In a typical turn of events, the Town Supervisor was able to once again thwart the proponents of an Edgemont incorporation (EIC) by violating their rights to hold a referendum allowing them to essentially secede from the Town of Greenburgh and chart their own destiny out from under the monopolistic thumb of Mr Feiner. Sadly, the court condoned Mr Feiner’s desire to stop the EIC’s rights by agreeing with his convoluted assertion that the petition failed to include a description of the territory to be incorporated with common certainty.
When the first court case came up in 2017, Mr Feiner routinely took advantage of his position to write numerous op-ed pieces and do interviews that bemoaned his eagerness to stop the incorporation. A proven liar (found guilty of lying in the Fortress Bible Church Discrimination Lawsuit), he said that should the incorporation happen, it would affect the Town budget by $17 million dollars. When the incorporation proponents repeatedly stated that they were planning all along to contract for Town services with the Town which might affect the budget in total but would make up a vast portion of the tax revenue that Mr Feiner claimed would disappear. And then he often said he would not do that deal. If effect saying, “Screw unincorporated Greenburgh residents!”
In a Town that is making Yonkers, known as the City of Hills – where nothing is on the level, look more and more like the Flatlands of New York, has had Mr Feiner enlisting the assistance of Councilman Jones, who has parroted the same mantra. Why would these representatives not do the best thing for the Town should the referendum go through? Why would they purposely sabotage the revenue of the Unincorporated budget? Jones, is also no stranger to controversy, having had two Ethics violation charges brought against him with the hapless Ethics Board. We have to say, though, that an Ethics Board in Town of Greenburgh is a contradiction of terms and has proven time and again to be a waste of time and energy when legitimate ethics violation charges have been levied.
In an interesting exchange of back and forth statements by Mr Feiner and EIC President Jeff Sherwin, the reality is that Mr Feiner, a purportedly non-practicing attorney, has childishly slung verbal jabs at Mr Sherwin, the EIC and incorporation proponents just short of sticking out his tongue at them and saying, “Nan, na, na-na nah.” Considering Mr Feiner is supposed to represent all residents and taxpayers, he should be looking to sit down with the EIC and work out a number of things. First, can the EIC be reasoned with to back off the consolidation drive; second, could Mr Feiner help them draw up the correct proposal so it can go through; third, should the referendum application go through again – and there’s no reason to think it won’t – would Mr Feiner offer a Town Hall meeting to discuss openly and most importantly, honestly, what can and cannot be done should the referendum pass.
Mr Feiner only knows how to work with residents when they agree to what he wants and doesn’t allow differing points of view. This needs to change. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.
There is not yet a village called Edgemont. It has no say in anything. It has no elected officials. The EIC has no right to represent all Edgemont residents -- it is merely a small group, i.e. Committee, that seeks incorporation: an outcome established only after a referendum regardless of who is eligible to vote. In other words, whom would Feiner be negotiating with if he was of a mind to do so BEFORE incorporation. Not wanting Edgemont to leave the mothership is a perfectly valid point of view from a Town Supervisor -- and for certain not a unique POV. With that in mind, why should the Greenburgh Town Supervisor do anything to ease the concerns of Edgemont residents who have not yet made up their minds about incorporation. While it is understandable and reasonable for the EIC to want to assuage fear, just saying everything is going to work out is speculation in the absence of no factual basis yet to support what amounts to an unproven option. And while this blog is known as A Better Greenburgh, what would be the benefit to unincorporated were Edgemont to leave? Why then would ABG seek to support the EIC by doing what amounts to selling out its own kind, unincorporated residents left in the lurch? Finally, if the EIC seeks to leave the fold so that it can fully exercise control over its land use, what does the EIC have in mind regarding its largest, single source of future tax revenue, Central Park Avenue. How would it do things differently than the Greenburgh Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals on which Edgemont is already adequately represented. That the EIC has a beef with Feiner is understood however that alone is not enough good reason to drag all Edgemont down with it and perhaps do irreparable harm to unincorporated. And, if higher taxes are the real concern, it is no secret that the bulk of Edgemont tax payments are merely collected by the Town and turned over to the Edgemont School District and Greenville Fire District: two independent entities already under the control of Edgemont residents. So, what else is "nu"?
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