CROWDSOURCING PROJECT: Help Document NO votes on Sustainable Westchester

Robert Cox

03 Sep 2024 — 3 min read

After years of unanimous votes blindly supporting Westchester Power contracts, some elected official are wising up and voting “no”

DUBLIN, IRELAND (September 3, 2024) — It took a while but elected officials are finally asking tough questions about Sustainable Westchester’s green scam. Some are even voting “no”.

These officials have offered various reasons for their reservations about Community Choice Aggregation but all seem to agree on one thing: there is something fundamentally wrong — un-American even — about forcing residents into a contract for electricity without their knowledge or consent then requiring them to jump through hoops to get out of that unwanted contract.

Opposition to the “opt-out” CCA Programs is growing. Yonkers led the way in 2022 with a full 30% of ratepayers opting-out during the initial 30-day window. Lewisboro voted to terminate its existing Westchester Power contract which is notable for two reasons: Dan Welsh, the Program Director of Westchester Power, is a Lewisboro councilmember and his ally, Tony Gonçalves, who sits on the Sustainable Westchester Committee of Electeds, refused to act on the majority council vote to terminate the current Westchester Power contract. The Lewisboro Town Board also voted (twice) not to allow Sustainable Westchester Executive Director Noam Bramson to make a presentation on a new contract to the board, making it clear Lewisboro will leave the CCA next month.

The New York State Department of Public Services is investigating defective contracts in New Rochelle and Rye. There are similarly defective contracts in White Plains, Bedford, North Salem, and the Town of Mamaroneck. In all six municipalities, elected officials with a prohibited interest in Sustainable Westchester voted on resolutions benefiting Sustainable Westchester in violation of General Municipal Law, Public Officers Law, and local ethics codes. Interestingly, there are two municipalities where members of council are on the Sustainable Westchester Board of Directors but their municipality is not in the CCA: Port Chester Deputy Mayor Joan Grangenois-Thomas and Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard.

NO VOTES

2021

Yonkers Councilmember Mike Breen
Yonkers Councilmember Anthony Merante

2024

Lewisboro Councilmember Andrea Rendo
Lewisboro Councilmember Mary Shah
Lewisboro Councilmember Richard Sklarin
New Rochelle Councilmember Albert Tarantino
Rye City Councilmember Bill Henderson
Mount Kisco Mayor J. Michael Cindrich
Mount Kisco Deputy Mayor Theresa Flora
Mount Kisco Councilmember Karen B. Schleimer
Mount Kisco Councilmember Lisa C. Abzun
Mount Kisco Councilmember Angie Guerra
Somers Supervisor Robert Scorrano
Somers Councilmember Anthony J. Cirieco
Somers Councilmember William Faulkner

Crowdsourcing Request to Readers

I appreciate that readers do not have the time nor inclination to do the work of reporting on stories exposing Sustainable Westchester but maybe a few would like to help out in some small way. Here is your chance.

Admittedly, I do not have the time or resources to check every vote in every municipality. I have so many other stories in the works. So, I am asking readers to help me identify other council members in other municipalities who cast a “no” vote to oppose making Westchester Power the default electricity supplier in their municipality. I would like to acknowledge them by way of thanking them and showing support for not caving into the bullies at Sustainable Westchester.

If you are willing to help, pick a municipality (or more) off the list of CCA members and either contact the Clerk or look up the minutes online for their most recent vote on Sustainable Westchester / Westchester Power / Community Choice Aggregation. To do this go to their website and either search meeting minutes for votes on “Community Choice Aggregation” and download or screenshot the vote tally OR look up the Clerk email address and ask the Clerk for details on the most recent vote on “Community Choice Aggregation”.

When you get an answer, email what you have (the meeting agenda showing the votes on the CCA or an email from the Clerk with that information). I will update the list with any unanimous votes and with elected officials who voted “no”.