Letter to the Community From Bob Underhill, Candidate for Reelection to Village Board
March 11, 2025
To My Fellow Residents:
First and foremost, it has been an honor and privilege to serve the Village as a Trustee for the last twenty years – I am grateful for your trust and support. It has been a deeply rewarding experience to work with an outstanding group of fellow Trustees/Mayor and an incredible team in Village Hall who all share a deep commitment to the Village.
Being a Trustee is about being a good, common-sense steward of our community and has absolutely nothing to do with national political parties. Our job is to represent all residents and stakeholders, not just the ones with whom we identify politically. I am grateful for the support and endorsements from Trustees Mary Behrens and Helen Knapp, and Mayor Mary Marvin; I am proud to be part of a great team.
On Tuesday March 18, I will be standing for re-election as your Village Trustee. I bring 20+ years of service and experience in Bronxville Village government to the ongoing work of the Trustees. I humbly believe that my background in commercial real estate and finance has proven to be invaluable as I have helped navigate the challenges before the Village. Working together with the Mayor, my fellow Trustees, and the Village Hall team I have always sought to improve the Village without changing its character.
As Deputy Mayor, I have helped complete many projects that have enhanced the quality of life in the Village. Some notable accomplishments include:
-Maintaining the Village portion of your overall property tax bill at 17 percent while retaining a Aaa bond rating from Moody’s
-Flood mitigation projects that included the pumping station at the Bronxville School
-The first Village-wide real estate revaluation in decades
-The controlled expansion and improvement of NYP Lawrence Hospital
-The construction of Villa BXV and the creation of an additional parking lot on Parkway Road while providing for the multi-million-dollar remediation of these contaminated sites without taxpayer expense
-The construction of a new and energy efficient DPW building
-Supporting the important initiatives of the Bronxville Green Committee
-Investment in our parks and open spaces, and much more.
Additionally, I am extremely proud to have been deeply involved with our police department, which is arguably amongst the finest of any town or village in New York State. Maintaining a highly trained and professional police force is of paramount importance to the present and future of our Village.
To be clear, I view the top priorities of the Village Board of Trustees as follows:
-Public safety has to be our top priority. This means achieving a police department of 26 officers, it was 21 when I joined the board. We need to be able to enforce our laws in our downtown, and, hopefully soon, we can have a dedicated School Resource Officer.
-Maintaining the fiscal health of our Village in a “higher for longer” interest rate environment, and maintaining our Aaa rating and our sound fund-balance policy, and\
-Upgrading our infrastructure to protect us from the dramatic effects of our changing environment. Continuing to address flood mitigation is absolutely critical.
I am a huge supporter of transparency, walkability and sustainability – they are integral to our Village government and our quality of life, and I am proud of the work we have done in these areas.
I ask you to make your decision based on my skills and experience, the judgment I have shown, and my dedication to the Village. I have prided myself on my focus on stewardship and not politics – the defining characteristic of Bronxville government that has served the Village well for 125 years.
I am eager to continue my work. I respectfully ask for your support on March 18th.
Thank you for your consideration,
Robert Underhill – Deputy Mayor / Village Trustee
Editor's note: MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements in letters to the editor, and the opinions do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff. Its objective in publishing letters to the editor is to give air to diverse thoughts and opinions of residents in the community.
Government & History Directory
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Link to Village of Bronxville One Square Mile Monthly Newsletter
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
337-6500
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Police Department
337-0500
Open 24 hours
Bronxville Parking Violations
337-2024
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400
Government & History Recent Articles
Quick Links
Newsletter
MyhometownBroxnville reserves the right to monitor and remove all comments. For more information on Posting Rules, please review our Rules and Terms of Use, both of which govern the use and access of this site. Thank you.
The information presented here is for informational purposes only. While every effort has been made to present accurate information, myhometownBronxville, LLC, does not in any way accept responsibility for the accuracy of or consequences from the use of this information herein. We urge all users to independently confirm any information provided herein and consult with an appropriate professional concerning any material issue of fact or law. The views and opinions expressed by the writers, event organizers and advertisers do not necessarily represent those of myhometownBronxville, LLC, its officers, staff or contributors. The use of this website is governed by the Terms of Use . No portion of this publication may be reproduced or redistributed, either in whole or part, without the express written consent of the publisher.
Copyright © 2009 myhometownbronxville.com, All rights reserved.