Town Board to Appoint MaryAnn Carr as Supervisor and Stephanie McCaine to Bedford Town Board

Over the past year many in the community would ask what would happen should I be elected to the NYS Assembly. Who would take over? I assured them that the Town would be in good hands. With a strong Town Board and an experienced and capable Deputy Town Supervisor, I was confident in giving my assurances. I am very pleased with the plan which my Town Board colleagues will set in place following my leaving the post of Supervisor (my resignation takes effect on midnight on December 31). My colleagues’ plan completely fulfills the need to provide the community strong, dedicated and thoughtful leadership. Please take a minute to read the joint statement from MaryAnn Carr, Kate Galligan, Ellen Calves and Bobbi Bittker who carry the legal authority to act upon vacancies in the position of Supervisor.

Town Supervisor Chris Burdick’s election to the New York State Assembly creates a vacancy in the seat of the Bedford Supervisor on January 1, 2021. At their organizational meeting, the Bedford Town Board intends to appoint Town Councilperson and Deputy Supervisor MaryAnn Carr to the position of Supervisor to fill out the term. Since the appointment of Ms. Carr will create a vacancy on the Town Board, the Town Board intends to appoint Stephanie McCaine, a lifetime resident of Bedford, to fill that vacancy for the remainder of the term. Both seats – Supervisor and Town Board Member – will be on the ballot in November 2021.

Under Town of Bedford Town Code, to fill a vacancy the Town Board may appoint someone within the first 45 days or call a special election. Town Board Member Kate Galligan remarked that: “Due to the fact that it is an election year, calling a Special Election would create instability, confusion, and incur undue costs. In this situation, appointing someone to steer the ship in the interim, while the various candidates have a chance to run for the position, is the best course of action.”

The Town Board has also determined that it is essential to bring in someone to serve out Ms. Carr’s term, rather than operate as a four-person board during 2021. They have selected Stephanie McCaine to fill Ms. Carr’s Town Board position while Ms. Carr serves as the interim Supervisor. Ms. McCaine is the Associate Director of Admissions at the Harvey School where she also chairs the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, served as board chair of the Bedford Community Theatre, and has held various other volunteer leadership roles in town.

Councilperson Bobbi Bittker explains, “With Supervisor Burdick leaving after such a long tenure, a slate of projects to move forward, and the challenges of the pandemic, we must operate with a full Board. We are excited to appoint Stephanie McCaine whose attention to detail, communication skills, and experience as a resident and leader in town will make her an effective board member.”

MaryAnn Carr was elected to the Town Board in March 2016 after a special election. In 2020 Chris Burdick appointed her as his Deputy Supervisor. For the past few years, Ms.Carr has served as the board liaison to the Recreation and Parks Department and the Planning Department. According to Town Board member Ellen Calves, “MaryAnn has been preparing for the Supervisor job by attending meetings over the past couple of months. I look forward to supporting her in this role.”

Ms. Carr will take on the duties of the Supervisor in 2021 including setting the agendas and presiding at Town Board meetings. She expresses, “I look forward to honoring Chris Burdick’s legacy when he heads to Albany after the New Year by serving out his term as Supervisor with robust dedication to representing all town residents. The particular challenges of guiding our major ongoing projects such as sewers for Bedford Hills and Katonah during this pandemic make unified action an urgent priority.” Carr continues, “I intend to appoint Ellen Calves as Deputy Supervisor and with the addition of Stephanie McCaine to our ranks, I am confident that each of us on this well-rounded board will bring our unique experiences and strengths to the commitment we hold in common of serving the community with excellence, transparency, accountability, and goodwill.”

Calves explains, “As a Town Board we have deliberated for some time about what is the best for the Town in this situation. Chris Burdick has served for the past seven years as Bedford Town Supervisor with incredible energy, enthusiasm, and deep experience from not only over 20 years serving on various town boards and commissions, but also as a former attorney. It will be different without him at the helm, but given that it is an election year, the voters will have a chance to choose whom they put in the seat for the next term. Meanwhile, the current Town Board members, with MaryAnn Carr steering the ship, and Stephanie McCaine bolstering our ranks, will ensure that the town sails ahead.”

These appointments are scheduled on the January 5, 2021 Town Board meeting agenda.

Joint statement from MaryAnn Carr, Kate Galligan, Ellen Calves and Bobbi Bittker.

Reprinted from the Bedford Newsletter.