Candidate Profile: Colin Smith For Westchester County District 1

PEEKSKILL, NY — In the upcoming general election, residents of Westchester will be voting for county and local officials.

Patch is asking candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns.

In Westchester, county legislators are up for election. For District 1, which covers Cortlandt, Peekskill and Yorktown, incumbent Democrat Colin Smith is running for re-election. He is being challenged by Joe Torres, a Republican.

Smith, 48, lives in Peekskill with his fiancée and a stepdaughter.

Before he was elected to the legislature, he served on the Peekskill Common Council and the Peekskill Board of Education.

Smith is an attorney with 18 years experience. He graduated from Cedarville University in Ohio and Pace Law School.

Campaign website

www.colin4westchester.com

Here are the answers to a series of questions as submitted by Colin Smith. They were lightly edited for style and clarity — not content.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking re-election to continue my work on behalf of the people of Westchester. There are several ongoing issues such as the decommissioning of Indian Point, police reform, affordable housing, sewer consolidation and other crucial infrastructure needs, that require someone with the appropriate skillset and experience to address. I possess the requisite amount of both of these. My opponent, Joe Torres, does not.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

One of the most pressing issues facing our District is the shortage of affordable housing for struggling families and senior citizens. The economic fallout of COVID-19 has only exacerbated this situation. As County Legislator, I will continue to work with developers and local municipalities to craft affordable solutions. A "one size fits all" approach won’t work because each community is different and each must be tailored specifically to meet the local needs.

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

I have more experience than my opponent both in length of time holding elected office (six years Peekskill Board of Ed, two years Peekskill Common Council, two years Westchester Legislature) as well as in the breadth of that experience (educational, city and county). My opponent only served one term as a Common Council member and was defeated when attempting re-election by the Democratic ticket of which I was a part. I also have strong relationships with the various members of our local labor bodies, law enforcement agencies, community organizations and officials at all levels of government. In short, I have both the experience and relationships needed to be a strong advocate for our District.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I think they have done a tremendous job in dealing with the coronavirus.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

As mentioned above, if re-elected I will continue to fight for lower taxes, the safe and responsible decommissioning of Indian Point, affordable housing development that meets the needs of our communities, responsible police reform and improvements in our infrastructure.

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

As mentioned previously, I have spent the past 10 years in elected office in some capacity. In each of those positions, I have successfully helped pass responsible budgets that have always been within the state-mandated tax cap.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Always keep your words sweet for you never know when you’ll have to eat them.

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

Vote for me if you want two more years of capable, trusted leadership that will move us forward to progress and real change.