Serving as your Councilwoman is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life — and now, after 3 ½ of the most challenging years our nation and our community have experienced in decades, if ever, I can say unequivocally that there is no work I would rather be doing. Just three months after I took office in 2020, the global pandemic took center stage, and two months after that our nation was rocked by the murder of George Floyd. As the nation shut down, trying to navigate uncharted waters, we as a town were faced with keeping our residents safe at the same time as fulfilling the Governor’s mandate that each municipality review the workings of its own law enforcement agency and produce a corresponding police reform plan. I am proud of what we as a Town Board, and I as a Councilwoman have accomplished. We did our best by our residents. Everything from senior lunch programs to swimming pool access to sanitation schedules had to be examined and reexamined. We closed the Town Hall, instituting town-wide remote conferencing, and adhering to national and state health directives. I personally took on the challenge of meeting the Governor’s mandate. With the Board’s support, I created, and continue to chair today, the Greenburgh Against Systemic Racism Task Force (GASR). We met the Governor’s time schedule. Meanwhile, I broadened the scope of his narrow mandate to include specific areas historically known for systemic racism. Currently, there are two active committees which have published comprehensive reports, available on the Town website: Law Enforcement and Housing. We have already started to implement recommendations presented in these reports, and look forward to the opportunity to do much more. I am particularly pleased that my experience in the intricacies of municipal operations and strong background in human resources, procurement processes, and water utilities have proven so useful in my work as your Councilwoman. I have used my expertise in our efforts to: - Address internal organizational issues, as evidenced in recent changes in the Building, Public Works and Police Departments; - Coordinate with County, NYS and Federal agencies to provide additional resources to address serious infrastructure needs, long-term and during natural disasters; - Promote meaningful economic development to hold the line on property taxes while expanding affordable housing, senior exemptions, and renewal energy incentives; and - Coordinate community events to provide social opportunities for our youth and seniors alike, such as summer festivals throughout town and Juneteenth celebrations.