I’m Warren Smith, on the November 8th ballot as a candidate for a seat on the Cortlandt Town Council. My family has lived in Verplanck for 4 generations.  My wife and I raised our three children here, and now my newly married daughter has chosen our community to continue this long family tradition.

Over the past 5 months I’ve spent weekends knocking on countless doors throughout our 50.02-mile district, so as to introduce myself to as broad a spectrum of residents as possible.  It has been a revelatory experience! After first being asked for my party affiliation, the next inquiry is invariably why I’ve chosen to run for the council. My response is straightforward. If given the opportunity, the answer to that is as follows:

I am running for public office because sitting on a couch watching TV news or reading a newspaper with frustration doesn’t bring about positive change and workable solutions to the problems we face daily. Political pundits and office holders skew the facts, while exercising little restraint, focused on inflaming, not the truth. Rather than addressing issues directly and putting forward adaptable solutions acceptable to a broad spectrum of our citizens. We are repeatedly left to ponder our futures with trepidation. I felt that becoming a candidate was a positive step towards achieving real and palpable change. Instead of complaining, I want to be a part of the decision-making process on crucial issues that affect the community and lives of my family, friends, and neighbors. My focus is modest, it is to foster outcomes benefiting those locally, in Cortlandt. Small changes can make a significant difference, and I will dedicate myself to that goal.

If you see fit to elect me as your representative on the town council, I commit to empowering our citizens by offering a fresh perspective based on what is doable and bringing common sense results to fruition.

My aim is to introduce new ideas rather than stick with the status quo in place for far too long. Good governance, not a specific party affiliation, is my credo. An open dialogue inclusive of a variety of opinions and prospectives, is far better than myopic, self-serving thinking and an aversion to change. It is the key towards the formulation of innovative solutions and the flexibility that leads to progressive results. Decades of one-party rule has stifled creativity and it is time for a change if we are to move forward in a manner that helps the greatest number of households and the community at large.

I regard working alongside those with differing viewpoints challenging and stimulating. To my mind it is the most inclusive and beneficial way in which to make true and lasting progress. I work hard for a living and know what it is to face job insecurity and the impact of rising taxes and the cost of living. Superpowers are not required to understand the needs and problems facing us daily. Vision and insight based on experience are crucial as we face the future.

In the past two years, instead of building a mini-golf course, pickleball courts, an ice hockey rink, and a boathouse, attending to public safety issues and crime escalation might have been placed first as a need, rather than a want. The Cortlandt town council is long overdue for a review of its mission, so as to offer the best, most responsible, accessible and transparent governance, serving the greatest number of its citizens. I firmly believe that my qualifications and wholehearted desire to serve and dedicate myself to the community and the office, meets the needs of the moment. I humbly ask for your vote on November 8th.  Thank you.