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Letter to the Community In Support of Moving the Timing of Bronxville Village Elections to November

October 21, 2025

Dear Community Members,

In March this year, I was a candidate for Trustee in our local, Village elections. There were three of us running for two available Trustee positions – I was a new challenger and the others were incumbents. It was an incredible experience. For two months I worked extremely hard sharing my credentials and my vision for Bronxville with as many people as possible. I spoke to groups of residents in people’s homes, addressed gatherings at the library, and enjoyed meeting commuters on the train platform and hearing their thoughts. We spoke about flood control, street safety, and how our business district can continue to flourish, among other topics important to people throughout the village.

I was honored that voters rewarded me with 653 votes. I’m grateful for every single one of these. And while I ultimately fell short by only 58 votes, I’m proud that I played a role in driving a level of engagement and voter participation not seen in many recent years in our Village elections.

I am a strong supporter of current efforts to move our Village elections from their legacy timing in March to a new annual cycle in November. People are used to voting in November, and our access to early voting during this annual cycle will make it easier for more people to participate in our Village elections. More people engaging and voting can only be a good thing, as we seek to harness the power of the entire village for the things that are important to all of us.

This question is being put to Bronxville voters in a proposition on the ballot at the November 4th general election. I will be voting YES. I encourage my friends, colleagues and neighbors to reach out if they wish to discuss this proposition further, and its benefits for all in Bronxville.

Yours sincerely,

Vanessa O’Friel

 

 

 

 

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.

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Bronxville Overview

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.

Bronxville Village Government Directory

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

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