I hope that this letter finds you well. Throughout the year, the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale encourages civic engagement and helps to inform the community so that voters can be knowledgeable and active participants in our democracy. 

The LWVS observes and studies the local governmental processes for the purposes of more fully understanding local government and informing the larger community through carefully considered consensus statements. In addition, as part of the larger LWV organization, we follow and educate the community on certain state and national issues.

On the local level, the LWVS held its Information and Consensus Meeting on the SBNC Election System in January. At the end of the month, we held our Winter Cocktail Party and Fundraiser. It was wonderful to be able to mingle with elected officials, Leaguers, community members, and old and new friends.

On the national level, LWVUS has announced plans to take over local league management  of membership. Should anyone receive a message from the national league, please wait for more specific instructions from the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale before taking any steps.

Coming up in February, we will hold our annual Local Program Consensus Meeting, during which we will choose our local work for the 2025-26 year. At the start of this meeting, we will also discuss the LWV of Westchester and the LWV of New York State programs and offer our comments and suggestions. In March, we will hold our annual School Budget and Village Budget Information and Consensus Meetings. Please join us for all of these important informational events.

On a date soon to be determined, LWVS plans to hold another info session/consensus meeting on the LWVUS federal judiciary study, LWVNYS rank choice voting study, and LWVNYS voting systems approval process study.

I continue to be inspired by all of the work our community takes on, whether on a local, state, or national level, to make our world a better place. I thank all of you for your ongoing work.

Best wishes,

Heedan Chung 

Special Election: Westchester County Executive (Unexpired Term)

Westchester County will hold a special election to fill the unexpired County Executive term created by former County Executive George Latimer’s election to the House of Representatives for Congressional District 16. All registered voters in Westchester County are eligible to vote.

Early voting will take place from Saturday, February 1, to Sunday, February 9, 2025. Early voting poll sites and times can be found here.  

The candidates are Kenneth W. Jenkins (D) and Christine A. Sculti (R). The winner of the special election will serve as County Executive until the expiration of the current term on December 31, 2025. Another election will be held in November 2025 for a full term.

Kenneth W. Jenkins (D) 

Christine A. Sculti (R)

The deadline for Absentee and Early Mail ballot applications is today, Saturday February 1, 2025. Election Day polling site information will be sent to all voters by mail. 

For additional information see the Westchester County Board of Elections website or the LWVS 2025 County Executive Special Election webpage.

Mark Your Calendars!

Scarsdale Village Election

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Scarsdale Public Library

6:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.



All Election Districts (1-19) will be voting at the Scarsdale Public Library. On the ballot will be candidates running for three Village Trustee positions and for Mayor.

Visit the 2025 Village Election page on the LWVS website for more information, including how to register to vote and how to obtain an Absentee or Early Mail ballot.

February 2025

• 2/3, Monday:
• Students Inside Albany Application Deadline
• 2/10, Monday:
• 9:00 a.m. Board Meeting, Scarsdale Public Library
• 11:15 a.m. Gen Membership/Consensus Meeting (Local, County, and State Programs), Scarsdale Public Library

March 2025

• 3/10, Monday:
• 9:00 a.m. Board Meeting, Village Hall
• 3/17, Monday:
• 11:00 a.m. Gen Membership/Consensus Mtg (School Budget), Scarsdale Public Library
• 3/18, Tuesday:
• 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Village Election, Scarsdale Public Library
• 3/21, Friday:
• 10:00 a.m. Gen Membership/Consensus Mtg (Village Budget), Village Hall

April 2025

• 4/21, Monday:
• 8:00 p.m. Board Meeting, Zoom
• 4/25, Friday:
• 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. Book Discussion, Private Home

Students Inside Albany (SIA) Conference

Application Deadline: Monday, February 3, 2025

LWVS SIA 2025 Application and Instructions

Conference takes place in Albany

Sunday, May 18, 2025, through Wednesday, May 21, 2025

In keeping with longstanding practice, LWVS invites high school students to submit applications to attend the Students Inside Albany (SIA) Conference. Any 10th grade, 11th grade, or 12th grade student who attends Scarsdale High School or who resides in the school district is eligible to apply. 

This year, the New York State League Education Foundation and the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale will fund the expenses for one highly qualified Scarsdale student, selected from an outstanding pool of applicants. The conference will continue to be free for students to attend.

The program is designed to immerse students in the process by which public policy is proposed, enacted and changed in New York State and educate them as to how they can influence and affect this process. Traditionally, the conference brings approximately 60 students from across the state to Albany to get a first-hand education about their state government. The highlight for most students is the opportunity to shadow their state representatives, with many students getting the opportunity to attend a session on the chamber floor.

Scarsdale students who attended this program in the past were unanimous in their enthusiasm about the program. Follow this link to read two articles written about SIA written by Scarsdale’s two student representatives who attended the in-person conference held in 2024: Maya Barmecha and Mason Levy. For more information, view LWVNYS’s recap of the conference held in 2023 and LWVNYS’s SIA 2025 brochure. 

Please contact LWVSyouthprograms@gmail.com for more information.

LWVS General Membership and Consensus Meeting:

2025-26 Programming for our

Local, County, and State Leagues

Monday, February 10, 2025

11:15 a.m.

Scarsdale Public Library

and via Zoom

On Monday, February 10, 2025 at 11:15 am at the Scarsdale Public Library and via Zoom, LWVS will hold its annual general membership and consensus meeting to discuss next year’s programs for LWVS (to be proposed for adoption at the LWVS Annual Meeting in May), for the Westchester County League (to be communicated to the LWVW board for its consideration), and for the State League (to be communicated to the LWVNYS board for discussion in drafting the proposed 2-year program to be adopted after debate and discussion by delegates at the biennial June convention).

In preparation for the discussion, attendees will be asked to review the Agenda and Consensus Questions for the Meeting, which will include links for the current LWVS Program for 2024-25, the current LWVW Program for 2024-25, and the LWVNYS Program Planning Materials for 2025-27.

For more information, please contact Anne Lyons, LWVS Board Member.

LWVS General Membership and Consensus Meeting:

2025-2026 School Budget

 Monday, March 17, 2025

11:00 a.m.

Scarsdale Public Library

Scott Room

and via Zoom

Meeting ID: 829 0191 9382

Passcode: 569799

At the Board of Education Meeting on January 27, 2025, Dr. Drew Patrick,  Superintendent; Mr. Andrew Lennon, Assistant Superintendent for Business; Ms. Megan Troy, Assistant Superintendent for HR & Leadership Development; and Mr. Eric Rauschenbach, Assistant Superintendent for Special Education & Student Services, presented the 2025-26 budget assumptions, key long-term budgeting factors, and staffing recommendations. These assumptions, factors, and recommendations are available on Scarsdale Board of Education's BoardDocs website. 

The League encourages members of the public to participate in the school budget process. Important dates on the Budget Development Calendar are noted below:



• Monday, February 3, 2025: Budget Study Session #1
• Monday, March 3, 2025: Budget Study Session #2
• Monday, March 10, 2025: Budget Study Session #3
• Monday, March 24, 2025: Budget Forum
• Monday, April 7, 2025: Board Adopts Budget
• Monday, May 12, 2025: Statutory Budget Hearing
• Tuesday, May 20, 2025: Annual Budget Vote and School Board Election

On Monday, March 17, 2025 at 11 am at Scarsdale Public Library, LWVS will hold its annual general membership information session and consensus meeting regarding the preliminary 2025-26 Scarsdale School District Budget. Members of the District Cabinet and Board of Education will be invited to present and answer questions. The information session will be open to the public; the consensus meeting is for current LWVS members only.

Follow these links to the LWVS Questions re 2024-25 School Budget to be posed during the November 18, 2024 Community Forum and the FY 2025-26 Budget Documents files on Board Docs. Links to the District's Responses, the LWVS Information Session Agenda, the LWVS Consensus Questions, and the resulting Consensus Statement will be posted on the LWVS website when available. Additional materials, including links to presentation slides, are housed on the District's 2025-26 Budget Documents webpage.



For more information, visit LWVS Information Sessions (2024-25) or contact Dalya Khan and Nan Eileen Mead, LWVS School Budget Chairs, at LWVSschoolbudget@gmail.com.

LWVS General Membership and Consensus Meeting:

2025-2026 Village Budget

 Friday, March 21, 2025

10:00 a.m.

Village Hall

and via Zoom

Meeting ID: 875 7508 7498

Passcode: 974855

The Scarsdale Village Board of Trustees, the Village Manager, and the Village Treasurer have begun the process to assess the Village’s finances and evaluate revenue and expense projections while preparing the budget for 2025-26.

The First Pass (first draft) of the 2025-25 Budget was presented on January 14, 2025, and has a gap of $6.7mm. Last year the gap was $8.7mm at this juncture. This gap is partially attributable to increases in pension costs and health care expenses, which are fixed. The FY26 General Fund First Pass does not include any increase in the Tax Levy, and does not include any appropriation of Fund Balance.  

Village budget sessions are open to the public and public participation is encouraged. Meeting details and Zoom links are available on the Board of Trustees website and on the Village Budget Calendar for FY 2025-26.

Important dates are as follows:

• Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 6:00 PM: Second Pass Budget review and Public Hearing on Tax Cap Local Law
• Tuesday, February 25, 2025, 6:00 PM: Third Pass Budget review
• Thursday, February 27, 2025: Preliminary 2025-26 Budget to be discussed with Village organizations
• Wednesday, March 5, 2025: Filing date for the Tentative 2025-26 Budget
• Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 6:00 PM: Tentative 2025-26 Budget to be presented during Work Session (must be filed by March 20, 2025)
• Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 8:00 PM: Statutory public hearing on Tentative Budget (must be completed prior to April 15, 2025)
• Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 8:00 PM: Village Board of Trustees to adopt budget (must be adopted prior to Monday, May 1, 2025)

The LWVS will hold its annual Information Session and General Membership Consensus Meeting on the 2026-26 Village Budget on Friday, March 21, at 10:00 a.m. Members of the Village Administration and Board of Trustees will be invited to present and answer questions. The information session will be open to the public; the consensus meeting is for current LWVS members only.

Follow these links to the archives of adopted Village Budgets, the Village Budget FY 2025-26 files on ClearGov that include the Multi-year Capital Improvement Plan, and the recordings of the Village Board of Trustee work sessions. Links to the LWVS Information Session Agenda Questions and Village Responses, the LWVS Consensus Questions, and the resulting Consensus Statement will be posted on the LWVS website when available.

For more information, visit LWVS Information Sessions (2024-25) or contact Debbie Bhatt, LWVS Village Budget Chair, at LWVSvillagebudget@gmail.com.

LWVS Issues Consensus Statement on the 

Village Election System

On Monday, December 9, 2024, LWVS held an information session and membership consensus meeting regarding the 2024 Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC) election. Procedure Committee Chair Heath Sroka and Vice Chair Ralph Geer attended and answered questions.

The recording of the information session and the resulting LWVS Consensus Statement are posted on the Information Sessions 2024-25 webpage. Previous statements are housed in the CNC Election Consensus Statement folder on the Local Programs and Positions webpage, where additional folders contain historical annual and topical LWVS Consensus and Board Statements.

LWVS Information Session and Consensus Meeting on the

School Election System

On Tuesday, January 21, 2025, the LWVS convened its General Membership and Consensus meeting regarding the School Board Nominating Committee election which occurred on December 4, 2024. Seema Jaggi, the LWVS School Election System Chair, conducted the meeting.

Christine Weston, Election Chair of the SBNC Administrative Committee, and Jen Zola, SBNC Vice Chair, shared an overview of the Administrative Committee's work during the 2024-25 election cycle.

The video recording of the information session is posted on the LWVS Information Sessions (2024-25) page.  

The League consensus statement on the SBNC election will be published in the SBNC Election Consensus Statement folder on the Local Programs and Positions page of the LWVS website when available.

LWVS Winter Cocktail Party and Fundraiser

Saturday, January 25, 2025

NYS Senator Shelley Mayer, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Congressman George Latimer, Robin Phelps Latimer, County Legislator Ben Boykin, County Executive Ken Jenkins

On Saturday, January 25, LWVS held its annual Winter Cocktail Party and Fundraiser, hosted by Janice and Ira Starr. League members, friends, and elected officials from local to national enjoyed an evening of delicious food and good conversation.

LWVS Annual Finance Drive

Please support your local league by donating to the

League of Women Voters of Scarsdale!

We value your support and generosity!

Your contribution will directly support our programs:

Candidate Debates

Voter Information

Students Inside Albany

Youth Engagement

Speaker Programs

and

Our studies on local issues and budgets that directly impact our Village

Make your donation online by clicking here: 

Or mail your donation to:

Scarsdale League of Women Voters

P.O. Box 495

Scarsdale, NY10583

Please make checks payable to LWV of Scarsdale.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution, please make your check out to LWVNYS Education Foundation and mail to the address above.

Thank you for your support!

LWVS Nominating Committee 2024-25

The LWVS Nominating Committee 2024-25 is calling for nominations to fill League Board Officer and Director positions for the 2025-26 year. The LWVS Nominating Committee will also fill off-board member positions on the Nominating Committee 2025-26.

If you would like to nominate yourself or a friend to be considered for the League Board or the LWVS Nominating Committee 2025-26, kindly contact Nominating Committee Chair Amber Yusuf at amber.yusuf@gmail.com. 

Here is a list of our 2024-25 Nominating Committee members, all of whom are able to receive nominations for discussion and consideration:

Amber Yusuf (Chair)

Erika Rublin (Off-Board)

Shilpa Spencer

Debbie Bhatt

Beth Cukier

Thank you

The LWVS thrives on the work and dedication of our community of volunteers. I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to the League volunteers who contributed their time and creativity during the month of January.

Thanks to Diane Baylor for her precision in recording our Board minutes, and maintaining and updating our website.

Thanks to Diane Baylor and Beth Cukier for preparing an expertly crafted Village Election Consensus Statement and all around counsel.

Thanks to Diksha Mudbhary for her important work on Membership, and to Beth Cukier for keeping our membership records up-to-date.

Thanks to Dana Matsushita for her careful attention to the LWVS Bulletin and for her work in keeping our community informed with numerous eblasts and newsletter.

Thanks to Anne Lyons for her dedicated work on the Winter Finance Drive and helping to plan a joyful Winter Fundraiser. Thanks to Trish Chen for keeping track of the Board financials and overseeing the finance drive. Special thanks to Janice and Ira Starr for graciously opening their home for this fundraiser and ensuring a wonderful time was had by all.

Thanks to Kathy Gray and Lauren Grossberg for their continued work on Voter Service.

Thanks to Dalya Khan and Nan Eileen Mead for their thoughtful and detailed work on the School Budget Portfolio.

Thanks to Debbie Bhatt for her careful attention and work on the Village Budget Portfolio.

Thank you Susan Lee for her work on the LWVS Internship program.

Thanks to Nan Eileen Mead for her work on Students Inside Albany.

Thanks to Kitt Rosenthal for serving as Liaison to the League of Women Voters of Westchester. 

Thanks to SBNC Administrative Committee Election Chair Christine Weston and SBNC Vice Chair Jen Zola for participating in our School Election Information Session. The League appreciates the time and thought they put forth in helping to inform our membership about local government. Thanks to Seema Jaggi for her thoughtful and detailed work on the SBNC Election Information and Consensus Meeting.

Thank you, Remy Weinberg for her important work as our January term intern from the Scarsdale Alternative School. Her research and work done from the perspective of a young, engaged person is both inspiring and invaluable. We look forward to her future contributions and insight. 

I enjoy the opportunity to work with all of you and look forward to all of the great work that lies ahead!

All my best,

Heedan Chung

Village of Scarsdale

As of January 31, 2025

Board of Trustees

Justin Arest, Mayor

  Term ends April 2025

Dara Gruenberg, Deputy Mayor

  1st term ends April 2025

Sameer Ahuja

  2nd term ends April 2025

Karen Brew

  2nd term ends April 2025

Jeremy Gans

  2nd term ends April 2026

Ken Mazer

 2nd term ends April 2026

Jeremy Wise

1st term ends April 2026

Board of Education

Suzie Hahn, President

  1st term ends June 2025

Jim Dugan, Vice President

  2nd term ends June 2027

Colleen Brown

  1st term ends June 2025

Leah Dembitzer

1st term ends June 2027

Robert Klein

  2nd term ends June 2026

Ronald Schulhof

  2nd term ends June 2025

Amber Yusuf

   2nd term ends June 2026

League of Women Voters of Scarsdale

2024-25

Officers

President: Heedan Chung

LWVSpresident@gmail.com

First Vice President: Susan Lee

Second Vice President: Diksha Mudbhary

Recording Secretary: Diane Baylor

LWVSrecsecretary@gmail.com

Corresponding Secretary: Dana Matsushita

LWVScommunications@gmail.com

Treasurer: Trish Chen

LWVStreasury@gmail.com

2024-25 Elected Board Members

Deborah Bhatt

Kathy Gray

Lauren Grossberg

Rokaya Hassaballa

Dalya Khan

Nan Eileen Mead

Abigail Ruane

Shilpa Spencer

2024-25 Appointed Board Members

May Cowan

Beth Cukier

Anne Lyons

Kitt Rosenthal

Jenny Simon Tabak

Committee Chairs

Advocacy: Abigail Ruane

Audit: Tracy Tang (Off-Board)

Book Group: Dalya Khan

Budget: Nancy Michaels (Off-Board) 

Bylaws, Policies, and Procedures: Diane Baylor

Communications:

• Bulletin Editor: Dana Matsushita 
• Eblast: Dana Matsushita  
• Publicity: Dana Matsushita 
• Social Media: Dana Matsushita 
• Website: Diane Baylor 

Development/Finance Drive: Anne Lyons

Environment/Sustainability: Lauren Grossberg

Hospitality: Kitt Rosenthal

Local Budgets:

• School Budget: Dalya Khan and Nan Eileen Mead
• Village Budget: Deborah Bhatt

Local Election Systems:

• School Election: Seema Jaggi
• Village Election: Diane Baylor and Beth Cukier



Luncheons: Anne Lyons

LWVW Liaison: Kitt Rosenthal

Membership: Diksha Mudbhary 

• Membership Statistician: Beth Cukier

Nominating Chair: Amber Yusuf (Off-Board) 

Planning and Zoning: Deborah Bhatt

Program/Education: Diksha Mudbhary 

Voter Service: Kathy Gray and Lauren Grossberg

• Candidate Forum(s)
• Naturalization Court
• Voter Registration Drive(s)

Youth Engagement:

• Civics Jeopardy: Susan Lee
• Mock Election: Susan Lee
• Students Inside Albany: Nan Eileen Mead

Democracy is Not a Spectator Sport – Get Involved!

The League of Women Voters

Creating A More Perfect Democracy 

For Over 100 Years

The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale (LWVS) is a volunteer nonpartisan political organization which promotes political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government. The League is nonpartisan in that it does not support or oppose any candidate for public office; it is political in that it takes positions on selected governmental issues after serious member study and consensus.