Letter: Vote Gearity (This Thursday) And Herrera (In A Few Years)

To The Editor

The primary for Ossining Mayor this Thursday September 13 is tremendously consequential. If you are a registered Dem, please get out there and vote. I am a registered Independent so I unfortunately cannot cast a ballot. So I figured I'd write this letter instead...

I am a parent of three boys, wife of an immigrant, homeowner and business owner and I support Victoria Gearity for Mayor.

We all see that Ossining is at a crossroads. After years of stagnation following the Great Recession, we are finally seeing some life return to Main Street. But there are plenty of other parts of the Village that are on life support. Zombie buildings abound. Upper Croton Avenue, one of the main points of entry to the Village, is a parade of eyesores, many of which are owned by out-of-towners who don't care one spit about Ossinauts.

Addressing blight is not a simple issue. Laws need to be changed, codes need to be updated. And Mayor Gearity has provided sound and resolute leadership to get some of these local laws changed so we can address neglect in our community. And she has done so with an eye towards keeping Ossining an affordable place for ALL - something I believe the vast majority of our residents want - regardless of whether they are homeowners or renters. Taxes have held steady for the past several years and access to affordable housing was always part of Mayor Gearity's plan.

We are lucky to have two dedicated public servants vying for our support. Mr. Herrera seems a nice man and I voted for him for Trustee (before he left for a year or two and then came back). But I think his race for mayor has become unnecessarily mired in identity politics, which has in turn created lots of anger and division. Americans know that fear is a dangerous electoral tool and there is currently a lot of real fear in our community - fear of national immigration policy and fear of being priced out of Ossining by gentrification, for example. I have observed that Mr. Herrera has exploited these issues for personal gain, without necessarily proposing well-thought-out solutions to address these fears. And I think that's a detriment to his campaign.

I believe that ALL of the citizens of Ossining- regardless of whether they are homeowners or renters, rich or poor, brown or pink, #Millenial or Babyboomer - we ALL want to see our village on the hill shine. We have much more in common than we are different. I prefer a candidate who campaigns on unity, not divisions. I want a leader who campaigns on hope and positive, inclusive change, not fear and anger. I think Victoria Gearity is that forward-thinking and thoughtful leader. Maybe the experience of this campaign will provide Mr. Herrera with some important life lessons and someday he might earn my vote. But for now, Victoria Gearity is the smart and mature leader Ossining needs for a better future. Thank you for your time.

Erika Boetsch