MAYOR OF NEW ROCHELLE
NOAM BRAMSON
Leadership That’s Working… For All Of Us.
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
Featured News
NYS Expands Vaccine Eligibility to 65+
Following the issuance of new federal guidelines, Governor Cuomo announced today an expansion of COVID eligibility to include New Yorkers 65 and older. All other eligible categories remain unchanged from those included in the State’s 1b roll-out yesterday.
Reservations are required. To schedule your vaccine, visit ny.gov/vaccine or call the State hotline at 833-697-4829.
Vaccinating millions of New Yorkers is an overwhelming logistical challenge, and many residents have experienced obstacles and delays. State authorities have committed to expanding the number of vaccination sites, and we expect that the process will become more efficient over time. But, for now, patience and persistence may be necessary.
Please remember also that this phase of vaccination will extend over several months, so while you should try to make your appointment as soon as possible, the scheduled date of your vaccination might still be a ways off.
The vaccine is safe and effective — and essential to the recovery of our community and nation. Everyone who is eligible should sign up to receive it. Please spread the word.
COVID Vaccine Now Available for Educators, First Responders, and People 75+
Educators, First Responders, and seniors 75 and over are now eligible for the COVID vaccine. A moment ago, I sent the following message citywide, encouraging eligible residents to schedule their vaccination. It’s vitally important that we all do our part.
(Today’s expansion of vaccine eligibility follows a rocky vaccine roll-out in New Rochelle last week, which I explained more fully in this post from yesterday.)
This is the City of New Rochelle with important information about the COVID vaccine.
Para espanol, oprima numero uno.
Effective today, New York State has authorized the COVID vaccine for all educators and first responders, and for all people over the age of 75. If you are eligible, please register and schedule your vaccine through the State website at ny.gov/vaccine.
The vaccination process will take many weeks, so while you can and should sign up immediately, please understand that your scheduled date to receive the vaccine might still be a ways off.
The COVID vaccine is safe and effective. It’s been studied rigorously by scientific and medical experts, and has already been safely administered to millions of people. Vaccination is the only way for our community and nation to overcome the COVID crisis and recover fully. If you’re eligible, please get your vaccine.
In the meantime, with nearly 900 active cases of COVID in New Rochelle, we all need to continue acting responsibly: wear a mask, keep your distance, wash your hands, and avoid large crowds.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, but we’re not there yet, and each of us must do the right thing to get to the other side.
Again, visit the State website at ny.gov/vaccine for vaccine information, and you can always visit newrochelleny.com/coronavirus for comprehensive local resources.
This has been Mayor Noam Bramson. Thank you for listening, and stay safe.
UPDATE: As an alternative to online scheduling, beginning at 4:00pm on Monday, January 11, the State will maintain a COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).
A New Year of Hope, Peace, Joy and Health
Catie, Jeremy, Owen and I extend best wishes to you and yours for a happy holiday season. May 2021 be a year of hope, peace, joy, and health.
God Bless America
It’s over, and when all the votes are counted, Joe Biden’s margin of victory in the national popular vote will be in the range of four to five percentage points — slightly more than Obama’s margin over Romney and considerably more than Bush’s over Kerry. I get that we choose our Presidents through the electoral college (although we shouldn’t), but let’s not fall into the trap of confusing the tabulation of electoral votes for an accurate measure of national will. The choice of the American people is clear and unambiguous.
Like many Democrats, I eagerly wanted an even more sweeping repudiation of Donald Trump and a decisive Senate majority. The outcome fell short of that standard and leaves me — just as in 2016 — disoriented by the political preferences of so many millions of my fellow citizens.
But for those of us who have spent the last four years fearing for our democracy, astonished by the normalization of hatred, self-absorption, and corruption, and perpetually wearied by anxiety, disbelief, and despair, it is an overwhelming relief today to take a full, clean breath, express pride once again in the next leader of our country, and feel a greater measure of hope for the future.
Hope is not naivete. The conditions and attitudes that brought Donald Trump to the White House will not simply vanish, our democratic institutions remain fundamentally flawed, the President’s likely refusal to concede graciously (or concede at all) will complicate the peaceful transfer of power, and the intensity of feeling on both sides presages a difficult struggle to heal divisions and bring our nation together. Hard work ahead. Time to begin. God bless America.
How to Vote
This year, we have the choice of voting in-person on Election Day, voting in-person at an early voting site, or voting by mail/absentee. I had planned to write a post describing these options in greater detail, but because Assemblywoman Amy Paulin did exactly that in a recent email, I have the luxury of simply copying and pasting her words. Many thanks to Amy for her excellent and comprehensive round-up. Whichever option you choose, be absolutely certain to cast a ballot! Take it away, Amy . . .
Mail-In (Absentee Ballot) Voting
How to Request an Absentee Ballot
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To receive an Absentee Ballot, a voter must submit a request/application. Voters can begin requesting Absentee Ballots immediately. Voters requesting an Absentee Ballot due to risk of contraction of COVID-19 should check the box for “temporary illness or physical disability.”
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In most cases, if you submitted an Absentee Ballot application for the June 23rd Primary, you will need to submit a new application, even if you checked the “general election” box on your original application.
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You can download the Absentee Ballot Application from the Board of Elections
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For Westchester County voters, the Absentee Ballot application may be submitted
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By email to BOE-WestAbsentee@westchestergov.com by Tuesday, October 27th;
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By fax to (914) 995-7753 or (914) 995-3190 by Tuesday, October 27th;
- By mail to the Westchester County Board of Elections, 25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601, postmarked no later than Tuesday, October 27th; or
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In person at the Westchester County Board of Elections, 25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601 by Monday, November 2nd.
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Additionally, New York State has launched an online Absentee Ballot Application Portal. Since the portal has never been used before, I cannot vouch for its effectiveness, but those wishing to use the portal can find it at https://absenteeballot.elections.ny.gov/.
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Do not wait to apply for an Absentee Ballot! Despite the posted deadlines, the County Board of Elections will have many ballots to process, and the post office has advised that they cannot guarantee timely delivery of ballots applied for less than 15 days before the election (Monday, October 19th).
- After an application is received and processed, ballots will be mailed out beginning September 18th.
How to Return a Completed Absentee Ballot
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Completed Absentee Ballots must be returned by mail or in person using one of the following methods.
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By mail, either with a postmark dated no later than Tuesday, November 3rd or without a postmark and received by the Board of Elections no later than Wednesday, November 4th.
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In person at the Westchester County Board of Elections no later than Tuesday, November 3rd at the close of polls (9:00 pm).
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In person at any Westchester County Early Voting poll site during voting hours between Saturday, October 24th and Sunday, November 1st. Dates and times for Early Voting poll sites are listed below. If you drop off your Absentee Ballot at an Early Voting poll site, you will not be required to wait in line.
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In person at any Westchester County Election Day poll site on Tuesday, November 3rd. If you drop off your Absentee Ballot at an Election Day poll site, you will not be required to wait in line.
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Note on In-Person Voting After Requesting an Absentee Ballot
- All voters who request an Absentee Ballot are still eligible to vote in person, either using Early Voting or on Election Day. This includes voters who never receive their Absentee Ballot or voters who are worried that their returned Absentee Ballot will not arrive in time at the Board of Elections. If a voter does mail a completed Absentee Ballot and also votes in person, only the in-person vote will count. That voter’s Absentee Ballot would be set aside during the counting process.
In-Person Voting
Election Day – Tuesday, November 3rd
- In-Person Voting will occur on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3rd from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm. On Election Day, voters must vote at their assigned poll site.
Early Voting – Saturday, October 24th through Sunday, November 1st
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All registered voters may choose to vote Early instead of on Election Day. Registered voters in Westchester County may vote at ANY of the 17 Early Voting poll sites listed below during any of the following days and hours.
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Early Voting Hours
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 from noon until 5 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020 from noon until 5 p.m.
- Monday, Oct. 26, 2020 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020 from noon until 8 p.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020 from noon until 8 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 30, 2020 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 from noon until 5 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020 from noon until 5 p.m.
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Early Voting Poll Sites – voters may vote at ANY site
- Eastchester Public Library, 11 Oakridge Place, Eastchester, NY 10709
- New Rochelle City Hall Annex – 90 Beaufort Place, New Rochelle, NY 10801
- Westchester County Board of Elections, 25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601
- Dobbs Ferry Village Hall, 112 Main Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
- Greenburgh Town Hall, 177 Hillside Avenue, White Plains, NY 10607
- Veterans Memorial Building, 210 Halstead Avenue, Harrison, NY 10528
- Pound Ridge Town House, 179 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge, NY 10576
- Mamaroneck Town Center, 740 W. Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck, NY 10543
- Mt. Kisco Memorial Complex at Leonard Park, 1 Wallace Drive, Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
- Mt. Pleasant Community Center, 125 Lozza Drive, Valhalla, NY 10595
- Mt. Vernon City Hall, 1 Roosevelt Square, Mt. Vernon, NY 10550
- Joseph G. Caputo Community Center, 95 Broadway, Ossining, NY 10562
- Peekskill Nutrition Center – Neighborhood Center, 4 Nelson Avenue, Peekskill, NY 10566
- Somers Town House, 335 Route 202, Somers, NY 10589
- Grinton I. Will Library, 1500 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10710
- Riverfront Library, One Larkin Center, Yonkers, NY 10701
- Yorktown Cultural Center, 1974 Commerce Street, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Register to Vote
- It is not too late to register to vote for the November general election. For Westchester County residents, voter registration forms must be submitted to the Board of Elections, 25 Quarropas St, White Plains, NY, 10601. To be eligible to vote in the November 3rd election, the voter registration form must be postmarked or delivered in person by Friday, October 9th. New York state residents with a valid drivers license may also register online at https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/electronic-voter-registration-application.
- If you have moved within Westchester County and would like to update your registration, the Board of Elections must receive your change of address by Wednesday, October 14th. You can update your address by submitting a new voter registration form by mail, in person at the Board of Elections, or, if you have a valid New York State drivers license, through the DMV portal.
- Download the Voter Registration form:
- English: https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/voting/voteregform-eng-fillable.pdf
- Spanish: https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/voting/voteregform-span-fillable.pdf
- Accessible English: https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSVoterRegistrationFormEnglish.html
- Accessible Spanish: https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSVoterRegistrationFormSpanish.html
Feed the Hungry, While Supporting Local Restaurants
New Rochelle has launched an innovative new program called NourishALL (sounds like New Rochelle when you say it out loud) with the twin goals of sustaining our most vulnerable residents and supporting local restaurants. 1,000 people, who have been identified by ten community agencies, such as HOPE and the Municipal Housing Authority, are each receiving $50 gift cards for takeout or delivery at one of twenty participating restaurants, with a new round of gift cards to be issued on a weekly basis. It’s a great concept that supplements the essential food security efforts already underway in New Rochelle, while also providing much-needed income to local eateries.
So far, the program is funded entirely by generous contributions from developers, who have committed about $400,000. The more money we raise, the more people we can serve, and the longer we can keep the program going, so please consider making your own tax-deductible contribution through this link.
You can learn more about NourishALL in this press release or in this LoHud article.
As one of the first communities in America to face the COVID-19 pandemic, New Rochelle is determined to set a positive example of strength and resilience. This innovative program, a true model of public-private partnership, will help position our entire city to emerge united from the crisis.
State of the City on March 5th
Please join me for the annual State of the City Address on Thursday, March 5th at New Rochelle City Hall. The speech begins at 7:30pm, and is preceded by a reception starting at 6:00pm. Everything is free and open to the public. Seating is first-come, first-served. Hope to see you there.
A Big Win for All of Us
Thank you to the people of New Rochelle for electing me to another term as mayor. Looks like the final tally will run to about 63% of the vote — a big victory amid high turnout, and a deeply gratifying validation of our shared accomplishments, vision, and values. I will continue doing everything in my power to justify the confidence of our community.
At the same time, I am mindful that a sizable minority of New Rochelle residents voted to move in a different direction. I hear their voices, too, and will strive to bring our city together around a positive future from which all of us can benefit.
Congratulations to the other election winners. I am especially pleased to welcome newcomers Martha Lopez and Sara Kaye to the City Council, both of whom won by overwhelming margins. They join Yadira Ramos-Herbert, another outstanding newcomer who was, in effect, elected in the primary back in June, plus returning Council Members Ivar Hyden, Liz Fried, and Al Tarantino, forming an expanded 6-1 Democratic majority. (Also, for the first time in twenty-five years and only the second time in history, a majority of City Council members will be women.) In County Legislative contests, Damon Maher, Terry Clements, and Catherine Parker were all deservedly returned to office. Here are the final, unofficial results.
Let me also acknowledge Brendan Conroy and Sarah Langlois for their strong campaigns and thank my colleague Lou Trangucci for his years of service on the City Council. Until you have run for office, it is difficult to understand just how difficult and personally grueling a process it is; all the candidates should be applauded for their willingness to put themselves forward.
Finally, Catie and I offer our heartfelt gratitude to the countless friends and neighbors who stood with us in recent months, contributing time, energy, money, labor, wisdom, and faith. It is profoundly humbling to be at the center of a team effort to which so many people have given so much, far beyond any reasonable claim or expectation.
My happiness this morning is blended with exhaustion, and I am looking forward to some down time with my family. But not too much! Still lots of works to do this year, and then a new term starting January filled with exciting possibilities and bright prospects. This is the most promising moment in New Rochelle’s modern history — let’s make the most of it.
Onward.
Watch the Debate
Here’s a link to last night’s candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters (the Mayoral segment begins at 44:36):
http://newrochelle.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=de5518ea-f46c-11e9-9542-0050569183fa
My family thought I did really well, but they’re biased, so you be the judge.
And if you agree that our debate was a useful discussion of experience, vision, and values heading into the mayoral election on November 5th, then please share this post with your friends and neighbors.
If You Love New Rochelle, Don’t Miss This Video
A successful promotional campaign is much more than fluff; it helps support New Rochelle’s downtown development plans, and pays dividends to all of us in the form of a better local economy, positive civic image, and stronger housing market. With that in mind, please view New Rochelle’s latest video, highlighting our community as an ideal place to live, work, and grow. And the next time you’re on the train, be sure also to check out our new promotional posters, which are popping up on Metro-North.
