Patch Candidate Profile: Ferguson Seeks Clarkstown Council Seat

CLARKSTOWN, NY — Election season 2023 election is here and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Monica Ferguson is running for Clarkstown Town Council in Ward 1, facing off against Mark W. Woods Jr.

She has a background in health care information technology. She worked as administrative assistant at the Nanuet Chamber of Commerce. She has served for three years as an election inspector for the Rockland County Board of Elections. An active volunteer, the 39-year-old lives in New City with her husband and two children. After graduating from Highland High School, she received bachelor's and master's degrees from SUNY New Paltz.

Campaign website: Ferguson4Clarkstown.com

Patch: Why are you seeking this office?

Ferguson: I am a hard and diligent worker. My running mates can vouch for my initiative and organization, as well as my ability to produce results. I know I can do a better job of ensuring that our government is adequately serving our residents. But most importantly, I want Clarkstown to be the safe & inviting place we envisioned when we moved here.

Patch: What are the major differences between you and the other candidate seeking this post?

Ferguson: The breadth of our community involvement is what sets us apart. To be a good representative, one needs to be involved in and exposed to many different aspects of the community. Through my volunteer work with Clarkstown PTA Council, Meals on Wheels, Cub Scouts, Moms Demand Action, Keep Rockland Beautiful (amongst others), on top of my work experience with Nanuet Chamber of Commerce and in Healthcare IT, my involvement with the community spans children through seniors, businesses to environment, and street safety to data privacy. A broad array of experience and ties into the community is what makes me ideal for this role.

Patch: What is the single most pressing issue facing your constituents and what do you intend to do about it?

Ferguson: The threat of overdevelopment. On July 18th of this year the existing town board voted to change the zoning laws for the heart of New City to allow for high density housing. That is why you see a proposal for 6 stories of luxury apartments atop of DeCiccos, and a senior complex across 304 on the old Vanderbilt property. Developers see this as a green light from this town board to build on every available piece of green space we have left. I will, with a new group of council members who respect the character of our town, readdress our zoning laws to return restrictions that protect our residential neighborhoods.

Patch: How would you address the affordable housing issue in the community?

Ferguson: The Nanuet TOD was a great start at providing housing for young working professionals, unfortunately that did not come to fruition, but is an idea that is worth pursuing. Rent to own incentives, especially for freestanding homes, would create goals for renters to stay, invest, and grow their families in our community. We do need senior community living in Clarkstown, but the current proposals create unsafe conditions for seniors who are no longer able to drive, and puts those that do drive immediately onto dangerous, already overburdened intersections. Our support infrastructure needs to be revamped if we are looking to locally accommodate the aging baby boomer population. This means 5 year plans, 10 year plans, future goals that look ahead at the way our population and accessibility change.

Patch: How would you protect the drinking water in the community?

Ferguson: 1. Don't further contaminate it by unnecessary overdevelopment. 2. Work with outside agencies to verify that the work Veolia is doing at the Lake Deforest Treatment Plant is in line with both the state quality standards, and that the $47 million "upgrade" to bring us the clean water we deserve, does not come out of residents pockets, but out of the $19 BILLION in revenue they reported in 2022.

Patch: What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Ferguson: I want to bring honesty and integrity back to Clarkstown. Our current town board had promised you they would hold the line on zoning. They didn't. They promised term limits. The Supervisor sued the townspeople to overturn it for his personal benefit. Clarkstown residents are ready for honest leadership that protects all of our interests.

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

Ferguson: I have successfully secured grant funding to complete work with the Brain & Cognition Lab at SUNY New Paltz. The quality of my work was well regarded by experts in my field, leading to its publication in the peer reviewed journal Psychonomics Society. During my tenure in healthcare IT, I streamlined the Medicare reimbursement process for local doctors offices. These are proven results from my work and I will apply the same tenacity on the Town Council.

Patch: What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Ferguson: What would Rick Stillwell do? - Rick was my father and was the best role model & dad anyone could look up to. Some of his principles, while never actually spoken, were exemplified in how he lived, and guide me still today.

Look for the good in people. Always be available to help. Complete a job once it’s started. Let others' unhelpful opinions roll off your back.

Patch: Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Ferguson: In connecting with over a thousand Clarkstown residents, it’s clear we are ready for a change in town leadership. We want a Town Council that will listen to its constituents and take their thoughts into account when making decisions that affect us all.