Dear Saltaire Resident:

        I write to ask for your vote for the Board of Trustees in the upcoming Saltaire election.  If I’m elected, I will do my best to continue to preserve Saltaire as an informal unpretentious family community of modest second homes for summer and weekend use.  I will, if elected, do my very best to serve you.

 My goals as Trustee:

• to limit further growth of Saltaire taxes – sure, we had to increase taxes to fund the beach and dock projects, but those big projects are financed, and I believe we  now need to manage within our means for the foreseeable future
• to increase the morale of Village employees on whom we all depend for so much
• to represent and advocate for the interests of all residents, year-round and seasonal
• to work to maintain civility and consensus among Trustees and among citizens
• to make politics in Saltaire transparent – to see to it that all relationships, no matter how distant, between prospective beneficiaries of Village decisions and decision-makers or Village employees are publicly disclosed
• to explore the wisdom of limiting the size of new construction – on the one hand, this would limit our development potential, but on the other, some additional limits might help preserve what we all love about Saltaire
• to make a contribution to the future of the Village and to have some fun doing it

• Twenty-eight years in the Village - six as a renter, beginning in 1977, since 1983, as a homeowner, and since 1999, as:
• Member, Planning Commission, 1999-2000
• Member of the Special Committee on Fire Safety, 2000
• Trustee, 2000-2002
• A Director of the Saltaire Citizens Advisory Committee, 2003-present
• Ten years as chief executive officer of one of Columbia University’s sixteen schools, overseeing:
• Fifty-seven full-time employees and over 200 part-time employees, and
• An operating budget of over $11 million.
• Lots of experience in financial planning and administration.
• As a non-attorney I would bring a fresh perspective to the Board (even though some of my best friends are lawyers)                                                                      

Please vote for me because I am a leader with good judgment.

• I’m a totally straight-forward person.
• I have a history of taking responsibility for any mistakes I may make,
• You can count on me to advocate what I believe is in the long-run interests of the Village, even when it might be more comfortable to remain silent.
• I’m not embarrassed to say when I don’t understand, or that I don’t know the answer to a question
• I understand and will punctiliously honor the obligation to keep confidential matters discussed in Executive sessions.

        Whether you decide to vote for me or not, please, if you are not permanently registered to vote in Suffolk County, take advantage of the local registration on Sunday, May 15, 9am-5pm or Tuesday, May 17, noon-5pm.  Local registration in the previous election does not carry over to the following year.

        The SCAA will hold its annual Candidates’ Forum on Saturday afternoon, May 14, at 3 pm in the Firehouse.  I look forward to answering questions and trying to persuade you to vote for me.  If you have a question or concern you’d like to talk with me about, don’t hesitate to give me a call or to send me an email. 

         Once you are registered, you may apply for an absentee ballot if you do not plan to be in the Village on the election day – applications for absentee ballots must be received by the Village clerk no later than May 26, 2005.  Election day is Friday, May 27.