Meet the Candidates for TOE Councilman: Glenn Bellitto

Continuing our coverage of the Town of Eastchester (TOE) political candidates for this November’s elections, Patch recently sat down with the second of four candidates contending for the two Town Councilman positions, Glenn Bellitto.

Bellitto, a Republican and incumbent candidate, has been a Bronxville resident for 21 years, and lists as his former positions of experience Deputy Mayor of the Village of Bronxville, Village of Bronxville Trustee and Bronxville Zoning Board of Appeals member. Bellitto, who has a M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in government from Harvard College, is also the former president of a Bronxville Co-op Board, and a member of the Eastchester Italian-American Citizens Club, the Tuckahoe-Eastchester Lion's Club, the Knights of Columbus and the Order Sons of Italy. Bellitto is a financial manager at a Not-for-Profit organization, and has two children, Dale and Gage.

Here is what Bellitto had to say when Patch caught up with him to discuss the upcoming elections:

Patch-1: What do you see as the single most critical issue facing the Town of Eastchester Board in the coming years of the term for which you are running?    

Glenn Bellitto: The members of the Town Board act as legislators and policymakers. Preparation and approval of the Town Budget and keeping taxes down are the most critical issues facing the Town. In fact, I think that a good job description for an Eastchester Town Board member would be: to help keep taxes as low as possible while maintaining the Town’s impressive quality of life.

People are hurting financially, and government must respond. As the Town Board has been doing, we must continue to look at all expense line items in the Town Budget and ask if things can be done for less.  When there is a new retirement, can job responsibilities be re-balanced so that an individual doesn’t have to be replaced?  Wherever possible, are we purchasing things in bulk to obtain the lowest cost?  Through this constant questioning and scrutiny, we will continue to get all that we can from each tax dollar.

Patch-2: For someone who is unfamiliar with the Town of Eastchester and its partnership with the Villages of Bronxville Tuckahoe, how would you describe the relationship between the three municipalities? Do you feel more could be done in partnership between the three communities to benefit residents?

Bellitto: Eastchester, Bronxville and Tuckahoe are three extraordinary communities in one wonderful Town. Each municipality has so much to offer the residents of the others, and I will continue to work to see that residents are kept informed of and encouraged to attend so many of these Town-wide events and offerings. Our Town Board presides over many Town-wide departments – Senior Services, Recreation, Courts, etc.

During the past 3 years, Eastchester, Bronxville and Tuckahoe each has done yeoman’s work in cutting its taxes to the bone. Now, we should put a full court press on seeing how Eastchester, Bronxville and Tuckahoe together might use economies of scale to lower governmental expenses in all 3 communities.  For example, Eastchester, Tuckahoe and Bronxville purchase asphalt for road paving jointly. We need to redouble our efforts to look at every possible opportunity for cost savings, including shared services and shared equipment.

As the inter-municipal liaison for the Town Board, it is my particular responsibility to work with the Villages of Bronxville and Tuckahoe and the School Districts on issues like these. I will explore every avenue to keep our taxes down.

Patch-3: What have you learned in your prior service and professional experiences as well as in your time as Town Board member that you think makes you the right candidate for the position of Town Councilman?

Bellitto: As a former Deputy Mayor and former Trustee of the Village of Bronxville, I have learned that the never ending work of community-building, combined with open and frequent communication, is a hallmark of good government. In Bronxville, I was involved with many different projects and constituencies. I was the liaison to the Police, Senior Citizens, the Tax assessment and Parking functions and the Green Committee.

No matter how tightly-knit a community is, more can always be done. I see community-building as the concrete steps taken to bring people closer together, including outreach, inclusion and mutual goal-setting. Frequent and open communication keeps people informed and ensures that all individuals are heard. Together, we can do so much. 

Patch-4: A lot has happened on a national scale in the last couple of months in terms of politics and the economy, including the passing of the Debt Ceiling Act and the signing of the 2% property tax cap bill by Governor Andrew Cuomo. On a local level, what do these things mean for community members? What challenges should they expect to face, and how will you work to alleviate the burden put on them during these difficult times?

Bellitto: The Debt Ceiling and the 2% Tax Cap are steps to try to solve our economic crisis, but they both have significant flaws. The Debt Ceiling has not yet been coupled with specific major spending cuts, which need to happen as soon as possible. The New York State 2% Tax Cap needs to be combined with mandate relief from Albany. The state imposes enormous costs on local governments that it does not cap at 2% increases. One of the largest of these costs is payments to the state pension fund. In fact, NYS Comptroller Thomas Di Napoli just announced that there will be a 16% pension cost increase for local governments to cover public employees in 2013. Even though the State excludes these costs from the 2% tax cap calculation, the full 16% increase still must be paid by local governments. If the State were to limit these types of mandated cost increases to a maximum of 2% per year, then it would be easy for Eastchester Town to live within the 2% Tax Cap. Without such mandate relief by the State, however, our job will be much harder. Nevertheless, we will find ways to give Eastchester residents desperately needed tax relief.

Patch-5: Is there anything else you would like to include about your candidacy?

Bellitto: It is an honor and a privilege to serve as an Eastchester Town Councilman. I am eager to continue my work and will always do so in the best interests of all residents.  

Make sure to check back with us tomorrow and later this week for interviews with the two remaining the candidates up for TOE Councilman in November's elections. Thursday's interview will feature Democract candidate John Filiberti. Anita Rosner's (D) interview can be . Town of Eastchester Councilmen are elected to 4-year terms and are paid a salary of approximately $16,000.