In a disappointing result the election in Chestnut Ridge has returned the sitting trustees to office.
Shaut and Wasserman were defeated which means the status quo remains. Running a campaign that should be noted for its energy, clear vision, accessibility and responsiveness they energized their community. Kudos to them.
In a statement on Facebook they wrote:
Dear Friends,
The unofficial vote count is in and we unfortunately have some bad news. The count came in around 2,500 total votes. That turnout is just shy of our largest turnout ever for a national election and more than double our previous village election. The unofficial results are:
Valentine 1,330
Van Alstyne 1,314
Wasserman 1,129
Shaut 1,106We can’t thank you all enough for the incredible amount of support that we’ve had these last few months. We are honored to call you neighbors and friends.
We also would like to extend a special thank you to our Orthodox neighbors that turned out tonight. If this was truly an orthodox vs non-orthodox vote, as our opponents would have you believe, this margin would have been much wider. Thank you for seeing through their hateful words. It is a beautiful thing to know that many of us in this village truly want the same thing and we saw that in your support for us tonight. Do not give up the fight for this village
Thank you,
Jeff & Anthony
What does it all mean?
In their previous statement regarding the situation in Chestnut Ridge Shaut & Wasserman discussed the lack of transparency and code enforcement by the present village trustees. The community weren’t kept aware of what was going on. With proposed high density housing coming to the village, and the lack of enforcement for private homes being used as places of worship, the character of the village is changing and under threat. There is a potential for significant traffic problems. Already there is an increase in volume, and access on and off the NY Thruway ramps has longer lines. As these roads connect to Montvale and Upper Saddle River there is a potential knock on effect.
Given the influx of new residents in Chestnut Ridge (and the surrounding towns of Rockland county) and the specific issues that relate to that community and the lax control by the village trustees it would be in the best interests of Upper Saddle River for the council to remain vigilant. A town where the residents have limited interest and involvement in community, don’t police the council who are often lethargic, delayed and mysterious in their workings, and whose recent actions have cost the town money and left many residents questioning what really has been going on. Upper Saddle River council needs to protect the interests of the town and residents and be vigilant and proactive. The change across the state line is happening.