Winter has definitely hit the ‘Dale but the work of the League continues undaunted.

The League hosted information sessions and held consensus meetings on the proposed School Bond and the SBNC Election. LWVS observes and studies the local non-partisan election systems and village and school district budgets to educate and engage voters in local issues and governance.  

The consensus process is a hallmark of the League. During a consensus meeting, members listen, question, and opine on the issues under consideration. Only those points that have generalized agreement are included in the final consensus statements. I recently overheard a member observing that the League demonstrates how disagreement can be voiced cordially and respectfully. I consider it to be a master class in alternative political discourse and I would invite all members to come and experience it for themselves.  

In February, we will hold our annual Program Consensus Meeting during which we discuss the focus of work for the upcoming year and in March we will hold information and consensus meetings on the Village and School District budgets. We hope that you will join us.

January was not all simply good work (as good as the work was). League members, elected officials and friends joined for cocktails and collegial conversation at our annual Winter Social and Fundraiser. We look forward to further opportunities to connect this spring at our book discussion in April, and annual luncheon in May.

I hope that you stay warm and engaged this winter.

All my best,

Beth Cukier

Mark Your Calendars!

Scarsdale Village Election

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

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. Visit the 2026 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.

Voter Registration Information

Political Party Membership Registration Deadline is February 14.

Are you registered to vote? Voter registration goes on all year long, with different deadlines for each election that takes place. However, the deadline for choosing or changing political party membership for primary elections is February 14. Changes to party enrollments after February 14 will take effect after the primary.

Not sure of your current status? 

You can check your registration status here.

If you are eligible but not yet registered to vote:

You can register online (with a NY.GovID and the online registration portal), by mail, or in person. Use this link to request a voter registration form to be sent by mail

Use the same registration links above if you are already registered to vote but wish to add or change political party membership.

For complete information about registering to vote in New York, visit the NYS Board of Elections Voter Registration Process webpage.

February 2026

• 2/11, Wednesday:
• 7:30 p.m. Board Meeting, Zoom
• 8:30 p.m. Gen Membership/Consensus Meeting (Local and County Programs)

March 2026

• 3/6, Friday:
• 9:30 a.m. Board Meeting, Village Hall
• 3/16, Monday:
• 11:00 a.m. Gen Membership/Consensus Meeting (School Budget), Scarsdale Public Library
• 3/18, Wednesday:
• 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Village Election, Scarsdale Public Library
• 3/27, Friday:
• 10:00 a.m. Gen Membership/Consensus Meeting (Village Budget), Village Hall

April 2026

• 4/22, Wednesday:
• 7:30 p.m. Board Meeting, Zoom
• 4/24, Friday:
• 12:00 p.m. LWVS Book Discussion

LWVS Information Session and Consensus Meeting:

2026-27 Programming for our

Local, County, and National Leagues

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

8:30 pm via Zoom

Meeting ID: 868 2957 6750

Passcode: 185484

On Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 8:30 pm 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 National League (to be communicated to the LWVUS 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 2025-26, the current LWVW Program for 2025-26, the LWVUS Program Planning Materials for 2026-28, and the LWVUS Bylaws Amendment Process.

LWVS General Membership and Consensus Meeting:

2026-2027 School Budget

 Monday, March 16, 2026

11:00 a.m.

Scarsdale Public Library

Scott Room

and via Zoom (link TBA)

On Monday, March 16, 2026 at 11am at Scarsdale Public Library and via Zoom, LWVS will hold its annual general membership information session and consensus meeting regarding the preliminary 2026-27 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.

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 2, 2026: Staffing recommendations & budget drivers shared
• Monday, February 9, 2026: Budget Study Session #1
• Monday, March 2, 2026: Budget Study Session #2
• Monday, March 16, 2026: Budget Study Session #3
• Monday, March 23, 2026: Budget Forum
• Monday, April 13, 2026: Board Adopts Budget
• Monday, May 11, 2026: Statutory Budget Hearing
• Tuesday, May 19, 2026: Annual Budget Vote and School Board Election

Follow these links to the LWVS Board Statement re: 2026-27 Scarsdale School Budget Planning posed during the November 17, 2025 Community Forum and the FY 2026-27 Budget Documents files on Board Docs. Links to 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 2026-27 Budget Documents webpage.



For more information, visit LWVS Information Sessions (2025-26) or email LWVS School Budget Chair Dalya Khan at LWVSschoolbudget@gmail.com.

LWVS General Membership and Consensus Meeting:

2026-2027 Village Budget

 Friday, March 27, 2026

10:00 a.m.

Village Hall

and via Zoom

Meeting ID: 821 7841 7188

Passcode: 525820

The Scarsdale Village Board of Trustees, the Village Manager, and the Deputy Village Treasurer have begun the process to assess the Village’s finances and evaluate revenue and expense projections in preparation for adopting the budget for 2026-27 in April.

The January 13, 2026 First Pass (first draft) of the 2026-7 Budget has a gap of $8 million; last year the gap was $6.7 million this juncture. 

The FY27 General Fund First Pass does not include any increase in the Tax Levy, and does not include any appropriation of Fund Balance. The Village is permitted to increase the Tax Levy by up to $1,849,461 and remain compliant with the New York State Tax Cap; mandated pension and health insurance increases alone are $1,868,200.  

The list of Capital Projects (pages 8-15) requests include approximately forty projects with a total budget of $99.7 million; the three most costly projects in FY 2027 are: 

• Pool Complex Project – Construction Phase: $72,000,000
• Winston Field Improvements: $6,600,000
• Crossway Field Improvements: $6,500,000

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 2026-27.

The LWVS will hold its annual Information Session and General Membership Consensus Meeting on the 2026-27 Village Budget on Friday, March 27, 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.

Additional important dates are as follows:

• Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 5:00 PM: Second Pass Budget review and continued discussion
• Thursday, February 26, 2026, 5:00–6:00 PM: Village Manager and Treasurer discuss preliminary budget with Village organizations 
• Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 6:00 PM: Third Pass Budget review
• Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 6:00 PM: Presentation of Tentative Budget 
• Tuesday, April 14, 2026, 8:00 PM: Public hearing on Tentative Budget and adoption of Village-wide Fees & Charges schedules
• Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 8:00 PM: Board of Trustees to adopt budget 

Follow these links to past LWVS Information Sessions (2024-25), the archives of adopted Village Budgets, 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,contact Debbie Bhatt, LWVS Village Budget Chair, at LWVSvillagebudget@gmail.com.

LWVS Information Session and Consensus Meeting on the

Village Election System

On Friday, December 5, 2025, LWVS held its annual information session and membership consensus meeting regarding the Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC) election. Procedure Committee Chair Ralph Geer attended and answered questions.

Follow these links to the Information Session Agenda, the Consensus Questions, and the resulting LWVS Consensus Statement. The video of the information session can be viewed below.

For more information, please contact LWVS Village Election System Chairs Diane Baylor and Attiya Malik.

LWVS Winter Cocktail Party and Fundraiser

On Saturday, January 24, 2026, 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 General Membership and Consensus Meeting:

Proposed 2026 Scarsdale Schools Bond

On Monday, January 26, 2026, via Zoom, the League convened its General Information and Member Consensus meeting regarding the School District’s Proposed 2026 Scarsdale Schools Bond. 

The following members of the District Cabinet and Board of Education were present at the January 26 LWVS Information Session to answer questions: from the Administration, Dr. Drew Patrick and Mr. Andrew Lennon; and from the School Board, Mr. James Dugan, Ms. Colleen Brown, Ms. Amber Yusuf, Ms. Leah Dembitzer, Ms. Suzie Hahn, Mr. Robert Klein, and Ms. Laura Ying Liu.

The Administration responded to League-prepared and audience questions. They discussed the details of certain portions of the Bond including the scope, the proposed construction project at Edgewood, and financing of the Bond. 

The League comments regarding the Bond will be read during public comment at the Board of Education Community Bond Forum on February 2, 2026.

Upcoming Bond dates:

• Monday, February 2, 2026: Bond Forum
• Monday, February 9, 2026: Initial SEQRA Action
• Monday, March 16, 2026: Adopt SEQRA Determination and Bond Resolution
• Tuesday, May 19, 2026: Annual Budget and Bond Votes and School Board Election

Links:

• LWVS Questions re: proposed 2026 school bond posed during the January 12, 2026 Board of Education meeting and the District’s Responses
• LWVS Information Session Agenda 
• 2026 Capital Projects Bond Process and Summary for LWVS
• LWVS Consensus Statement on the Proposed 2026 Scarsdale Schools Bond (when available)
• LWVS 2025-26 Information Sessions page

LWVS Information Session and Consensus Meeting on the

School Election System

On Friday, January 30, 2026, the LWVS convened its General Membership and Consensus meeting regarding the School Board Nominating Committee election which occurred on December 3, 2025. SBNC Election Chair Jocelyn Zoland and SBNC Chair Jenny Simon Tabak answered questions. The information session was open to the public; the consensus meeting was for current LWVS members only.

Follow these links to the Information Session Agenda (inclusive of SBNC AC responses in blue) and Consensus Questions. When finalized, links will be posted to SBNC AC’s Written Report to the LWVS and the resulting Consensus Statement.

For more information, please contact LWVS School Election System Chair Shilpa Spencer.

LWVS Annual Finance Drive

Please support your local league by donating to the

League of Women Voters of Scarsdale!

We need your support!

Your contribution will directly support our programs:

Voter Information

Candidate Forums

They Represent You

Students Inside Albany

Speaker Programs

and

Our studies on local issues and budgets

LWVS Nominating Committee 2025-26

The LWVS Nominating Committee 2025-26 is calling for nominations to fill League Board Officer and Director positions for the 2026-27 year. The LWVS Nominating Committee will also fill off-board member positions on the Nominating Committee 2026-27.

If you would like to nominate yourself or a friend to be considered for the League Board or the LWVS Nominating Committee 2026-27, kindly contact Nominating Committee Chair Lauren Grossberg. 

Here is a list of our 2025-26 Nominating Committee members, all of whom are able to receive nominations for discussion and consideration:

Lauren Grossberg (Chair, Off-Board)

Suzie Hahn (Off-Board)

Wendy MacMillan (Off-Board)

Liz Sipprelle

Shilpa Spencer

Thank you

The LWVS depends on the dedication and work of our community of volunteers.  I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to the entire Board for their tireless efforts, and reliable responsiveness during the month of January.

Thank you to Dalya Khan and Irena Turner for their study of the proposed school bond and Dalya Khan for conducting an excellent information session and consensus meeting.  Thanks to Superintendent Drew Patrick, Assistant Superintendent Andrew Lennon and the entire Board of Education for their thoughtful participation in this event.

Thank you to Anne Lyons for her work on the Winter Finance Drive and for organizing the delightful Winter Social.  Thanks to Trish Chen for managing the League’s finances and executing the finance drive.  Special thanks to Janice and Ira Starr for graciously hosting the Winter Social in their home.  It was truly a special evening.

Thanks to Debbie Bhatt and Eva Romas Wilson for their continued monitoring of the Village Budget and Projects.

Thank you to Nan Eileen Mead for recruiting applicants and running the local selection committee for Students Inside Albany.

Thank you to Diane Baylor for her detailed work preparing the Board minutes and keeping our website up to date.  Thank you also to both Diane Baylor and Attiya Malik for preparing an expertly crafted Village Election Consensus Statement.

Thank you to Dana Matsushita for her careful editing of the LWVS Bulletin and her nimbleness in keeping our community informed of evolving events.

Thank you to Diksha Mudbhary, Liz Sipprelle and Anne Lyons for dedicated outreach in our membership drive.  Thank you to Shilpa Spencer for keeping our membership records in order.

Thank you to Shilpa Spencer for organizing the information session and consensus meeting on the School Board Nominating Committee election.    

Thank you to Abbi Ruane for helping the board to identify its advocacy work priorities for the upcoming year and for keeping us informed and engaged.

I appreciate all of the time, dedication and thoughtfulness given by all of the League volunteers this month.  From the bottom of my heart, I give my thanks and look forward to our work together in the months to come.

All my best,

Beth Cukier

Village of Scarsdale

As of January 31, 2026

Board of Trustees

Justin Arest, Mayor

2nd term ends April 2027

Dara Gruenberg, Deputy Mayor

2nd term ends April 2027

Jeremy Gans

  2nd term ends April 2026

David Goldschmidt

1st term ends April 2027

Jason Kofman

1st term ends April 2027

Ken Mazer

  2nd term ends April 2026

Jeremy Wise

1st term ends April 2026

Board of Education

Jim Dugan, President

  2nd term ends June 2027

Colleen Brown, Vice President

  2nd term ends June 2028

Leah Dembitzer

1st term ends June 2027

Suzie Hahn

  2nd term ends June 2028

Robert Klein

  2nd term ends June 2026

Laura Ying Liu

1st term ends June 2028

Amber Yusuf

  2nd term ends June 2026

League of Women Voters of Scarsdale

2025-26

Officers

President: Beth Cukier

LWVSpresident@gmail.com

First Vice President: Deborah Bhatt

Second Vice President: Diksha Mudbhary

Corresponding Secretary: Dana Matsushita

LWVScommunications@gmail.com

Recording Secretary: Diane Baylor

LWVSrecsecretary@gmail.com

Treasurer: Trish Chen

LWVStreasury@gmail.com

2025-26 Elected Board Members

Kathy Gray

Dalya Khan

Mayra Kirkendall Rodriguez

Nan Eileen Mead

Eva Romas Wilson

Abigail Ruane

Shilpa Spencer

2025-26 Appointed Board Members

Anne Lyons

Kitt Rosenthal

Liz Sipprelle

Committee Chairs

Advocacy: Abigail Ruane

Audit: Erika Rublin (Off-Board)

Book Group: Dalya Khan

Budget: TBD (Off-Board) 

Bylaws, Policies, and Procedures: Diane Baylor

Communications:

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

Development/Finance Drive: Erika Rublin (Off-Board)

Environment/Sustainability: Attiya Malik

Local Budgets:

• School Budget: Dalya Khan
• Village Budget: Deborah Bhatt

Local Election Systems:

• School Election: Shilpa Spencer
• Village Election: Diane Baylor and Attiya Malik

LWVW Liaison: Diane Baylor and Kitt Rosenthal

Membership: Diksha Mudbhary and Liz Sipprelle

• Membership Statistician: Shilpa Spencer

Nominating Committee: Lauren Grossberg (Off-Board) 

Planning and Zoning: Eva Romas Wilson

Program/Education: Diksha Mudbhary 

Voter Service: Kathy Gray and Attiya Malik

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

Youth Engagement:

• Civics Jeopardy: Mayra Kirkendall Rodriguez
• Mock Election: Mayra Kirkendall Rodriguez
• 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.