Editor’s note: This statement was submitted by Pelham Manor Republican Trustee Joseph C. Senerchia, who is running for reelection on the Republican and Neighborhood party lines. Click for the Neighborhood Party’s Facebook page.

I am honored and proud to seek re-election as Trustee for the Village of Pelham Manor, along with my colleagues Mayor Jennifer Monachino Lapey and Deputy Mayor Michelle (Angela) DeLillo. I have dedicated most of my adult life to giving back to this community and ask for your help to continue good government and accelerated modernization in Pelham Manor. It has been, and will always be, our mission to serve all Pelham Manor neighbors.

My responsibilities as Pelham Manor Village Trustee have included Finance, Administration and Inter-governmental Relations, as well as Commissioner of Public Works where I led successful contract negotiations. I am currently the Fire Commissioner on the Board. As a licensed and practicing electrical contractor, I am able to apply my professional knowledge to my roles in Village government, providing you, our neighbors, with solid infrastructure, safe streets, strong fiscal health and complete transparency.

Proven Leadership – Over the past several years, my colleagues and I have always provided a budget that has been tax cap compliant since its inception, while overseeing 12 lane miles of paving, 10,000 linear feet of sewer replacement (and have funding and a plan for the continued repair/replacement of those lines), over 100 manhole repairs, hundreds of linear feet of sidewalk replacement and ADA ramps. We received approval for crosswalk improvements at the Esplanade and Boston Post Road that will be re-bid out in the Spring, and the plan for ADA compliance at Village Hall by adding an elevator. We have a 5 out of 100 fiscal stress rating (lower is better) from the NYS Comptroller. We have continued one of the highest recycling rates in Westchester County and notably year in and year out, have never reduced our refuse collection, even during a pandemic. These are just a few examples of how we have worked collaboratively to make decisions that benefit your, our neighbor. We take a methodical approach, accepting input from all of our residents, in order to make informed decisions. This is good and responsive government.

Prior to my service as a Trustee, I served as a member of the Village of Pelham Manor Zoning Board of Appeals making me well versed in our Village Code. I have also served as a Trustee in the Village of Pelham, where I was the liaison to the Village of Pelham Police Department and the Pelham Chamber of Commerce. In addition to leading contract negotiations with the Police Department, I also assisted in the soliciting, bidding and reviewing plans for flood remediation.

As Fire Commissioner, I work hand in hand with the Fire Department to make sure our Fire personnel and Village residents remain safe, while we maintain the highest level of service including our impressive response times, training and services. You will not find many Fire Departments that cut and clear trees during emergencies, respond to calls on the Hutchinson River Parkway and the Villages I-95 corridor. Along with providing “lift assists” and medical attention (including assistance delivering babies) for our residents, our remarkable response times have saved countless homes and lives and given comfort to those in times of need. Our brave personnel are also outstanding examples and stewards of community service. They have annually held toy drives for children’s hospitals and other organizations in need, participating in programs within our school district teaching our children fire safety tips and frequently host groups such as the Boy Scouts to visit the Fire Department. Covid-19 has also changed the dynamic of the Fire Department. I am proud to say that the implementation of protocols have kept the exposure to the Fire Department (as well as the PD, Public Works, and Admin Staff of Village Hall) to an absolute minimum, not only keeping our services at the highest level, but keeping the personnel and residents safe.

I am both the Superintendent of Buildings and Public Works for a municipality and an electrical contractor/small business owner. My family’s local business has served this community and beyond for over 55 years. I am a certified NYS Code Enforcement Official (CEO), which requires me to have 24 hours of annual continuing education and be prolific in blueprint reading. I am also certified by the Department of Conservation in storm water management and knowledgeable in Sanitary Sewer Systems.

I have served on the Board of Directors for Pelham Little League for several years, have been a member of the Pelham Civic Association and am currently serving as Co-President of the Pelham Youth Hockey Association. I have been coaching and mentoring Pelham’s youth for almost 25 years in football, baseball, basketball and hockey. I live in Pelham Manor with my wife Kirsten, and our four young children Isabella, Mia, Joseph Jr. and Sebastian, all four of whom attend or have graduated Prospect Hill, my alma mater.

I started the annual “Strike Out ALS” softball tournament 15 years ago that has not only raised awareness of the disease, but has raised over $200,000 for the ALS Association, Columbia University and the Anthony Senerchia Jr. ALS Foundation. I continue my brother Anthony’s legacy by fundraising and donating through the Anthony Senerchia Jr. ALS foundation. The latest foundation efforts provided thousands of PPE, including masks, gloves and face shields, when supplies were scarce, to local hospitals, NICUS, Pelham Manor Police, Fire and DPW departments. It also supplied meals to those first responders, including the New Rochelle Police Department.

In closing, I am truly proud to say I am the son of immigrant parents who came to this country as teens and moved to Pelham Manor in 1974. I thank them for my well-grounded attitude and my work ethic. It took almost two years for them to be accepted in this community, and they instilled in me the values of acceptance for all, and the basics of “treat others how you would want to be treated.” The “American Dream” comes in many forms, and for me, serving all of our residents is part of my “American Dream.” Thanks to my parents and growing up in this Village, I’ve never taken anything for granted. I appreciate everything I’ve been afforded, worked for and earned. I pledge to you that my colleagues, Mayor Lapey and Deputy Mayor DeLillo, and I will continue to work for you and our beloved Village of Pelham Manor. We humbly ask for your support on March 16.

Yours in service,

Joseph C. Senerchia