CANDIDATE FOR VILLAGE TRUSTEE:

ANNE MCANDREWS - ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

(January 30, 2007) I accept your nomination to the office of Village Trustee. I hope to cap off my service to the Village with solid accomplishments but more importantly I want to be remembered as one who offered calm and reasonable deliberation on the issues before the Board, as one who, when necessary, was a team player, and one who contributed to making this Village a wonderful place to live.

A few years ago, I had formulated a campaign platform that has withstood the test of time, so I am running on it again. I am committed to:

• Open and effective government…….this year I am adding “efficient.”
• Preserving and enhancing the quality of life in Larchmont, and
• Fiscal responsibility.

To show how I have tried to live up to these commitments, I’m going to tell you what I did today:

• I completed a request for federal funds to redesign and rehabilitate a Village eyesore, the Addison Street parking lot.
• researched whether NYS funds are available.
• Found a contact at ConEd to restudy the burying of wires on Palmer Avenue.
• Had a long discussion with a resident about planning and zoning and vision in the Village.
• Coaxed along the energy audit of the Library, and
• Had several discussions with the Town about geese and cats.

But the best part of the day was hearing that I helped get all 70 traffic signals in the Village replaced with LEDs starting in about three months, which will reduce their power consumption by 80%. Street lights are next.

Going forward, obviously I want to see the Palmer Avenue Streetscape and the Addison Street Lot rehabilition under way. I will lobby for a four-year trustee term of office. The present two-year term means we have an election every year in this small Village, which can be a burden on all.

I think the biggest burdens on the Village are its size, very small, and its age, over a hundred. I think of this Village as an old house; well loved but in constant need of attention. We must be vigilant. It is time for a full-time Village Administrator.

I looked at some past acceptance speeches, they were very different, more high-minded,…. good government, fiduciary duty, privilege of serving the community,…. because before this year I could not have offered any sense of accomplishment. So I want to thank Marlene Kolbert, Jim Millstein and our mayor Liz Feld and all who came together to make my decision to run for another term very easy.

Thank you.