Patch Candidate Profile: Smith Seeks Cortlandt Town Supervisor Post

CORTLANDT, NY — Election season 2023 election is here and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Warren A. Smith is challenging Richard H. Becker for Cortlandt Town Supervisor.

Smith, a Verplanck resident, is operations and art director at Earth Enterprise, Inc. Active in the community, the 60-year-old serves as president of the Verplanck Residents Association and was a member of the town's Quarry Development Committee and the Downtown Revitalization Initiative Committee. He is married with three children and a grandchild.

Campaign website: www.smith4supervisor.com

Patch: Why are you seeking this office?

Smith: For many years Cortlandt Town Supervisors and Board Members appeared to constituents to have governed by adhering to a single political philosophy and perspective. Town residents have often expressed their deep dissatisfaction with the outcomes of decisions made and widely applied by the board, though not of benefit for the greatest good.

I believe that Cortlandt is at a critical juncture. Our town faces issues that require creative, workable solutions, which can only come to fruition when consideration results from a “melting pot” of diverse ideas and critical thinking, benefiting the community at large. I firmly believe that the vision I would bring to the office of Cortlandt Town Supervisor will meet the moment.

Patch: What are the major differences between you and the other candidate seeking this post?

Smith: The stark contrast between me and the current Supervisor is clearly illustrated when comparing our campaign slogans. My opponent’s message is that “All Politics Is Local “ while I seek office “For a Better Cortlandt.” I believe that the Supervisor’s sworn duty is to lead our Town with a vision that casts aside politics and offers an inclusive, ethical and common-sense approach to the serious problems currently facing Cortlandt.

Patch: What is the single most pressing issue facing your constituents and what do you intend to do about it?

Smith: Public Safety: One of the most important responsibilities of a local government is to provide public safety. When the police are called, a quick response is required. Cortlandt’s expansive size and limited police coverage makes a timely response a challenge. Between 6am and midnight only two Westchester County Police Officers are on patrol responding to 911 calls. From midnight through 6am police protection is provided by the New York State Police. The Town of Cortlandt has contracted with Westchester County for a “community resource officer” and a “community traffic officer.” These officers are stationed at the Town Hall and respond to non-emergency complaints that are received at the Town Hall. They do not respond to 911 calls and they do not make regular patrols. These two community resource officers cost approximately $205,000 each. The Town needs to maximize our current resources and explore new avenues to enrich existing police presence.

One idea is to explore the possibility of entering into intermunicipal agreements with the Village of Buchanan and the Village of Croton-on-Hudson to contract their police protection services. Each Village would provide regular, proactive police protection to designated areas of Cortlandt that are adjacent to these villages. This force addition would decrease the area that the State and Westchester County Police would need to patrol in the Cortlandt Manor and improve emergency response times for the entire town. Regular patrols would act as a deterrent to crime and improve the quality of life for our residents.

Patch: What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Smith: I would push for a public referendum to implement 8 year term limits for our local elected officials. I will work to curtail inappropriately-sited High Density Housing projects which put a strain on our infrastructure and change the character of our town. I will revive and restructure the Board of Ethics and instruct that body to update our Town’s Code of Ethics. I will increase access to and participation in local government and increase transparent.

Patch: What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Smith: Over the past 3 years as president of the Verplanck Residents Association (VRA), I have worked to make it into an organization that serves as a conduit between our residents and our local government. I feel that raising public awareness through persistent outreach provides the public with the tools to make informed decisions about issues affecting our town. The VRA has employed this strategy in their efforts to stop the “Port Cortlandt” project, to promote responsible development, and to increase police patrols in our neighborhood. For more than 26 years as BSA Scout Adult Leader, I have mentored hundreds of young people, training them to be Servant Leaders and good, thoughtful members of our society. Seeing their growth and witnessing their accomplishments was deeply satisfying and one of the most important experiences of my life.

Patch: What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Smith: Don’t wait for somebody else to do what needs to be done.

Patch: Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Smith: People can easily talk to me. I am a good communicator with excellent motivational skills, I am able to facilitate people with opposing points of view to work together to achieve mutually beneficial objectives—the essence of my job as the director of operations at Earth Enterprise.