Issues

Noam Bramson is Leading New Rochelle in the Right Direction

New Rochelle is on a roll, with the lowest crime rate in generations, the best bond rating in 80 years, major new investments in roads, parks and infrastructure, a comprehensive focus on our environment, and the most ambitious downtown development in the city’s history.  Noam Bramson’s progressive, responsible, and effective leadership is working . . . for all of us.

Visionary Development for a Thriving Downtown

A great city deserves a great downtown.  Noam Bramson led a unanimous, bipartisan City Council in adopting the most ambitious downtown development plan in New Rochelle’s history.  Since then, nearly thirty projects have been approved, with many already leasing or under construction. New Rochelle is creating a thriving city center, with a wider range of goods and services, new job opportunities, housing at every price point, high-quality design, a stronger commercial tax base, and dynamic cultural energy.  Learn more HERE.

Taxpayers Win

Downtown growth is strengthening New Rochelle’s commercial tax base, with nearly $180 million in new revenue over 20 years, plus enhanced resources for our School District.  Learn more HERE.

Job & Career Opportunities

To help residents make the most of new employment opportunities, New Rochelle created a First Source Center that offers one-stop-shopping for training and job placement.  Learn more HERE.

Arts, Culture & Creativity

We want our downtown to have both cultural and economic energy.  To foster creative expression, New Rochelle has sponsored public art installations, built new artist housing with live-work space, and created a new performance space on Main Street.  Learn more HERE.

Innovative Transportation Options

Expanding on our downtown’s unparalleled mass transit service, New Rochelle is creating new options for getting around, including enhanced pedestrian and cycling features, plus CircuitNR, our free all-electric downtown shuttle.  Learn more HERE.

Affordable Housing

Socio-economic diversity is part of New Rochelle’s essential character.  That’s why the City requires at least 10% of new apartments to be priced below-market, with hundreds of new affordable units already approved.  Learn more HERE.

Taking Care of Our Schools

Before adopting New Rochelle’s downtown plan, the City worked with the School District to calculate new student population and make sure developers pay their fair share for all educational costs, including both operations and infrastructure.   Learn more HERE.

Restoring Our Waterfront

New Rochelle is making major progress toward opening more of the Long Island Sound shore for community access and enjoyment – and within walking distance of our downtown.  The City is constructing a new public works operations center, so that sanitation vehicles and equipment can be relocated away from the waterfront, and launching an environmental review for Pratt Landing, with parks, shops, restaurants and homes along Echo Bay.  Learn more HERE.

Historic Investments in Roads, Parks & Infrastructure

Every neighborhood should have safe roads, beautiful parks, and other physical assets that support a high quality of life and give us a tangible return on our tax dollars.  That’s why Noam Bramson led a bipartisan, unanimous City Council in approving the most significant infrastructure investment in New Rochelle’s history – a ten-year $150 million capital budget that invests directly in our streets, playgrounds, open spaces, and public facilities.  Learn more HERE.

The Lowest Crime in Generations

New Rochelle’s First Responders are among the best in New York State.  Thanks to a strong partnership between the New Rochelle Police Department and our community, crime in New Rochelle is at its lowest point since the Eisenhower Administration.  Learn more HERE.

National & State Recognition

Serving as an advocate for our community is one of a mayor’s most important responsibilities.  Noam Bramson is respected throughout our region as a thoughtful and effective spokesperson for New Rochelle, who has brought national and state recognition to our city in the form of prestigious awards and multi-million dollar grants. 

Downtown Revitalization Initiative

In 2018, New Rochelle was the only city in the mid-Hudson region, among dozens of applicants, to win the highly-competitive New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative, with a $10 million State grant.  New Rochelle is utilizing this award to forge stronger economic and physical connections between the Lincoln Avenue Corridor and our central business district. Learn more HERE.

Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayor's Challenge

New Rochelle was one of just nine cities nation-wide, out of hundreds of competitors, to win the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors’ Challenge, with a $1 million award to develop an open source virtual reality application that will allow all of us to participate more fully in community planning.  Learn more HERE.

A Healthier, More Sustainable Environment

As a founding Board Member of Sustainable Westchester and principal author of GreeNR, New Rochelle’s Sustainability Plan, Noam Bramson has been a consistent, strong advocate for forward-looking environmental policy.  

Environmental Leadership

Under Noam’s leadership, New Rochelle is reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting open space, enhancing our local water bodies, and improving New Rochelle’s urban forestry. Noam is proud to be endorsed by the New York League of Conservation Voters.

Clean, Renewable Energy

Through Westchester Power and Community Choice Aggregation, New Rochelle is delivering clean, renewable, low-cost electricity to both residential and commercial customers.  Learn more HERE.

Urban Forestry

 New Rochelle’s Plant-A-Tree program offers free street trees to property owners, part of a comprehensive initiative to plant 10,000 new trees over twenty years.  Learn more HERE.

Home Weatherization

New Rochelle’s Energize Program helps homeowners to reduce energy costs and improve their comfort with easy access to weatherization information and services.  Learn more HERE.

Conserving Our Natural Assets

New Rochelle’s 10-year capital plan includes big investments in our city’s parks, open spaces, and water bodies.  Learn more HERE.

Promoting Energy Efficiency

New Rochelle is leading efforts to cut energy consumption and reduce energy bills.  The City has converted all street and garage lights to energy-saving LED models, expanded the municipal electric vehicle fleet, and undertaken energy improvements in public buildings.  Learn more HERE.

Standing Up for ALL of US

Today, more than ever, it is important to stand up for the progressive values that define a just and decent society.  As the child of refugees, Noam Bramson believes that a strong, healthy community welcomes everyone and gives each of us an opportunity to succeed.  

Principled Advocate

Through policy-making, personal statements, and inter-municipal agreements, Noam has been a forceful, principled advocate for diversity, inclusion, and fairness.

Opportunity for Everyone

Noam has been a strong supporter of My Brother’s Keeper (MBK), a partnership between the City, School District, and multiple community agencies aiming to provide positive support to young people, from early childhood through career development.  New Rochelle launched the first MBK program in Westchester. Learn more HERE.

Welcoming Immigrants

Immigrants contribute immeasurably to the health and vitality of our entire city.  At a time when the White House is turning its back on the values inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, Noam has stood with other municipal leaders in support of Dreamers, comprehensive immigration reform, and trust-based Police-community relations.  Learn more HERE.

Freedom & Equality for LGBTQ Americans

Under Noam Bramson’s leadership, New Rochelle has stood with cities nationwide in support of LGBTQ rights, while establishing New Rochelle’s first LGBTQ Advisory Committee, and expanding workplace protections for transgender employees.  Learn more HERE.

The Courage to Do What’s Right

Sometimes doing what’s right requires the courage to take an unpopular stand.  Noam Bramson believes part of public leadership is defending the vulnerable and affirming our common humanity, even if the face of controversy or criticism.  Learn more HERE.

Ending Gun Violence

Noam Bramson has been an outspoken advocate for common sense gun safety measures, and has joined other municipal leaders in calling for nation-wide action to reduce gun violence.  Learn more HERE.

Protecting Health Care

When health insurance for millions of Americans, including many in New Rochelle, was threatened in Washington, DC, Noam Bramson joined municipal leaders nationwide to successfully support and defend the Affordable Care Act.  Learn more HERE.

Responsible Fiscal Management

Taxpayers deserve a local government that delivers real value for our money and that manages public budgets through responsible, transparent best practices.  Noam Bramson has worked with the City Council and New Rochelle’s professional staff to encourage efficiency and achieve long-term fiscal stability. New Rochelle now enjoys the best bond rating in 80 years, with positive financial reports from independent auditors and the New York State Comptroller.  And New Rochelle’s municipal property tax rate is among the lowest of Westchester’s urban centers. Learn more HERE.

Pride in New Rochelle

The City’s creative marketing efforts are helping to drive investment to New Rochelle and support housing values.  Under Noam Bramson’s leadership, New Rochelle is increasingly recognized as a great community in which to live, work, play, and grow.  View New Rochelle’s latest promotional video HERE.

And learn more at these links:

New Rochelle Named Best City

New Rochelle Named Top Liveable City in USA

New York Times Profiles New Rochelle

New Rochelle Lauded for Innovation

New Rochelle Progress

To Learn More

To see and hear Noam Bramson discuss the opportunities and challenges facing New Rochelle in greater depth, please visit any of the links below.

State of the City 2019

LWV Interview

State of the City 2018

Regional Plan Roll