Former Mayor Levitt Flisser: Candidate for County Legislature

Scarsdale's former Mayor Dr. Miriam Levitt Flisser is running for Westchester County Legislator. She is vying for the seat currently held by Bill Ryan and will face candidate Ben Boykin in the election on Tuesday November 5. This Thursday, October 24, the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale will host a candidates' forum at Scarsdale Village Hall at 7:30 pm. Come out to meet thecandidates and hear their views.

We posed pertinent questions about County issues to Dr. Flisser and here are her responses:

Though 20% of our local taxes are paid to Westchester County, many in Scarsdale are not aware of what the County Government does here in the Village. Can you tell our readers how the County impacts Scarsdale and what changes we would see if you are elected?

The most extensive example of County and Village cooperation now visible is the replacement of the deteriorated Crane Road Bridge, Exit 12 on the Bronx River Parkway. The project, funded by the County, paid the Village about $900,000 for parcels of Village land needed for bridge supports, fairly assessed by an independent assessor. Scarsdale is using the $900,000 for non-tax revenue, mainly road re-paving in much needed areas. In addition, the Village's merchant parking lot is on loan for construction staging until the project is completed.

The County Government also paid for about half of the functional (and beautiful) Fox Meadow Drainage basin project that cost $3.1 million. Unfortunately, Scarsdale failed to receive County matching grants for the Sheldrake Drainage project. This is an area where our County Legislator can make a big difference.

Scarsdale also uses County services such as the Emergency Dispatch System, to increase the efficiency and responsiveness.

What is your view on shared services among municipalities and how would that affect Scarsdale Village Government?

Scarsdale currently uses County Services (such as the Emergency Dispatch System) to increase efficiency and quality in our daily operations. The County's emergency preparedness plans protect us all, including the Ready Westchester Special Needs Registry, which protects residents who may need rescue in the event of major disaster. I worked on developing this system as the Scarsdale liaison during its inception. You may sign up for yourself, or a relative, here: https://secure05.westchestergov.com/specialneeds/
Scarsdale can benefit from shared services while protecting our community's investment in infrastructure, and maintaining our high standards for service.

For example, as Police Commissioner I worked closely with the Scarsdale Police Department, which already has policies and procedures in place to cooperate with the county and contiguous police departments. The Scarsdale Police Department regularly cooperates with White Plains and New Rochelle, among others to apprehend suspects in crimes. However, there is no substitute for local policing and municipalities value law enforcement that knows neighborhoods and local ordinances.

The Scarsdale Fire Department, for which I served as Fire Commissioner, as a matter of protocol, provides shared fire and rescue services to other municipalities and on occasion has called on other neighboring fire departments.

As a County Legislator, I would be open to proposals to improve productivity and reduce costs. Difficult economic times and the need to keep government expenses under control have raised the priority of shared services.

An EPA lawsuit has charged that Water District #1 is not in compliance with the Safe Water Drinking Act. What do you plan to do to address this issue? Who will pay for the new water treatment infrastructure?

As Mayor and Trustee, I was closely involved with water issues in Scarsdale. In fact, Scarsdale began issuing an annual report describing the quality of water in 2010. Scarsdale's water comes from the New York City Water Supply System to the Reeves Newsom Station via a pipeline belonging to Scarsdale, Mount Vernon, White Plains and Yonkers (more shared services), also known as Westchester Water District #1.

The water is treated with fluoride, chlorine, water pH adjustment with caustic soda and the addition of orthophosphate prior to distribution. Relatively recent EPA regulations require that water be treated with ultraviolet light, which is an advanced procedure, to remove Cryptosporidium. The County informed the EPA in 2011 that it would not be able to meet the April 2012 deadline for a number of reasons, including the $100 million county expense to redirect water from Kensico Reservoir.

The EPA and Justice Department lawsuit followed HUD's most recent rejection of Westchester County's Assessment of Fair and Affordable Housing and the County received no notification from EPA that the delay was problematic.

While we await the outcome of this additional legal assault by the federal government against Westchester County, the County, White Plains and Scarsdale have concluded that the water is free of Cryptosporidium and is safe to drink. No cases of illness relating to Cryptosporidium have been reported.

Westchester recently lost out on $7.4 million in community development grants because the county failed to comply with the terms of the affordable housing settlement. Do you think these funds are lost? Is there anything the County can do to recoup them?

Unfortunately these funds are lost due to the federal government's fiscal year and the court ruling. HUD has been using community development grants as weapon to try to coerce Westchester County Government to acquiesce to HUD's claims of discriminatory zoning. This is another example of the federal government imposing its vast resources – thanks to our taxes – to try to force us to comply with their radical views on housing.

HUD has rejected eight of Westchester County's filings on affordable housing compliance because the County will not give in to HUD's demand that Westchester County accuse its municipalities of discriminatory zoning laws. As a result, Westchester's poorest children are suffering from lack of lead abatement funds.

Shockingly, among the grants withheld are Lead Abatement Funds for our poorest communities; an issue which is critical to pediatricians like myself. Children who suffer from lead poisoning are condemned to a lifetime of significantly lower cognition, and carry these burdens forever. No amount of affordable housing can ameliorate the harm done from lead poisoning in a young child.
One must question the motivations of an agency that does not respond to this critical local situation.

What is your position on the Women's Equality Act and a woman's right to choose?

I am a pediatrician, a mother, and grandmother of four. As a licensed physician, I always comply with and support all NY State medical regulations; I maintain the strictest confidentiality, and provide compassionate care to all families who come to me for help.

What is your position on gun control ? Do you propose to limit gun sales in Westchester?

I support meticulous compliance with all existing firearms regulations and safety programs. In addition, allow me to use my medical experience to point out that it is the failures of current mental health programs that are at the foundation of gun violence and other criminal events that have tragically impacted our extended community. I will fight to keep our families and communities safe.

What past accomplishments are you most proud of? How will you use what you learned to make improvements in Westchester County?

My four years as a Trustee and two years as Mayor of Scarsdale were marked by many accomplishments and challenges.

As a public servant, I strive to solve problems, prevent problems through anticipatory policies and maintain a citizen-run government that is responsive and fair. My rule, "Miriam's Rule": "When a person emails you, respond with an email; when they call, return the call; and if they write, write them back." During my tenure as Mayor, I sent over 180,000 messages, never missed a meeting and never ventured more than 25 miles from Scarsdale because I had the responsibility of being the chief elected official of a community where I have lived for 38 years.

Hurricane Sandy demanded a tremendous municipal response. Our emergency response team met twice a day in the new Public Safety Headquarters and spent innumerable hours on the phone with Con Edison advocating for services. Although the Village was severely hurt by loss of power, Village residents who had working phones were able to receive emergency community notification calls. Unfortunately, Scarsdale was not deemed a priority by Con Edison and our power was out for an extended period of time. We held community meetings to inform residents of what was going on, we powered traffic lights with emergency generators and we opened the library to extended hours as a warming, computer and recharging center.

In the wake of Sandy, the Village Board enacted new code for the installation of permanent generators, which the Village Board had opposed for years due to noise levels. The Emergency Notification System, which I spearheaded has had many benefits for residents, not the least of which is providing a quick, efficient and inexpensive way to notify villagers of important changes, such as reducing water usage during droughts.

The accomplishment of which I am most proud is the installation of the Fox Meadow Drainage Basin, otherwise known as the rain garden. It has provided residents in the area with much needed reduction of flooding. At the end of my term as Mayor, the Board began planning for another flood abatement project in the Sheldrake area.

As Scarsdale residents know, I am unafraid to tackle tough issues. During my tenure as Mayor, the Board adopted a model zoning code that complies with HUD's model code. The Board worked hard to adopt model zoning that includes affordable housing without compromising the zoning code that protects the quality of life in Scarsdale.

Other projects that I championed were the planned modernization of the Reeves Newsom Pumping Station and the modernization of the Ardsley Station, which turned out to be prescient when the pump failed this fall, but was quickly replaced due to the planning in place.

Lastly, during my term as Mayor, the Village began a village-wide tax revaluation. Although I was not in favor of the revaluation in the beginning, as a result of community support presented by village residents I concluded that the "reval" would restore property tax fairness.

Personally, I'm most proud of my three grown children and their families. It's hard to raise children; and my husband (a retired Scarsdale school teacher) and I devoted our entire young lives to it, along with assistance from our extended families, including our family matriarch, Esther Flisser who lives in nearby Yonkers at age 95, and my late mother, who lived in Scarsdale until age 98. I came to the USA as an immigrant, and in gratitude for the opportunity I was given here, I have devoted one half of my work to public service, including as a medical volunteer; and in the voluntary positions of Trustee, Fire Commissioner, Police Commissioner, and Mayor of the Village of Scarsdale. I hope to be able to continue in public service as a legislator for Westchester County.