VILLAGE
GOVERNMENT
Board of Trustees
Planning Board
Board of Architectural Review
Board of Zoning Appeals
Village Election Results
Robert Zgonena – 85
Thomas Wilson – 75
David McFadden – 1 write in
Total machine votes – 86
Absentee ballots – 5
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Meet The Trustee Candidates
Election Day in the Village will take place on Tuesday June 15, 2010. This year, two candidates, Thomas Wilson and Robert Zgonena, are running in hopes of filling two Trustee seats to be vacated by current Trustees Jim Hays and Charlotte Worthy. In an effort to better understand who these gentlemen are and how their individual experience and expertise can benefit the Village, please review the following biographical information on each.
Thomas Wilson, 2010 Oak Leaf Party Candidate for Trustee of Tuxedo Park, NY
Thomas Wilson currently works in Private Banking as a Financial Advisor for a large financial services firm in New York. In his spare time, Mr. Wilson serves as a Managing Director for Tuxedo Land Trust. TLT is a non-profit dedicated to Low Carbon, Clean Water, Avoided Deforestation, and Renewable Energy.
Mr. Wilson has been instrumental in efforts to assemble teams to study the proposed amendment to the Tuxedo Reserve development. These efforts include studies of Federal and State Wetlands in Tuxedo, the Town of Tuxedo Sewer System, Hydrogeology and the Ramapo River, Traffic Impacts on Route 17, Fiscal and School Estimates, Land Use Zoning, Threatened Species, and preservation of the historic Continental Road. He has walked door-to-door in the Hamlet of Tuxedo for petition signatures against the proposed amendment, and submitted the conclusions of these studies in written statement to the Town of Tuxedo. Mr. Wilson has also presented these studies before the Tuxedo Town Board.
Mr. Wilson has worked to educate and build inter-state coalitions in speaking before the EPA in Washington, the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Rockland County Sewer District, and the Ramapo River Watershed Conference. In addition, he has forged partnerships with Orange County Land Trust, Torne Valley Preservation Association, New Jersey Sierra Club, Sterling Forest Partnership, Trust for Public Land, Open Space Institute, and the New York State Parks Department. Mr. Wilson is also in communication with the Orange County Board of Ethics, the New York State Attorney General's Office, the New York State DEC, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the New York State Historic Preservation Office.
His priorities for the next two years will include resolution of pending legal issues, significant improvement of local roads and infrastructure, and creative solutions for budget challenges that do not include the usual decrease in municipal services and increase in property taxes. Some of the ideas that Mr. Wilson intends to explore will include decreases in power outages, improvement in storm service response from Orange and Rockland Utility, full retail value for net metering from renewable energy and smart grid technology, and discounted pricing for community heating oil. He will continue to focus on the proposed amendment to Tuxedo Reserve and the actions of the Tuxedo Town Board.
Mr. Wilson is a graduate of Bowdoin College, and met his wife, Alyssa, in sixth grade at the Tokeneke School in Darien, CT. He has been a resident of Tuxedo Park since they were married in the backyard of their home in October, 2001.
Robert Zgonena, 2010 Hillside Party Candidate for Trustee of Tuxedo Park, NY
Robert Zgonena fell for Tuxedo Park over a decade ago.
After a thorough search, he and his wife Ann bought their house, Hillside, on the basis of its architectural integrity and family-friendly grounds. They embarked on a restoration of several years, giving them an appreciation for the work required to keep the Village at its best. The Zgonenas live at Hillside with their three children, two of whom attend Tuxedo Park School.
On Wall Street, Robert first worked with several large investment banks, then with private investment management firms. In his most recent position, Robert was head of global convertible bonds and options. Robert graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a bachelor of science in Mathematics and a minor in Economics.
Within the Village, Robert is a member of the Infrastructure Committee. To the committee, he brings family business experience with commercial and residential construction. Robert is also a driver for the Tuxedo Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
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Village Voter Registration Day Set for June 5, 2010
NOTICE is hereby given that the Inspector of Election for the Village of Tuxedo Park will meet on Saturday, June 5th, 2010 in the Village Hall, 80 Lorillard Road, Tuxedo Park, NY, between the hours of 12 noon and 5 p.m. to prepare the Village Register of Qualified Voters in accordance with Section 15-118(7)(c) of the Village Election Law. All persons wishing to register should do so at that time. Registered voters of the Village who have moved within the Village must re-register for their new address.
If residents are registered to vote with the Orange County Board of Elections, there is no need to register separately in the Village. New NYS Voter Registration Forms must be received at the Board of Elections by June 4, 2010.
The Village General Election will be held on Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 in the Village Hall, 80 Lorillard Road, Tuxedo Park, NY between the hours of 12 noon and 9 p.m.
Deborah A. Matthews
Village Clerk-Treasurer
Dated: May 26, 2010
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Hanson Lawsuit Results In Higher Taxes For Village Residents
On December 3, 2009, Village Resident Donald Hanson, along with non-residents Tony O’Neil (Hanson Employee), William J. Crocker and Lewis A Kerman filed a second amended complaint against the Village of Tuxedo Park. The individual complaints against The Mayor, each of the Trustees individually and Building Inspector John Ledwith have been withdrawn. What remains is a complaint regarding the privacy of the Village Roads. The Plaintiffs allege that restricting access to Tuxedo Park via the gates is unconstitutional and a violation of civil rights as they prevent non-residents from accessing public roadways.
The Village contends its roads should remain legally restricted, as Tuxedo Park accepts no funding from the County, the State or the Federal Government to build, maintain or repair its roadways.
During a public hearing on the 2010/2011 Village Budget, Mayor Stebbins commented that a substantial contributing factor to the 6.3% increase in Village taxes is the increase in legal expenses, a large portion of which are directly related to the Hanson Lawsuit. He further commented that he and the Board are both confused and bewildered as to the reason behind the new complaint and suggested that perhaps fellow residents might have better luck in determining Mr. Hanson’s motivation. The Village has been forced to hire special council to defend itself and as it stands, the suit has the potential to drag on for years to come.
To view a copy of the amended complaint, click here.
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