Meet the Candidate: Joan Walsh

Candidate: Joan Walsh

Age: 77

Political Affiliation: Democrat

Education/Professional Background: BS Education from Seton Hill College in Greensburg, PA. Four years Harrison Supervisor, 13 years Harrison Town Clerk, 3 years senior aid to Nita Lowey and several years as the Underhill Avenue and High School PTA President.

Patch: What is your platform for running for this position? As supervisor what have you brought to the town during your administration?

Walsh: What I have brought to the town is a firm determination to cut spending while not affecting services.

Patch: Fiscal responsibility has been a key part of your platform so far. How do you improve Harrison while avoiding sizeable tax rate increases? Do you have any new ideas that have not been tried before during your administration?

Walsh: By paying attention to the small details, and small details in a town is anything below $10,000. By responding to people's concerns and making sure that the town employees are also responsible to citizens.

I do have new ideas, but I don't think it would be appropriate to publicly discuss them at this time.

Patch: How do you intend to bring businesses to Harrison? One issue with downtown is the number of for-rent signs along Halstead Avenue, how do you make Harrison a business-friendly town?

Walsh: That's a difficult question because what I've been told is that one of the major problems is the high rent for the various stores. People go in and out because they can't meet the rent. We did a survey many years ago that said people come to Harrison to eat, that's why we have so many delis and restaurants.

I've also been told that as soon as the MTA project starts going that it will have a cascading affect, it will have a ripple affect and it will go across the street and up the town.

Patch: Negotiations continue at this point between town leadership and local labor unions over possible changes to the healthcare aspect of their contracts. What are your hopes for these contracts? Are you optimistic they will be completed within the next year?

Walsh: We can't wait a year, absolutely can't wait a year to settle this. Yes, we have resolved most of the issues, there's one major issue remaining but I certainly am hopeful that we can resolve this.

Patch: What plans do you have for possible senior living centers in Harrison? Some of Harrison’s seniors have struggled to keep up with increased taxes and are considering moving from the area, how do you fix this problem?

Walsh: There was a proposal a while back that we replace the Mintzer Center, the Underhill Avenue school itself with a senior housing project. There is also a senior housing project approved for the SUNY campus. I do support that, it is only for seniors it will have no impact on the schools whatsoever. It's going to have three levels so there will be a luxury level, a regular level and then there will be very few affordable apartments. There will be something for everybody.

Then you will have the added advantage of the access to all the facilities on campus, including concerts and lectures.

Patch: What is your biggest strength as a supervisor?

Walsh: What has pleased me most about this campaign is that people believe I'm honest, which is not believed to be a characteristic of most politicians. As we go door-to-door that is the feedback that I get and I am very proud of that.

My openness, when you ask me a question I give you the answer, and I think people are comfortable knowing that I don't keep secrets.

Patch: What is your biggest weakness, how will you address this?

Walsh: My biggest weakness probably is not remembering numbers, I'm a words person. However, I write them all down and I study them. I don't talk off-the-cuff about numbers, but I understand them when they're written in front of me. 

Someone asked me the other day to compare the expenses of the last five years, well I can't do that. I know there are accountants who can, I know there are numbers people who can just sit there and say 'well in '09 we did this in '10 we did this and so-forth, but I can take you to the page in the book and show you where to find it.

Patch: What is one thing voters might not know about you that they should?

Walsh: I have a collection of books and I read them from the 1100s. I enjoy them I like to read, I'll read almost anything.

I also read a lot of modern books on finances from both political parties.

Joan Walsh in an incumbent and will run against challenger Ron Belmont for the position of Harrison Mayor/Supervisor on Tuesday, Nov. 8.