Q & A With Town Supervisor Susan Siegel

In a recent interview with Patch, Supervisor Susan Siegel answered questions about important issues in the town, her administration's top priorities, and what makes the community a great place to live in.

Also, on behalf of the Town Board, she welcomed Patch to the community as a new media outlet covering Yorktown news and events.  

"As the online dissemination of news becomes more important than ever before, Patch.com will enable the Town, as well as our rich array of community organizations, to reach a broader audience than currently served by the print media," she said.

She also expressed that the more Yorktown residents know about what their elected officials are doing, the more accountable they become.

"Local government functions best when its citizens are informed," Siegel added.

Yorktown Patch: What are the top three issues facing Yorktown residents right now?

Siegel: Financial well being, completing Legacy Ballfields and adopting the long delayed Comprehensive Plan.

YP: What are your administration's top priorities for 2010?

S: Reducing expenses, streamlining the planning approval process, upgrading the existing senior facilities at the YCCC, preparing a realistic and affordable capital budget for upgrading our aging infrastructure, and increasing citizen understanding of and involvement in the town's affairs

YP: When people ask you what makes Yorktown special, what do you say?

S: Friendly people, a rich array of public services, recreational and cultural facilities, good schools, an abundance of open space and convenient shopping.

YP: If budget constraints were magically lifted, what's the first service the town would think of offering residents?

S: Ah yes, magically lifted. First, road paving, followed closely by drainage improvements and other long delayed infrastructure repairs, and then additional recreational facilities (fields and tennis courts as well as passive recreational opportunities) and a stand-alone senior center.

YP: Residents worry about taxes and the quality of their children's education. What is Yorktown doing specifically toward those issues?

S: First of all, it's important that residents understand that Town taxes represent only about 15 percent of their total tax bill. School taxes account for 70 percent of our tax bill and the remaining 15 percent of the bill goes to the county.

The Town Board is investigating a variety of management initiatives that should reduce staff and reduce expenses in the long run. To date, we've eliminated three positions by attrition.

YP: How would you describe Yorktown in 2015? What will it look like?

S: Based on the proposed Comprehensive Plan, no major changes are anticipated for Yorktown. We will continue to be a suburban community with a mix of housing types, ranging from single family homes on 1-4 acre lots to condominiums, townhouses and rental apartments. We anticipate a modest increase in the number and variety of retail establishments and other businesses in our established hamlet areas. The town continues to actively preserve as much open space as possible.