Letter to the Editor: The Value Of A Non-Partisan Party

Written by ML Perlman:

"Partisan: An adherent or supporter of a person, group, party, or cause, especially a person who shows a biased, emotional allegiance."

Voters should know the core values of the Scarsdale Citizens’ Non-Partisan Party. Since the founding of Scarsdale’s Non-Partisan system, it has often been critiqued or mischaracterized to be prohibitive or an attempt to avoid serious discussions about the future and governance of our Village. The reality is quite different. We are a political party after all and our publicly elected caucus (the CNC) uses a process not dissimilar to other political parties for reviewing and selecting candidates to run for office. Where it is different it is in the painstaking efforts for the CNC to represent all neighborhoods and the diversity of our Village in terms of background and viewpoint to select the best possible slate of candidates.

Ultimately, we leave it to voters to decide whether our party fits with a voter’s core beliefs and values.

As all other Villages, Scarsdale follows New York State election law for municipal elections. Any candidate or slate of candidates is free to participate and, having done so, talk about whatever they want to in the run up to the election. This year is no different.

What the Non-Partisan system has done so successfully for decades is create a process for a single slate of candidates based not on political party affiliation, future aspirations, or entangling commitments to one group of Village residents over another, but on character, judicious temperament, intelligence, zeal for public service, and above all, open-mindedness. By tradition and because truly controversial and divisive issues in our Village's history, such as the current contentious debate over the revaluation, are relatively rare, the Non-Partisan system has focused on the individuals who would serve, rather than make campaign promises to one faction or another.

That Scarsdale has had a long history of uncontested elections is certainly not built into New York election law, or a result of some prohibition. Rather, that track record demonstrates the confidence that our Village voters have had in the integrity of the Non-Partisan process. We all know the names of the volunteers choosing the Non-Partisan Slate because they had to run themselves for the CNC. We know what they were focused on when they reviewed candidates, and how thoroughly they researched those candidates' credentials. We even know how they set up their internal rules and decision-making process, since it was at a meeting open to the public and televised. all open and televised. So the voters of our community have usually recognized that the slate of candidates for Trustee and Mayor are the best of the best, and appreciate that they owe their candidacy neither to party bosses nor to explicit promises made to one faction of Village residents over another.

That's why even when the elections have been contested, as they periodically have, the integrity of the process has continued to speak for itself and the Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party candidates have almost always been approved by the voters.

We're confident that once Scarsdalians get to know the background, experience, and broad-mindedness of Dan Hochvert, Carl Finger, Matt Callaghan, and Seth Ross, they'll come to the same conclusion.

The General Village Election will take place Tuesday March 21st 2017 at the Scarsdale Public Library, 54 Olmsted Road.

Members of the public and press are welcome to ask candidates questions directly via email: nonpartisan@scarsdalecitizens.org.

Special thanks to Timothy Foley, Scarsdale Resident, SCNP Volunteer and principal author of historical information above.

— ML Perlman, Campaign Committee Chair

Patch file photo.