SPRING VALLEY – Former Clarkstown Democratic Party chair Schenley Vital and Republican Aaron Stern square off Nov. 4 for mayor of this dense and diverse village.
Current Mayor Alan Simon, a disbarred lawyer and former judge who was removed from the bench, has held a controversial leadership over the village. He declined to seek a third term, citing health reasons.
With Democrat-enrolled dominance and Vital’s primary results showing support in the village’s growing Hasidic Jewish community, he is considered likely to emerge victorious in the General Election.
The four-year term starts in December and pays $115,000 a year.
Where Spring Valley mayoral candidates stand
Vital, who is a former acting chair of the Rockland Democratic Committee, lives in Clarkstown. He must establish residency in Spring Valley if he becomes mayor.
Vital said the village needs an updated comprehensive master plan; a re-imagining of downtown with focus on leveraging the transportation center that provides train and bus transit; and creating opportunities for affordable housing.
Stern has not had a visible campaign.
Spring Valley Mayor Alan Simon’s legacy of controversy
Simon developed a reputation of volatile interactions with fellow elected officials, his staff, journalists and others. He had been known to threaten to fire government workers and police officers, and temporarily removed the Spring Valley police chief and the department-provided Spring Valley High school resource officer.
During Alan’s tenure, the village’s Building Department was taken over by the state for a lack of enforcement. The county government now inspects and prosecutes violations of fire and safety codes.
Two Spring Valley trustee candidates for two slots
Trustee Joseph Gross and Sherry McGill, a former village trustee who is East Ramapo school board vice president, are on the ballot for two trustee spots.
The four-year post pays $40,000 a year.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Spring Valley to get a new mayor. Schenley Vital, Aaron Stern on the ballot
Reporting by Nancy Cutler, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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