Re-Elected Tuckahoe Deputy Mayor Speaks Out

Tuckahoe Deputy Mayor Tom Giordano is talking about the future of our village on the heels of being re-elected by voters. Here is what he had to say about the issues facing Tuckahoe and his role of serving the people of our Village.

Patch: What is the biggest challenge facing Tuckahoe right now?

Giordano: I sound like a broken record, but it remains our budget. Pension escalation costs and weakened property values have moved beyond forcing the Village to hold salaries fixed, even for outstanding performers, to forcing decisions that may affect our first-rate essential services. 

Patch: What are a couple of the top items you want to address in 2013?

Giordano: We would like to take significant affirmative steps toward creating economic efficiencies through consolidation and shared services. Most of these initiatives require collaboration with neighboring municipalities, and we believe our friends and colleagues on these boards are similarly eager to explore and implement great ideas. 

We would like to rationalize and move forward with creating a village manager position — a capable full-time administrator who can help to realize the vision and ideas of the part-time positions of mayor and board. As soon as we can arrive at a point of confidence that such a position will create more economic benefit to our residents than the cost of maintaining it — along with providing other non-economic benefits to the community — we will move forward with implementing this initiative.

Patch: How does it make you feel that you now have the opportunity, once again, to shape the village's future?

Giordano: Campaigning is largely a humbling experience, and requires a candidate to be willing to be vulnerable in asking for the support of the body that allows him or her to take or remain in office. It is also richly rewarding to be able to personally hear from residents what is working and what needs to be improved upon, and gain perspective, one person, one family, one home at a time. There is no better education for an elected official than this. In large measure, this extended walk through of our entire village confirmed that our mayor and board are well aligned in purpose with our residents. I am grateful to be entrusted with the opportunity to be able to continue to contribute toward achieving these shared goals.   

Patch: What do you feel makes Tuckahoe the best place to live in Westchester?

Giordano: Tuckahoe is diverse, it's cool without pretense, it's close to the City and it's up and coming.