Written by Carol P. Bartold     

Jan. 7, 2015: Attorney Randolph (Randy) Mayer, an alternate member of the Bronxville Planning Board for almost two years, assumes a new role for the village this month when he becomes a village trustee. Upon the resignation of trustee Donald Gray in December, Mayor Mary Marvin announced that Mayer would fill Gray's term, which expires in March.

A Bronxville resident since 1983, and married to local orthodontist Dr. Patricia Halloran, Mayer is an attorney with a broad municipal finance practice. He represents approximately fifty municipalities in New York State, from villages and towns to counties and New York City. "That has given me some good experience with village law," he said, "and also with finance law and the municipal finance market."

Mayer noted that he has performed most of his volunteer activities at The Reformed Church of Bronxville, where he served as treasurer and as vice president of consistory at a time when the church was without a senior pastor.

Mayer joined the planning board during the final stages of the then-Lawrence Hospital Center application to build an addition to house new surgery suites and a comprehensive cancer treatment center. He has served on the planning board since the inception of the 100 Pondfield LLC application to develop the former Morgan Manhattan Storage building into luxury condominiums.

"Through all of my volunteer activities I have worked with some very dedicated and competent people who were trying to do the right thing," Mayer said.

Mayer credits his experience on the planning board with informing his general approach. "We try to do the things that preserve, with the most zeal, those things which are the hardest to reverse," he said. "To preserve the quality of life that makes Bronxville special," he added, "decision makers must be wary of those changes, such as urbanization, which, once done, would change the complexion of the village for good. We have to ask if that would make us happier at the end of the day," he said.

While it's important to Mayer to preserve the aspects of Bronxville that support the village's quality of life, he feels that accommodation must be made to the changes that require adjustment. "We do live in the 21st century," he said, "and we have to behave as if we do live in the 21st century." However, he cautions, "it's important to retain the sense of community and consensus that makes the village work well."

"We want to be thinking as long range as possible," Mayer said. "It's a luxury to be able to think long-term and I think the board of trustees has been very good about that through the years. I look forward to working on that."

Not only will Randy Mayer take his temporary seat on the Bronxville Board of Trustees at the board's January 12 meeting, he intends to run in the March election for a full term as trustee.

Pictured here: New village trustee Randy Mayer.

Photo by N. Bower