Op-Ed: A Question of Transparency

Omar Herrera wants to be the youngest elected Mayor in the history of the Village of Ossining. But, in reality, he wants to add to his resume by sowing division within our community.

What has Herrera accomplished in his two very brief stints on the Board of Trustees? I'm all for climbing the ladder of success, but you have to build a foundation, not just show up when it's “politically convenient” and push all others aside, regardless of their proven track record.

I, still, feel very uncomfortable about his “job hopping.” Herrera was 24 when he was sworn in to his first term as a Trustee in January of 2015, and already he had his eye on his legacy. That day he was quoted as saying “Who would have thought that in 2015 you’d have me as a trustee--the youngest elected official in Westchester County--and our first female mayor, Victoria Gearity?” Yes, even Herrera conceded that Ossining had already “made history” by electing her.

Only eight months later, Herrera resigned as Trustee to accept an Empire State Fellowship in Albany for 2015-17, which comes with a handsome salary. As a voter, I remember feeling betrayed, but it was a great opportunity for him. Yet, not even halfway through, he left Albany. Did he quit? Was he terminated? No one knows the whole story. When asked, he speaks vaguely about leaving for a “new opportunity.” According to his LinkedIn page, this opportunity was becoming a self employed public relations and event planning consultant.

Herrera proclaims that a village administration, under his leadership, would bring transparency, but where is the transparency about what happened when he left Albany only two years ago? Don't voters have a right to know?

Upon returning to Ossining, Herrera moved quickly to reclaim his seat on the Board of Trustees, displacing another Hispanic Democrat in the process. Only months after being sworn in for his term in January of 2018, he declared his candidacy for Mayor.

Shouldn’t he finish something before he starts something else?

When Mayor Gearity began her first term as our Chief Elected Official, she had served an entire term as a Trustee. During that time she had voted on two village budgets, something Herrera has yet to do. Sorry, but being a Millennial and smearing the Mayor's character are not enough.

I urge all registered Democrats in the Village, to come out on Primary Day, September 13, and cast their ballots for a dedicated, accessible and unifying leader: Victoria Gearity.

William Joseph Reynolds

Ossining resident, Born and Raised