Patch Candidate Profile 2023: Jann Mirchandani For Yorktown Supervisor

YORKTOWN, NY — Registered voters in the town of Yorktown will be making some decisions, including selecting a new supervisor and two new council members.

Jann Mirchandani, 55, of Yorktown, is running on the Democratic Party line for Yorktown town supervisor. She is challenging incumbent Republican Thomas Diana.

Mirchandani said she has 35 years of executive board experience working with numerous nonprofits, including currently serving as council commissioner for the Greater Hudson Valley BSA and on the board of the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce. She has also managed her own marketing and communications business for 25 years.

She has been married for 30 years and has two grown children who grew up in Yorktown and graduated from Yorktown High School.

Campaign website: A New Day for Yorktown

To help the public get to know the candidates for Yorktown supervisor, Patch sent them the same set of questions. Here are Mirchandani’s responses.

Why are you seeking this office?

Yorktown is facing significant challenges and we need leadership that is up to the task. We need strong, proactive, strategic leadership that will fight for the people who live here. And the people who live here need answers from the government that represents them. I love Yorktown, and I believe that I can deliver for our residents.

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

A key difference is my emphasis on proactively addressing the environmental challenges we face. The other candidate has kicked the can down the road and allowed infrastructure projects to languish. He is part of a one-party board that lacks transparency and accountability. It is essential that we elect leaders that are able to act quickly to get these projects moving and I have a track record of getting things done.

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

It is critical that we expand the capacity of our infrastructure to mitigate the flooding like we saw this summer. We are seeing an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events — from rain to heat. I will make sure Yorktown takes advantage of state and federal funds to help us increase our capacity to deal with these events.

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

I will focus on redevelopment to bring in new businesses and support the small businesses we have in our five hamlets. I will also address the issue of vacant buildings blighting our community by creating disincentives for landlords to let these buildings sit empty.

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

Having served on numerous executive boards over the last 35 years I have decades of leadership that enable me to handle the responsibility of town supervisor. I became the first female council commissioner for the Boy Scouts of America Greater Hudson Valley Council. There, I led a merger that became the national model as part of our merger task force. I’ve worked with big regional governments and small local governments to foster strategic development. I founded a STEM program for young women to prepare them for the jobs our community will need in the future.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

I would have to say that the best advice I've gotten is a lesson I learned in Leadership Westchester: "Meet people where they are." It reminds me of the importance of connecting with others and respecting their perspectives whether or not they align with my own.

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

As a leader, I’ve worked to be level-headed in my decision-making and respectful and compassionate to others. If elected, I promise you that I will ask the tough questions and I will make sure the Town Board is asking the right questions.

Editor's note: The candidate's responses have been lightly edited for style.