It has become commonplace to hear the phrase “this is the most important election in…”. I think we have all become numb to this phrase. However, this November 7, our town of Harrison will no doubt have its most important election in decades.
This is not a normal local election that we can just sit out. Harrison stands at a real crossroads. There are significant differences between the three candidates for mayor and their corresponding town council candidates. Those differences center on what type of town we want Harrison to fundamentally be: A town with an honest government that does the right thing when no one is looking or one that governs in backrooms and covers up lawlessness. A town that will put taxpayers and families first or one that prioritizes friends and donors. Simply put, Harrison has a corruption problem, and this is the best opportunity in years to root it out.
This is where Mark Jaffe and his One Harrison team comes in. Mark is running a bipartisan campaign focused on bringing honesty and integrity to Harrison. On his ticket, he himself is a Democrat and is joined by another Democrat, town council candidate Zach Sheinberg. Balancing out the ticket are two Republicans: town council candidate Helen Pesce and longtime incumbent town clerk Jackie Greer. Mark, Zach, Helen, and Jackie are collectively committed to reaching across the aisle to work together to clean up the town; how refreshing in light of the political divide and acrimony in Washington and across this country which is growing by the day.
Among the One Harrison team’s many constructive proposals is the creation of an independent ethics panel with whistleblower protections. The creation of an independent investigative body that would hold current and future mayors accountable would deal a permanent blow to the “old boys club” that has historically run Harrison.
Mark Jaffe and his team are also committed to doing everything in their power to stop the construction of the proposed water filtration plant right on Purchase Street. They will lobby the county to block the proposed land swap and compel Westchester Joint Water Works (WJWW) to build the plant at its original designated location on property it already owns, away from residential neighbors and without jeopardizing the Kensico Watershed which supplies water to 9 million people, including to Westchester County and New York City. The advertising across Harrison in which WJWW implies that anyone is against clean water is just plain false. WJWW has a perfectly good piece of land that it already owns outside of the Kensico Watershed on which no one objects to building the plant. They just aren’t telling you that.
Having moved from New York City two-and-a-half years ago to Purchase with my wife and now 2-year-old daughter, Sophie, I want to do my part to elect local leaders that set the right example for Sophie and for all the other children in Purchase and Harrison. It’s time to hold our leaders accountable for being transparent and honest with Harrison residents, making decisions with integrity and protecting the drinking water for millions of people. Enough is enough.
Please do your part and vote this election day across row A on the Democratic line for Mark Jaffe and his bipartisan team.
— David De Lott,
Purchase resident
