazzari said. “It is such a good feeling when you’re making things better. I’m bringing energy and a breath of fresh air to this town. It’s time for new energy and someone to come in who has some vision.”

Neither candidate has another party line to fall back on. Early voting kicked off last Saturday.

Also on the ballot are Republican incumbent councilmen Frank Lombardi and Robert Schanil Jr., who are facing a challenge from newcomer Robert Kearns.

The two winners will do battle with Democrats Jerome Mitchell and Kathleen Valletta in November.

Supervisor Race

Cazzari, who has lived in Mahopac for 31 years, said he has been an effective problem solver during his first 18 months in office, a skill he acquired during his years on the police force.

“Politicians kick the can down the road. As police officers, we solve problems,” he said. “When a problem arises, I hit it head-on and solve it. It’s not rocket science. It’s just management. Being police chief was much more stressful and intense. This is more public service.”

Cazzari said residents have told him the Town Board meetings are more “orderly” now with no “in-fighting.”

“The board gets along really well,” he said. “You’re serving the public. That’s what we’re here for. If you’re serving someone else, you don’t belong here.”

Cazzari said he has been able to secure grants that have benefited the community through water quality testing of several town lakes and youth sports programming. He is also continuing efforts to expand water and sewer infrastructure that can lead to much-needed commercial tax base growth.

“If we have more commercial and retail, it will help our town’s economy,” he said. “A big concern is seniors are worried they have to leave because they can’t afford to stay here, and young families can’t afford to live here.”

Schmitt was born and raised in Mahopac and began his police career in New York City at age 22. He has been endorsed by the Westchester County Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association.

He said he was encouraged by many residents to run again and believes his base is energized to turn out at the polls, something he contended wasn’t the case two years ago.

“There was voter apathy. A lot of my supporters didn’t come out. A lot of people stayed home,” Schmitt said. “The residents know me. I’m popular. People like me. The key is the turnout. Under the current leadership of the town, it doesn’t seem like there is a lot of progress. It feels like the town is stuck in neutral. I let the people comment. He suppressed the public’s voice.”

Schmitt said he had a long list of accomplishments during his tenure, such as bringing new water meters to residents, installing LED lights throughout town, building the 9/11 Memorial at Town Hall at no cost to the town, breaking ground on three major parks and recreation facilities and starting the water infrastructure project in Carmel.

He also said he was able to successfully lead the town during the 2008 recession and the COVID pandemic.

“I’m proud of my record. My record of accomplishments speaks for itself,” he stressed. “I got hit with a lot of major things. I maintained the town’s AA1 bond rating. I built the town’s reserves up to $13 million. I streamlined services at Town Hall. Taxes, taxes, taxes are the number one priority. People pay a lot to live here.”

Town Board Race

Lombardi, a civil litigation and trial attorney, has lived in Carmel more than 20 years and has served for 12 years on the Town Board.

“I enjoy serving the people of the Town of Carmel. I think I bring a lot to the town with my experience,” he said. “I look forward to serving the people of Carmel for the next four years.”

Lombardi said he served as the town’s COVID coordinator and has been involved in many community causes.

“That was pretty challenging,” he said of his COVID responsibilities, which included daily interaction with state and county officials.

While taxes and public safety are top issues in town, Lombardi said there are a lot of projects in the works that he would like to see completed.

“Things take a lot of time,” he said. “We’re moving them forward.”

Schanil, a retired Harrison police officer and current security manager, is serving his first four-year term. He has been a town resident since 1998.

“I’m a community service-oriented person,” he said. “I want to see what I can do to make town government more efficient. I want to make a difference for my children and my children’s children.”

Schanil said he would like to see the Swan Cove public parks project started and completed and expects the board to focus on infrastructure issues over the next few years.

“I didn’t think a lot of things would take this long,” he said. “I see there is a lot of growth, in terms of business and residential. The problem holding it back is the infrastructure.”

Kearns is a U.S. Navy veteran and a finance project manager. The married father of two young children has lived in Carmel for four years. He is also a football and baseball coach.

“I’m really concerned with the direction of this town. It’s very stagnant. The future is very important to me,” Kearns said. “I’m a doer. I’m not someone that likes to stand around. I’m a leader. I like to take charge. I have a lot invested in the future of Mahopac. I can’t say the same thing about my opponents.”

Kearns, who was endorsed by the New York State Young Republicans, said he was motivated to run after some party leaders tried to “silence him,” telling him to “wait his turn.” He said he favors term limits, no more than two terms for Town Board members.

“That’s when corruption sets in and people get lackadaisical,” he remarked. “I’m excited to bring my project manager skills to the table and be a voice for all residents of Carmel. There’s a lack of transparency and integrity now. Those things go hand-in-hand. Too much is going on in executive session.”