Two Incumbents Face Opposition in Buchanan Trustee Race

 

The race for two available seats on the Village of Buchanan Board of Trustees features two incumbents being challenged by two longtime residents. The election will be held on Tuesday, March 21.

Duane Jackson, a Vietnam War veteran and New York City street vendor who was credited with thwarting a May 1, 2010 Times Square terrorist scare when he alerted police of a suspicious car that had been strapped with explosives, is running for a fourth term, while Trustee Cesare Pasquale, a retired NYPD police officer, has served for the last three years.

“I am running for reelection to continue the work I started, to be a strong voice in Buchanan,” said Jackson, a 23-year resident of the village. “The synergy of the board has fostered collaboration and efficiency in dealing with the issues that face village residents each day.”

“I’ve been on the board now for two terms and in that time my colleagues and I have made significant improvements for the residents of the village,” Pasquale said. “I have gotten more comfortable with the position of trustee and it is a great way for me to give back to a community that has given so much to me and my family who have roots in this community for 30 years.”

Seeking office for the first time is Anthony Capicotti, an operating engineer in the construction business who has served as chairman of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Society Italian Feast in Verplanck for the last 10 years.

“In my eyes the village has been idle for a long time. It’s time for a change,” said Capicotti, a 16-year village resident. “I want to get involved in the community and I feel that I can get some things done. I think I can help out.”

Running with Capicotti is lifelong resident Robert Lupica, who works with JP McHale Pest Management and vied for the village board 18 years ago on a ticket with Alfred Donahue.

“I think we need to go in a different direction than we have been going,” Lupica said. “I have a stake in this game to raise a family in this village. I’m a guy that likes the facts and drum it down to the truth.”

All candidates agreed the most pressing issue facing the village is the pending closure of the Indian Point nuclear power plants, which contributes 46% of Buchanan’s operating budget.

“We all knew Indian Point would close at some point, but no one with the possible exception of Gov. Cuomo knew it would be so soon,” Pasquale said. “Although he says he has a plan to save jobs, preserve the tax base, and replace lost electrical power, his plan is vague and unspecific. This is going to be a major challenge for the Village Board moving forward. We need to evaluate the issue on several fronts.”

“I urge all residents to get involved with me and the members of the board to use this as an opportunity to rebrand the village, continue to work with Entergy on the use of the land for future development,” Jackson said. “Have an open dialogue with federal, state and county officials and the private sector for creative opportunities to develop a stronger Buchanan.”

Capicotti and Lupica maintained village officials should have been planning for Indian Point’s exit a long time ago instead of being placed in a position of having to react to the news of the closure in four years.

“We have been sitting on a gold mine for 50 years and have done nothing with it,” Capicotti remarked. “There should have been more planning from the village, the school district, the Town of Cortlandt and Westchester County. Now the inevitable is going to happen and it’s too late. It’s going to be kind of hard to swallow.”

“If you’re planning for retirement, do you plan four years before you retire? We’ve had poor planning for the retirement of Indian Point,” Lupica said. “There should have been a game plan of the transition of the tax burden. We need to think long and hard about how this village will go forward. The sad part is how are the older people in this community going to shoulder this burden?”

Capicotti and Lupica also faulted the village board for spending more than $80,000 on a consultant for a master plan and showing little results from it. They emphasized the village needs to create a new tax base.

“It can happen here. You just have to find the right developer with the right idea,” Capicotti said. “Develop the circle more. I’m not looking to bring in heavy traffic. Something that’s family-oriented. It’s a beautiful village.”

“I’m a big believer in creating economic development that will enhance our tax base,” Lupica said. “You have to have something for the millennials and there’s no housing for the millennials. There’s no market rate housing. We need some mixed-use retail and residential.”

Pasquale said over the last three years the village board has spent more than $600,000 paving roads and made significant upgrades to Village Hall.

“The issues I hope to work on in a new term will include contract negotiations, infrastructure improvement and ensuring that the village continues to be fiscally responsible, and the quality of life for our residents is not negatively impacted by the impending closure of Indian Point,” he said.

“The board has tackled some important improvements such as new LED lights in the village, the rehabilitation of Village Hall, and bringing local residents together to restart the Buchanan Historical Society,” Jackson said. “We must continue to work on keeping the quality of life in Buchanan at a high level for all, by working fiscally responsible and looking outside the box for solutions and ideas for energy sources and savings and joint development with the town and county.”

Polls will be open on March 21 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Village Hall.