2019 Candidate Profile: Brendan M. Conroy For Mayor

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Hudson Valley will have several contested races in this fall's election, including the race for mayor of New Rochelle. New Rochelle Patch asked candidates in some contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Brendan M. Conroy, 46, is running for New Rochelle mayor. His opponent is Democratic incumbent Noam Bramson.

Conroy is running on the Republican, Conservative and Independence party lines. He is a realtor with 20 years experience in the business. Conroy has a wife and three sons.

The single most pressing issue facing our community, and what I intend to do about it.

New Rochelle is in the process of a complete redevelopment of the downtown business district. As we all know the downtown has needed redevelopment of some kind for decades. However, the current method being used to attract developers to our area is shifting too many of the expenses from these projects to current residents and businesses while allowing developers to make even larger profits.

I would like to enhance what we already have in New Rochelle and even have a few ideas about what might be added. For example, it would be wonderful to see community centers added to additional areas in the City to serve all of our youth. Additionally, the long-overdue revitalization of the city properties that have sat dormant and been allowed to fall into disrepair over the last 25 years needs to finally occur. However, before that can be done, we must gain control of the development currently underway. While out in the community campaigning, it has become very clear that a major concern of most residents is the downtown development. Before implementing new plans and ideas we must get a handle on the issues already forming that have been caused by the development currently underway. That means taking look at the lack of oversight in the development and all the underlying issues that have yet to be openly addressed. These issues include such things as the cost of infrastructure improvements, the actual number of students being added to our already crowded school system, and how we will ensure emergency services can continue to adequately cover our community.

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

Our current mayor has created a vision for the future of New Rochelle without any consideration for or input from the residents who currently live here. The downtown development is spilling into many of our neighborhoods that are rich with historic and unique personalities that are being erased. As a resident, it is worrisome our "city with a small-town feel" community may be lost. The plans we have now for further development do not include practical considerations for the current business owners and residents such as where can people park, shop for groceries and even get a wider variety of retail shopping options. I want to see development in the downtown that helps to bring New Rochelle together as a community, not make it into the sixth borough of New York City.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

In addition to addressing the development issues that our community is facing I plan to do the following:

• Pass legislation to impose term limits
• Restore the position to that of ceremonial mayor, as defined in the City of New Rochelle charter, while reducing the salary to an appropriate level. Yes, I will cut the salary in half while continuing to handle all the duties of the mayor’s office.
• Lead City Council to advance current development in a fashion that will revitalize the downtown without adversely impacting the quality of life for our current residents. Do what is necessary to assist existing businesses to succeed during the construction phase of developments.
• Work with the City Council and city manager to provide the Board of Education with whatever support they need to assure our children’s education and safety remain the number one priority.
• Ensure that part of the development process includes the restoration of city landmarks making them available for the enjoyment of all New Rochelle residents.

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

My career for the last 20 years has been in the real estate industry. A decade of which was spent as an administrator for the City of Rye. While working in the City of Rye I started a small business which has become successful enough I was able to leave the security of the public sector. The combination of both public and private sector experience enables me to have a more comprehensive understanding of both the struggles of a business owner and working within a government entity to make necessary changes to the established machine. Having that background not only in the public sector, but the private sector as well, gives me a depth of experience that is currently lacking in the mayor’s office.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

“Don’t ever lose your sense of humor.”— John Conroy aka Dad aka Pip

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

Having been born at New Rochelle hospital back when it was New Rochelle Hospital, I’ve lived here my entire life. My wife and I have chosen to raise our family here, so our children can benefit from all the wonderful things New Rochelle has to offer. For a city of 80,000 people, New Rochelle has a rich culture and wide-ranging diversity few communities of this size can match. My three sons all attended kindergarten in the same “duckpond” classroom I did at Daniel Webster School. This is the sense of community and tradition I want for all of us. We need leadership that is willing to listen to all of the diverse communities within our great city and do what is necessary to help them flourish and thrive. New Rochelle needs leadership that is focused not only on making the future better for residents that haven’t arrived yet, but for those of us that are already here. That is the kind of leadership only change can bring. I’m hoping to be that change.