Harrison's Bond Rating; 9/11 Remembrance: Mayor's Column

From Mayor Ron Belmont

I hope that all residents had a wonderful and relaxing Labor Day Weekend and that families have successfully settled in to the routine of the new school year. Labor Day is a celebration of the hard work and achievements of men and women across the country. As your Mayor, I have worked to achieve progress for all Harrison residents. I am proud that Harrison’s Moody’s investment service rating has climbed to the current rating of Aaa, the highest rating given. Moody’s has stated that Harrison’s top-notch rating reflects the town’s ability to benefit from ongoing commercial and residential development as well as the maintenance of strong wealth levels and a healthy financial position resulting from conservative budgetary management. In addition to the continued trend of increased reserves, Harrison has also remained under the New York State tax cap since it was imposed.

On any given day there is plenty of news coverage concerning violence in the U.S. BackgroundChecks.org. has gone in the opposite direction and created a report that highlights the safest cities in NY for 2019. I am happy to report that the Town/Village of Harrison is ranked #9. Among the many responsibilities of town governance, safety has always been my priority. I continue to be proud of our hard-working and diligent police department as they strive to keep Harrison as safe as possible.

As a reminder, the Harrison Public Library will be hosting their Play-2-Learn event on Saturday, September 7 th from 11 AM to 3 PM. Families are invited to join the Library in celebrating the importance of play in a child’s life. Play zones, hands on activities and raffles will be featured so be sure to stop by and enjoy the fun.

Westchester County will be organizing a 9-11 Memorial Ceremony on Wednesday, September 11 th at The Rising at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla at 3 p.m. In commemoration of the lives lost on the September 11 th attacks, the anniversary program will include an honor guard, a wreath laying ceremony and a recitation of the names of the 111 county residents and 12 former residents who lost their lives on that tragic day. In addition, the County and Volunteer New York! are urging local residents and businesspeople to participate in volunteer services as a way to honor those whose lives were lost. A complete list of volunteer opportunities is available at www.volunteernewyork.org .

In closing, I would like to remind residents to refrain from putting any toxic materials on their property in an effort to deter unwanted animals. A pesticide label, located on packaging of all pesticides and most toxic compounds, is deemed a legal document and expressly outlines appropriate use and application. If humans or animals are injured, due to misapplication, liability may result. Please proceed with caution.

On Friday, September 13 th I will be at Cobble Stone, located at 620 Anderson Hill Road in Purchase. I will be there from 12:30 to 1:30 and look forward to meeting with residents and talking about issues facing our community.