2021 Candidate Profile: Sculti Runs For Westchester County Exec

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, 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.

Christine Sculti is challenging incumbent George Latimer for the position of Westchester County Executive.

Sculti, 57, has made her career in government, though this is her first run for political office. She was a senior advisor to former county executive Rob Astorino. She was the regional Mid-Hudson Regional Director of Economic Development under former governor George Pataki. She has also served as Outreach Coordinator/Statewide Troubleshooter, Consumer Protection for New York State; Assistant to the Mayor, City of Yonkers; Commissioner, Taxi & Limousine Commission, Westchester County; and Executive Assistant to the Commissioner, Board of Elections, Westchester County.

Saying taxes and spending are too high in Westchester, she has called for a return to political balance in the Democrat-controlled county. She supports Save Our Schools for Westchester Children, an organization fighting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in local schools that was founded by her mother, Angela Sculti.

Learn more about her on her campaign website.

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Christine Sculti:

Why are you seeking elective office?

Since 1939, there have been nine county executives; some more capable than others but all have been men. While I am not a believer in identity politics, sometimes you just need a fresh perspective. I love Westchester County. I was raised here by a single mom who had to work three jobs to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. Despite our hardships, Westchester is a great place to live. Unfortunately, it’s becoming more and more unaffordable for families and small businesses. I could no longer stand by and watch as our county goes in the wrong direction.

The single most pressing issue facing our county is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

We must get our economy back on track by focusing on business-friendly policies that help to put people back to work and will help businesses rebuild to pre-pandemic levels. During my eight years as a senior advisor to County Executive Astorino, Westchester added 44,000 private sector jobs, while living within our means and protecting the social safety net. We can do it again by rejecting one-party rule and restoring checks-and-balances and common sense policies that keep taxes and spending in check.

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

I have spent a good part of my career as a public servant, not a politician. The incumbent is career politician who has held office since Ronald Reagan was president. Prior to my government service, I helped build up a successful family business with annual sales of $5 million and oversaw an expansion to the World Trade Center prior to the first terrorist bombing. I then ran business development for an international company building up a $10 million dollars portfolio of sales for the seven-states of the Mid-Atlantic region. I also ran economic development in the five-county Mid-Hudson region, the fastest-growing, for New York State. For the City of Yonkers, I oversaw a $1.8 billion downtown waterfront development project through approvals.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community?

During tough economic times for many due to the pandemic, the incumbent unnecessarily raised taxes by $160 million and spending by a quarter-of-a-billion dollars despite receiving tens of millions of dollars in federal aid. As a result, the official 2020 audit of the county’s books shows a $220.5 million surplus, more than 10% of the $2 billion-plus county budget and twice what the rating agencies recommend. The incumbent is so out-of-touch with reality, that he is campaigning on having cut the property tax by a token $1 million, twice, AFTER he raised it by $11 million and the sales tax by $151 million!

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

While the response to the coronavirus was largely the purview of the federal and state governments, George Latimer did a reasonable job keeping the county informed of their actions and recommendations. However, he refused to criticize let alone differ with his staunch ally, Andrew Cuomo, on the key issue of shuttering small businesses while big box stores remained open. Small businesspeople, who lost their life’s work while employees lost their jobs, saw how quickly an overreaching government can decimate your life. Worst of all, Mr. Latimer never criticized Cuomo’s March 2020 Executive Order regarding nursing homes that led to the reported 896 COVID deaths among the elderly in Westchester.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My platform is simple – a return to common sense. My election would restore checks and balances to county government, and once again the county government, like Westchester’s families and businesses, would live within its means. Critical social services would be delivered professionally, particularly to our seniors who are most at risk from the pandemic. County government would partner with, not dictate to, our cities, towns, and villages in fostering job creation and fair, affordable, and workforce housing. My dream is of a Westchester where once again parents can afford to raise their children, seniors can afford to stay in the communities familiar to them, home-grown small businesses open and thrive, and streets and neighborhoods are safe.

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

• As Chief Advisor in the prior administration, I was responsible to oversee most of the county’s departments.
• Built a family business up achieving $5 million in annual sales and an expansion to the World Trade Center.
• Ran a seven-state region for an international company, building up a sales portfolio of $10 million dollars in sales.
• Ran the fastest-growing economic development region for New York State.
• Oversaw $1.8 billion dollar downtown and waterfront redevelopment project for the City of Yonkers through approvals.
• Helped foster 44,000 new jobs in Westchester while keeping spending and taxes stable under the Astorino Administration.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

My mom taught me how to get back up, whenever you get knocked down. That means if there is a problem get busy fixing it. If your first idea doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to try something else.

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

Westchester deserves better. I will bring a fresh perspective based on my years of experience as a successful businesswoman, along with the needed experience as someone with almost 20 years of experience as a public sector manager. Most importantly, if elected, my first loyalty will always be to the best interests of Westchester and its residents. There should be no room in the county administration for partisan considerations – just for what is best for all of Westchester.