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Tim Bloom, an 11th grade student at Horace Greeley High School, has been chosen by the League of Women Voters of New Castle to attend this year’s Students Inside Albany Conference, organized by the League of Women Voters of New York State. This twelfth annual Students Inside Albany Conference will take place from March 25-28, 2012, and will bring together approximately 40 students from across the state to Albany to get a first-hand education about their state government. The program is designed to increase high school students' knowledge about the process by which public policy is proposed and enacted, and awareness of their responsibility in representative government. The four-day conference provides students with the information, motivation, and skills to become informed voters and engaged citizens.

While at the conference, students will join their peers in a hands-on learning experience about how state government works. Students will participate in a series of interactive lectures on topics such as the state budget process, the role of lobbyists in the legislative process, citizen rights to access government information, the role of media in politics, and the move to reform state government. The students will have an opportunity to tour the state’s Capitol. The highlight for most students will be the opportunity to shadow their Senators and their Assembly member for an afternoon, with many students getting the opportunity to attend session on the Chamber floor.

For more information on the program please send an email to Lea Barth at lwv.newcastle@gmail.com.

By Sheila Bernson and Jennifer Mebes Flagg
Co-Presidents of the League of Women Voters of New Castle

League Disappointed with Latfor Process

The League is extremely disappointed that there has been no change in the legislatively-controlled LATFOR process that produced the proposed state legislative district lines. The League for decades has called for an independent commission to draw fair lines devoid of partisan gerrymandering. Competitive elections are the lifeblood of democracy and these proposed lines are drawn to ensure political incumbency of the parties in power for the next decade. It is therefore no surprise that they have been the subject of so much criticism given the inherent self-interest of the process. One of the first, and clearest, critiques of the lines comes from our colleague Bill Mahoney at NYPIRG, who looked at a rising population inequality among all the districts. His analysis makes evident that the process has resulted in even more gerrymandered lines in the state Senate than those produced through previous cycles of political gerrymandering.

We expect that the public demand for reform shown over this last year allows for a unique opportunity in time to fundamentally alter the redistricting process in this state. The governor has publicly stated that these lines are unacceptable and he will consider a veto. We agree. The League will work with the governor and the legislature to realize lasting structural reform to this fundamentally flawed redistricting process. The certainty of achieving reform for 2022 is critical.

From LWV of New York State, Jan. 27, 2012

There is a link on the State League website to the LATFOR website on which people can view the proposed lines (http://www.latfor.state.ny.us/maps/). We have also provided a link to a website in which people can enter their own address and see the current and proposed lines for their own Senate and Assembly districts (http://data.lohud.com/dist_web/address_stateredist.php).

Ward System Referendum on the Ballot in November

The League of Women Voters of New Castle held its consensus meeting on the ward referendum on Tuesday, September 20th. The League reached consensus that the League is opposed to the referendum to adopt a ward system and to increase the number of Town Board members from four plus the Supervisor to six plus the Supervisor.

To read the consensus statement, see below left..
To read the League's Letter to the Editor, see below.

The League held a panel discussion on the ward system referendum on October 17th at New Castle Town Hall.

The panelists were Manny Areces - Member of the Ad Hoc Citizens' Committee for the Representation Referendum;
Barbara Gerrard - Supervisor for the Town of New Castle; and Chuck Lesnick - Yonkers City Council President and immediate Past President of the Westchester Municipal Officials Association.

Click here to watch the presentation on NCCMC.

LWV Hosted Panel on Ward System Referendum

The League of Women Voters of New Castle is hosted a panel discussion on the ward system referendum on October 17th at at New Castle Town Hall.

The referendum, which will be voted on at the November 8th election, calls for New Castle residents to adopt a ward system and to increase the size of the Town Board from the present number—four board members plus the supervisor—to six board members plus the supervisor.

The panelists for the October 17th discussion are:
? Manny Areces - Member of the Ad Hoc Citizens’ Committee for the Representation Referendum
? Barbara Gerrard - Supervisor for the Town of New Castle ? Chuck Lesnick - Yonkers City Council President and immediate Past President of the Westchester Municipal Officials Association The panelists will respond to questions from the audience.

On September 20th, League members arrived at a consensus to oppose the referendum. However, the League believes that this is a very important issue for residents of New Castle and hopes that many residents will attend this educational meeting.

League of Women Voters of New Castle Consensus Statement on Ward System Referendum

The League of Women Voters of New Castle, having met on September 20, 2011 to consider the Ward System Referendum* on the November 8th ballot, after presentation of a study of the issues involved and a discussion of the pros and cons of such a system for the Town, reached consensus that the League is opposed to the Referendum for the following reasons: that New Castle is not sufficiently large enough to merit such a change; that it is preferable to have each Town Board member answerable to each citizen of the Town; that turnover of the whole Town Board every two years could lead to lack of continuity and accountability as well as freeze the decision-making process; that there could be difficulty in finding candidates to run; that there would be increased costs and administrative needs at the same time as administrative staff is being cut back; that there could be an increase in divisiveness and self-interest making long-range planning more difficult; and that the concerns of government transparency and responsiveneness would not be improved by changing to a ward system.
______________________ *The Referendum is as follows: “That a) the number of at-large seats on the Town Board be increased from four to six; and b) that these six members of the Board be elected as representatives of each of six wards respectively of the Town of New Castle, to be defined in accordance with the laws of New York State, Town Law, Article 6, Section 85.”
September 22, 2011

LWV Letter to the Editor about the Referendum

After a membership meeting in which the referendum* to increase the size of the New Castle Town Board and to change the system of electing board members was thoroughly explored, the League of Women Voters of New Castle arrived at a consensus to oppose the referendum. The League urges residents to vote no on this referendum on November 8th.

Background Information

New Castle has 17,600 residents and about 12,000 voters. It currently has an at-large system of electing the Town Board, which means all the town’s voters elect the four board members plus the supervisor. The four board members each serve four-year terms (two elected every two years) and the supervisor serves a two-year term. Each board member is paid $10,250 per year and the supervisor is paid $42,865 per year.

The referendum calls for New Castle residents to adopt a ward system and to increase the size of the Town Board from the present number—four board members plus the supervisor—to six board members plus the supervisor.

Under a ward system, the six board members would each be elected from one of six separate wards, the boundaries of which would be determined by the Westchester County Board of Elections should the referendum succeed. Each ward would have about 3,000 residents and 2,000 voters. Under the statute, board members would serve two- year terms with elections to be held every two years.

Only 11 towns out of 932 in New York State have a ward system. The 11 towns all have a larger population than New Castle. None of the towns in Westchester and only two cities (New Rochelle and Yonkers) out of the six cities in Westchester operate under a ward system.

League Process and Position

Since learning of the petition for the referendum, the League has conducted a study, including interviewing current and former town officials, town residents, proponents of the referendum and others. The League’s primary focus has been on the most significant part of the referendum - changing the method of electing our board members.

The League does not believe a ward system form of government with six wards would be in the best interests of our town. Among the reasons for the League’s opposition to the referendum are the following:

? Town fragmentation. Currently the Town Board is elected by and represents all of New Castle and is answerable to every citizen of the town. The Town Board primarily deals with issues affecting the entire town. In a ward system, each board member would be answerable to only residents in his or her ward. In addition, more focus could potentially be on narrower issues relevant to only one or two wards. New Castle is not large enough to justify such a major change in its government.
? Decrease in continuity. Electing a new Town Board every two years is inefficient and probably would have a deleterious effect on continuity and long- range planning.
? Increased costs. Two additional board members would result in an increase in costs to New Castle residents. Also, it is ill-advised to increase policy-makers at a time when the Town’s administrative staff is being reduced.
? Ability to get qualified candidates. Prior to this year, New Castle had not had a contested election for board members in many years. Under the ward system it may be difficult to get the most qualified candidates for Town Board from six different wards of only 2,000 voters each.
Finally, it is important to note that the League did not study the issue of whether New Castle’s government is transparent or responsive enough. Rather, we studied whether the referendum would improve the transparency and responsiveness of the Town Board. We concluded it would not.
The League is planning an informational meeting for the community on October 17th. We believe that this is a very important issue for residents of New Castle and we hope to see everyone there.
Sheila Bernson and Jennifer Mebes Flagg Co-Presidents of the League of Women Voters of New Castle September 22, 2011
_______________
*The referendum is as follows: “That a) the number of at-large seats on the Town Board be increased from four to six; and b) that these six members of the Board be elected as representatives of each of six wards respectively of the Town of New Castle, to be defined in accordance with the laws of New York State, Town Law, Article 6, Section 85.”

CALENDAR

Feb. 15. Naturalization Court (see below)

Wed. Feb. 29 Forum on Fair and Affordable Housing. 7:30 pm Justice Court, Bedford Town House, 321 Bedford Rd., Bedford Hills. Snow date March 7. Details below.

Represent the League at Naturalization Court Feb. 15

The honor of representing LWV at Naturalization Court rotates among Westchester's local leagues. LWV New Castle is asked to send representatives several times a year, and our next date is February 15th. Let us know if you would like to volunteer for this date or future dates. It's an honor and a wonderful experience!

To volunteer, or for more information, contact Sheila Bernson at sbernson@mac.com.

Read more about the Naturalization Court experience at the County LWV site.

Want to Know What's Going on in Albany? Read the State League's blog, Capitol Beat

Click here to read.

Observer Notes Board of Education Jan. 12

Download pdf (3 pgs)

Fair and Affordable Housing Forum Feb. 29

Everything you want to know about fair and affordable housing will be discussed at a community forum in Bedford Hills, at 7:30pm in the Justice Court of the Bedford Town House. Introductory remarks will be by Town of Bedford Supervisor Lee V. A. Roberts. Panelists are:
James E. Johnson, Federal Housing Monitor;
Janet Hostetler, US Department of Housing & Urban Development; Mary Mahon, Special Assistant to County Executive Astorino;
Norma Drummond, Deputy Commissioner of Planning Department; Thomas McGrath, Chairman, Blue Mountain Housing Development Corporation; William G. Balter, Wilder Balter Partners Inc.; and Moderator: Peter B. Harckham, Legislator, 2nd District.

Parking available at the Town House or across the road at 425 Cherry St. Snow date March 7. More info at 914-232-5735 or lwv.blns@gmail.com.

Download flyer.

Directions can be found by using the website of LWV of Bedford, Lewisboro, North Salem.

If you haven't yet renewed your membership

We need your support. Thank you in advance for your renewal and donations. Lost your renewal form? http://www.watpa.org/lwvnc/joinus.html

Each month the Board discusses areas of local concern, makes plans for future LWV events, and conducts League business. If you are a member or interested in what the League does, please join us.

The League of Women Voters of New Castle is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages citizens to play an informed and active role in government. At the local, county, state and national levels, the League works to influence public policy through education and advocacy. We do not endorse candidates. Membership is open to women and men who wish to participate in these efforts.

The League is part of a county, state and national organization, the League of Women Voters of Westchester, the League of Women Voters of New York and the League of Women Voters of the United States. More info about this league below

LWV Meetings: Board meetings are held on the second Wednesday morning of each month to conduct the business and planning of the League. All members are welcome to attend. Other meetings, to receive a report from a study group, or to inform the public about an election, or local issue, are usually held in the evening in a public building. Study groups meet at times agreed to by the participants, usually in the home of a member.

NCCMC: Many of the programs we host are available for viewing on NCCMC. LWVNC shows can be seen on channel 75 (community access station) and on channel 78 (government station). See http://www.nccmc.com/ for current schedules.

For more information, or if you are interested in attending events, please e-mail us at lwv.newcastle@gmail.com

The New York State LWV's Newsletter is now available online.

Updated Feb. 3, 2012
by Valerie Castleman

Many thanks to Westchester Alliance for Telecommunications and Public Access (WATPA ) & the Westchester Library System (WLS) for hosting this site.