Candidate Profile: Don Scott For Bedford Town Supervisor

BEDFORD, NY — In 2021's general election, residents of the Hudson Valley will be voting for local officials. In anticipation, Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Don Scott is seeking election as Bedford Town Supervisor in November. The 65-year-old is running as an Independent candidate.

Learn more about Scott on donforbedford.com and bedfordunited.org

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Don Scott:

Party Affiliation

Independent (Endorsed by Bedford United and Republican parties)

Family

Wife, Stephanie. Children Greg 33 and Katie 34

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Wife works for Westchester County Dept of Social Services

Education

BA Business and Economics, Vanderbilt University

Occupation

President, Katonah-based legal marketing firm. 40 years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Bedford Town Councilman - 5 years
President & Board member Katonah Board of Education 6 years
Katonah Fire Commission, 6 years
Bedford Wetlands Commissioner 5 years
Bedford Communications Committee - 8 Years

Why are you seeking elective office?

I want to be Supervisor because I know I can help. Our current Board is new and collectively has only a few years of elected experience and no foundation in other Town related commissions or boards prior to becoming Town Board members. In addition, there has been a good deal of turnover in the past year with the resignation of our previous Supervisor along with two Board members prior to completing their terms. I will bring experience that is needed and provide some stability to the current situation. In addition, I will provide some diversity of thought and perspective to the current board.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The first and most pressing challenge is to deliver first-rate services to our community at an affordable price, that is job one for local government. The Supervisor, working with the Board, must be on top of the level of service being provided by every department of the Town. If there is a backlog of work in a department, like there is currently in the building department, the Supervisor and the Board is responsible for diverting the resources necessary to solve to problem quickly. Proactive communications are a necessity. The community must be aware of what the town is planning and/or changes that affects them in advance. The recent water system supply changes are an example when the current Board fell short in that regard. I want to implement regular satisfaction surveys to the community to track how we are doing and to solicit feedback. What is measured improves.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Experience and a track record delivering fiscally responsible budgets for our schools and town as a Board Member and a Board of Education President.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

First, passing the highest tax increase in over a decade at 4.5% while neighboring towns were giving no tax increases. Second, allowing a multi-month backlog to develop in our building department and not devoting the resources to fix the problem. Next door towns deliver permits in a couple of weeks. We take months. It is holding up millions of dollars in projects and is not fair to our residents. Third, a lack of transparency and poor communications. Backroom deals to appoint board members and failure to disclose changes in our water system in advance are a couple examples.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

Although most of the decisions were at the county and state level, our town government performed well with the exception of sponsoring and providing space for doctor providing Covid tests at outrageous prices, nearly $2,000 per test when Caremount was charging $60. Our Town Board should have asked more questions and properly vetted the doctor. See: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/1...

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

What I bring to to Board is experience, stability, a balance. My goal is to improve planning, communications and put the brakes on tax increases and increases in fees charged to our residents.

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

Five years on the Town Board gave me a great foundation to lead our town going forward. Some of the accomplishments while I was on the Board:
-Worked on an innovative lease with the MTA for and remodeling our Bedford Hills Train Station.
-Passed a "zombie" law to allow the Town to clean up decrepit homes blighting some of our neighborhoods.
-Passed restrictions limiting to availability to our youth of vaping products.
-Worked with Chris Burdick to install sewers in Bedford Hills and Katonah leveraging DEP grants to deliver the project at a very low cost to the district residents.
-Created a fund to underwrite half the costs for our community based groups for police and Town services to lower their costs providing the events that are so important to the fabric of our community.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

You have two ears and one mouth. Listen more than you talk.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I bring a wealth of experience and knowledge about town government to bear on the challenges we face. I am dedicated to improving the the quality and the civility of our dialogue. I want to do everything we can to depolarize the current climate to make sure everyone can participate in making Bedford and even better place to live, work and raise a family.

Find information about absentee and early voting here: Election 2021: New Systems For Early Voting In Westchester. To find all your candidates, as well as statewide, county and local propositions, follow the links offered by the Board of Elections:

• View the 2021 General Election Candidates List.
• View the 2021 General Election State Propositions.
• View the 2021 General Election County and Local Propositions.