2019 Candidate Profile: Noam Bramson Of New Rochelle

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — New Rochelle will have several contested races in this fall's election, including the mayor's position. New Rocchelle Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near. Early voting in New York begins Oct. 26, with Election Day being Nov. 5.

Noam Bramson, 49, is running for re-election for mayor. His opponent is Brendan M. Conroy. Bramson is married to Dr. Catie Stern, and they have two children — Jeremy, 15, and Owen, 13 — who attend New Rochelle High School.

Bramson has been mayor since 2006 and is a graduate of New Rochelle High School and Harvard University. He was previously on the city council from 1996 to 2005.

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

We must ensure that that all residents and taxpayers benefit from the most ambitious downtown development in New Rochelle’s history. This means striking the right balance between change and preservation, while fostering growth that is sustainable, well-planned, inclusive, and equitable. I will continue working to: require the highest-quality design through innovative zoning, generate additional commercial tax revenue to strengthen City and School finances, invest in infrastructure from complete streets to enhanced and expanded open space, provide both market-rate and affordable housing at multiple price points, expand opportunities for employment and skills-training so that more of our residents have a chance to prosper, and build a diverse, healthy city center that is both economically and culturally vibrant, while protecting the charm, history, and beauty of our neighborhoods.

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

In each of the following three areas, there are significant differences between my opponent and myself:

Professional Experience: I have been immersed in City issues for most of my adult life and have acquired wide-ranging knowledge about municipal governance and an extensive record of support for and engagement in community organizations and programs, as well as constructive, mutually-respectful relationships among both public and private sector partners. This experience has contributed enormously to the City’s progress and will be essential in keeping New Rochelle moving in the right direction.

Vision: I have a clear, positive vision for the future of New Rochelle, with a focus on investment in roads, parks, and infrastructure, economic and cultural development of our downtown, sustainable environmental and energy policy, enhancement of the quality of life in our neighborhoods, and respect for residents of every heritage, tradition, and circumstance.

Progressive Values: I believe strongly in the progressive values that define our community and have made common cause with city leaders across the nation in support of causes ranging from civil rights and liberties, to the positive value of immigration, to common sense gun safety, to the provision of quality, affordable health care.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

This is an exciting moment for New Rochelle. We have an opportunity to build on recent progress in several important areas, including:

• Fully implementing our ten-year capital budget to expand investments in roads, parks, and essential infrastructure.

• Doing more to improve our environment by enhancing open spaces and water bodies, protecting our national resources, and accelerating a transition to clean, renewable energy.

• Expanding public access to the New Rochelle waterfront through imaginative, mixed-use development.

• Creating a new linear park to connect the Lincoln Avenue corridor with our downtown, part of New Rochelle’s $10 million award from New York State through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

• Responsibly managing municipal finances to preserve our historically strong bond rating, protect the long-term interests of taxpayers and homeowners, and ensure continued investment in essential services.

• Strengthening City-School-Community partnerships like My Brother’s Keeper, which provide support for young people from early childhood to career development.

• Preserving an outstanding public safety record, which has given New Rochelle the lowest crime rate since the 1950s.

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

As Mayor, I have played a leadership role in:

• Attracting billions in private investment as part of the most ambitious downtown development plan in our history,

• Creating New Rochelle’s 10-year capital plan with its record investments in roads, parks, and infrastructure

• Adopting and implementing New Rochelle’s award-winning Sustainability Plan with its wide-ranging environmental priorities,

• Securing millions in highly-competitive grants, including New York State’s Downtown Revitaliation Initiative and Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayor’s Challenge,

• Supporting our First Responders in achieving New Rochelle’s best public safety record in generations,

• Adopting responsible, balanced budgets that have given New Rochelle its best bond rating in more than 80 years,

• Fostering a culture of creativity and innovation evidenced through initiatives related to the arts, transportation, marketing, and communications,

• Addressing countless individual and neighborhood concerns with sensitivity, respect, and responsiveness, and

• Representing our city effectively to important inter-governmental and private sector constituencies whose partnership is important to New Rochelle’s success.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

Never allow fear to dictate your decisions.

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

I am a lifelong New Rochellean and graduate of our public schools. My wife Catie is a clinical pediatric neuropsychologist. Our children, Jeremy and Owen, are students at New Rochelle High School. My mother, age 86, lives independently in downtown New Rochelle. Our entire family feels grateful to be part of a diverse, vibrant community, which welcomes people of every tradition and circumstance. I am passionately loyal to New Rochelle and will continue doing everything in my power to ensure that our city has a bright, hopeful future.

Are you running for office in New Rochelle? Contact Michael Woyton for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to New Rochelle Patch.

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