Candidate Profile: Mandelbaum For Village Trustee In 2023 Primary

NYACK, NY — In 2023's election, residents of the Hudson Valley will be voting for local officials. In several contests, there are primaries as candidates vie for their party's ballot line in November.

Patch asked candidates in several contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will publish candidate profiles as election day draws near.

In Nyack, there is a Democratic primary, with five people seeking the party's nod in the election for two village trustees in November: Joe Carlin, Roger Cohen, Marie Lorenzini, Nathalie Riobe-Taylor and Taylor Scott Mandelbaum.

Mandelbaum will also be on the November ballot on the Working Families Party line.

He is a data scientist and meteorologist with a master's degree in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from Stony Brook University

Learn more about Mandelbaum at betternyack.com.

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Mandelbaum:

Why are you seeking elective office?

As a younger millennial, I see that my generation and others are struggling to be able to make ends meet nowadays, let alone be able to settle down. I also feel that there are challenges due to historical injustices in various communities that have not been sufficiently addressed. I decided to run because I hope that I can inject a new perspective onto the village board that will help address affordability and accessibility for everyone in Nyack. I think that creative, data driven solutions are key to making the village an even better place to live and to improve the material conditions of my community. I also think that my perspective and lived experiences are valuable to being able to understand community needs and drive towards those creative solutions that might not have been considered before.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Affordable housing. I think that, as a village that has very little open space left, this is where that creative thinking is essential. While balancing the character of the village, we should consider methods beyond the typical affordable housing requirements. Although I think that we should increase the affordable housing requirements from 10% of 5+ unit developments to 20%, possibly removing the buy-out clause, I am concerned that there is very little space to build 5+ unit buildings anyway, rendering that law ineffective in driving down housing costs.

One of my proposals is to either increase the mandate for the Nyack Housing Authority or create a new entity that is a social housing developer. This entity would act as a land trust and buy zombie homes, dilapidated housing, or other properties, renovate them, and produce market-independent housing as rentals fixed at 30% income, rent-to-own, or housing that can be purchased given special programs that would allow new homeowners opportunities to begin building wealth.

I believe strongly, given programs throughout New York and elsewhere in the United States that this approach can be successful without further burdening taxpayers in a village that is already one of the highest taxes municipalities in the tri-state area. We can utilize three sources of revenue: hotel tax, marijuana tax, and grants from county, state, and federal sources to be used as the source to make this a reality.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

All of the candidates have a strong connection to our community, and I respect them stepping up to the plate to run for office.

I'm a meteorologist by trade, so people can make the joke that a meteorologist and politician together might be the worst combination of being wrong all the time (we're not!) and being viewed with skepticism as an elected official. I like to joke, so don't mind me.

I also want to be transparent in saying that Nathalie and I are running together on a slate, so this commentary will be focused on the other three candidates. What differentiates me from those other candidates are my upbringing and lived experiences, my emphasis on creative solutions, and who I am as an individual.

I grew up in pretty tough circumstances and saw firsthand the impact of alcoholism and barely making ends meet on myself. I have been impacted by mental health issues and have spent time volunteering and advocating for issues regarding depression and anxiety. I have a unique perspective as a Jewish politically left individual in the politically complex Rockland landscape. I also had no generational wealth to build on. Despite that, we were able to work hard and purchase our first home at 28, despite the housing market crunch.

I had been involved in organizing and activism for a myriad of issues since I was a teenager, from environmental issues to legislation like the Build Public Renewables Act at the state level. I don't view myself as a politician, but a community member and organizer who wants to help push towards new solutions.

I think that my perspective regarding being a village trustee is unique, as one that emphasizes improving the material conditions of our entire community. I want to be a voice in village hall for everyone, but really focusing on people who might not have had their voice heard in a while - or ever.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

For context, when I first decided to run, nobody had declared their intention. I came in less as a challenger, but more as someone who noticed a lack of interest from anyone to run. I came to the decision in part after discussing it with many local community and elected leaders.

I don't seek to be a bomb-thrower in village hall. I think that kind of mentality puts newcomers at a disadvantage in many cases. The current board has done good work in trying to bring everyone to the table given our limited resources. I do think though, that we need to build on what the current board has worked towards a bit more, to try to bring about new ideas and to increase two-way communication in the village so more folks aware not only aware of what is going on at village hall, but also to provide more insight on what the village board does in the first place!

A good example of something we can improve on is modernization of our payment systems. The Water Department uses a fairly old-school billing approach that requires a physical bill be sent to residents, and a surcharge for even using a debit card. I would like to work with the water commissioners or whomever is the appropriate party to improve that system.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

For a significant amount of detail, we have platform specifics on 11 topics at betternyack.com.

Our platform is to make Nyack: more inclusive, more delightful, more river-centric, more transparent, more fiscally responsible, more solid and dependable, more just, more affordable, more livable, more green, and a better place to park.

More inclusive, by working with local community leaders to find ways to engage with residents who have not been participating in or benefitting from Village events and programming, and ensuring that people of color have a seat at the table for all Village decision-making.

More delightful, by continuing to revitalize our downtown business district, working to recruit great businesses to open here, providing support for our existing businesses, implementing the new Cannabis consumption and retail sales laws, and creating fun, inclusive events and programs that will drive tourism and full community engagement with our downtown.

More river-centric, by completing the redevelopment of Memorial Park, developing a new restaurant concept for the old River Club, making the Marina Parking Lot more usable by local residents, and expanding the “Great Lawn” to cover the remaining asphalt parking lot (other than the handicap spaces).

More transparent, by establishing a text messaging system to send alerts to residents’ phones, holding a monthly open forum open to all residents, increasing our offline outreach to underserved communities, and streaming all Village Board and other official meetings.
more fiscally responsible place to live, by continuing to balance our budgets while reducing our reliance on property taxes, identifying more non-property-tax sources of revenue to bolster services, and building a rainy-day fund for future needs.

More solid and dependable, by continuing to improve our infrastructure through an increase in our investments in repaving of our streets, improving our sidewalks, bolstering our sewer and drainage systems, and beautifying our downtown.

More just, by finding ways to work towards justice and progress. We must tap into our checkered history and work to find ways to correct injustices of the past for our diverse community. As one of the most forward-thinking communities in the Hudson Valley, we harbor a unique sentiment and opportunity to engage in profound work.

More affordable, by diversifying our housing stock and working on a vision of decommodified housing that retains the character of our community through adopting the New York Emergency Tenant Protection Act, updating our Affordable Housing laws, and encouraging existing private development to convert under-utilized office space to housing.

More livable, by engaging with local law enforcement responsibly, working with experts to proactively address quality-of-life issues for all, cracking down on scofflaws who routinely violate our codes, and hiring an “off-hours” code enforcement officer specifically charged with addressing issues such as noise violations, trash dumping, disorderly conduct, and other everyday health and safety issues.

More green, by continuing the great work of the Tree Committee to plant more trees throughout the Village, electrifying the Village’s fleet of vehicles and built assets, bringing more EV chargers to the Village, and obtaining the Silver and Gold Status in the NYS Climate Smart Communities Program.

A better place to park, by updating the parking rules, simplifying the ParkMobile app, providing more overnight parking spaces for residents, and developing a way to challenge parking tickets online.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As I had mentioned above, I think that an important part of being able to handle any elected position is being able to tap into your own lived experiences to empathize with constituents who are struggling or have concerns about the community. If you can feel what others are feeling, it gives you a unique perspective that cannot be replicated.

I have been tangentially involved with local issues, both in Rockland and elsewhere, for a while now. Being able to understand how local government works is another tool in my belt that will help me to hit the ground running. I've gone to a myriad of village board meetings, keeping an eye on procedure and process.

I also have made inroads and relationships with many local elected officials and leaders, which is, in my opinion, a requirement to be able to form partnerships in a village which needs to work closely with the town, county, and state often. Many of the issues we face cannot be solved in a vacuum, requiring strong partnerships to be successful.

I think that fiscal responsibility at this level of government is also paramount. I have been able to be meticulous in managing personal finances, which provided the opportunity to be homeowners at such a young age. Breaking down budgets is something I'm used to and can translate well to village hall.

Finally, my career as a data scientist and meteorologist is one that requires significant scientific inquiry, data driven decision making, and managing timelines. Many decisions at the village level should be coupled with as much objective data analysis as possible. Understanding information that is distinct from ideological bias, and recognizing when it has bias, can help make our decisions more robust and resilient.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Two pieces of advice: do unto others as you would want done unto yourself, and tikkun olam - leave the world a better place than when you entered it.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

If I haven't already knocked on your door to introduce myself, I hope to be able to soon! If you've read through all of my positions, you can glean that I am a young millennial who wants to do what's best for Nyack. We have set roots here with the intention of starting a family because of how special this community is. Nyack, like anywhere, has challenges. There's no magic solution that will make them disappear. Despite that, I am optimistic that we can work together, stand on the shoulders of giants, and find new and creative ways to make Nyack an even better place to live.

In the spirit of transparency, I do want to communicate that I am running on a slate with Nathalie Riobe-Taylor (as mentioned previously) and Joe Rand, who is currently running unopposed for mayor. We have the endorsement of Don Hammond, who I view as someone to look up to in what and how he prioritizes the needs of the community and working in solidarity with many of the communities within Nyack.

If you've read everything to this point, I appreciate it and hope that I can earn your vote and am happy to discuss issues, even if we might disagree!

SEE ALSO:

• Crowded Democratic Primary In Nyack
• Early Voting In Rockland Primaries Starts June 17