Editor’s note: This campaign statement was provided by Kate Pringle, Democratic candidate for Village of Pelham Manor trustee. She will also be on the Manor Together Party line. The Pelham Examiner publishes statements in the form received as a service to the community.

I am honored to seek your support for election, together with Mark Cardwell, to the Pelham Manor Board of Trustees. I am running because I want to use my skills and experiences to help Pelham Manor make the most of the challenges and opportunities it faces.

I am an attorney with thirty years of experience in commercial and constitutional litigation. I am a partner in a Manhattan law firm, where I advise major corporations and nonprofits on how to reduce legal risks, strengthen governance, implement best practices, and craft consensus and solutions.

I have used my legal training to help Pelham organizations manage change and grow stronger. I served for years on the boards of Huguenot Memorial Church and the Pelham Art Center, and on the Personnel Committees of Huguenot and the Hudson Valley Presbytery. I am also on the School District Community Outreach and Advocacy Committee.

Just a few months ago, I completed a nine-year board term, including three as Board Chair, at Bread for the World, a national, bi-partisan advocacy and policy organization. Through Bread, I worked to build coalitions among people of different faiths, and worked with Members of Congress from both parties, to support and improve policies to prevent hunger in the United States and around the world.

Finally, I have worked with many of you on the projects that bring our community together in generosity. I help run the annual Huguenot Charity Christmas Tree Sale. I ran the Huguenot Hoops kids’ basketball program, have hosted Novel Night dinners, and join in Hope Community Kitchen and Thanksgiving in a Box food efforts.

My husband, John McCormick, and I feel so fortunate to have been a part of the Pelham Manor community for the past 16 years. We raised our three children in the Pelham schools. As we now see them graduate and go on to college, we are especially mindful of the many ways that this community has supported our family, and instilled in our sons and daughter a sense of community, responsibility, and pride.

I am excited to apply my experience in service of the community I love. As Trustee, I will focus on the following:

Flooding:  Now is the time to solve our flooding problems. Pelham Manor has already identified the need to spend millions of dollars on drainage improvements. We must ensure that we are spending our money wisely, in ways that actually solve our flooding problems. I will invite peer review and real community response to the existing plans. I will work with our elected officials to advocate for grants to fund necessary work. And I will insist that, in addition to solving our immediate problems, we also plan for the future. Living in a 130 year-old home has taught me that preservation requires diligence and planning. We need to study the long-term needs of our shoreline, parks, and infrastructure, and make a plan to ensure that we preserve the community we love while enhancing our quality of life.

Budgeting:  Our taxes are high and a significant burden for many residents. Our Trustees have an obligation to be careful stewards of every tax dollar. We can save money, while also improving services, by coordinating services with neighboring jurisdictions, modernizing our elections to minimize cost, and upgrading our practices in ways that reduce costs while improving air and water quality. I will invite a public review of every line of our budget, to increase transparency and community involvement, and ensure that we are getting real value for every dollar we spend.

Safety and Walkability:  We should prioritize public safety and maintain the safe, walkable and rideable streets that attracted many of us to Pelham Manor. A decade ago, my son was hit by a car as he walked home from school—he was ok, but I will never forget how close our family came to tragedy. The experience has made me a vocal advocate for pedestrian safety, and I have worked with both villages to address safety measures. We need to continuously work to improve our traffic flows, address aggressive driving, and ensure pedestrian and rider safety. There are attractive solutions that can enhance safety, reduce traffic, make our community more beautiful, and improve quality of life for us all.

Management:  Pelham Manor should instill best management practices. With our new police chief, fire chief, and village manager, we have an opportunity to move beyond past scandals and expensive lawsuits. To do that, we need to ensure that our employees and safety officers are strongly supported and deliver the highest professional services for our residents. I have worked on these issues for years with my clients, and in local nonprofits, and I am eager to apply that expertise as a Trustee.

Coming Together to Improve Our Community:  Finally, I want to engage our community in dreaming bigger. Our parks can be more beautiful and lively. We can do more to preserve our history and architecture. We can attract exciting businesses. We can improve recreational spaces for our young people and increase support for our seniors. We can enhance stewardship of our air and water. We can do more to ensure that every member of our community is respected, supported and included. The Board cannot do all of that alone, yet Pelham Manor has resisted the kinds of collaborations and committees that have helped other communities advance. In Pelham Manor we have expert architects, planners, historians, landscape designers, developers, business leaders, artists, volunteers and organizers. Let’s invite people in, listen to their ideas, and work together to achieve an even better vision for our community.

I look forward to hearing more about what you want and value. Please contact me at [email protected], join me at an event, or join me for a walk with my dog Duncan. I am interested in your ideas for our community.

I hope I can earn your vote.

Kate Pringle