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As a candidate for County Legislator, I have spent the last three months going door-to-door speaking to voters. And one issue that has come up time and time again is the proposed redevelopment of the Hudson Institute property in Teatown. On this issue, something troubling has come to my attention and I imagine the voters would find it troubling too.
Catherine Borgia has failed to disclose to her voters in Ossining and Croton her significant financial interest in the redevelopment of the Hudson Institute property. She is employed by the Real Estate firm that lists the property for sale, a firm that stands to earn a broker’s commission worth upwards of a million dollars.
Because the sale and redevelopment of the Hudson Institute will likely require planning and zoning variances from Cortlandt and Ossining—towns that Catherine Borgia represents—she owed it to the voters to tell us about her conflict of interest.
Instead, she withheld this vital information from us while peddling her influence as an elected official for their benefit. Her employee profile for the Real Estate firm promises that her experience as a local politician will be put to work for her clients. “As a sitting County Legislator, I have deep knowledge of the communities of the region,” Borgia offers.
When it comes to the proposed development on the Hudson Institute or the Sunshine Home, or any other commercial development in residential neighborhoods, we need to trust that our local zoning and planning boards are working in our best interest and that these developers are forced to be good neighbors if they want to expand in our backyard. That is why we have zoning laws.
As voters, we deserve to know that Catherine Borgia is not poisoning the well on behalf of her clients, and not using her influence as an elected official for her own private benefit.
If you want a representative who puts people ahead of politics and their own self-interests, please support me for County Legislator on November 7th.
Robert J. Outhouse
Candidate - Westchester County Legislator - District 9
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