To the Editor:

Mar. 21, 2018:  Julie Killian has been a friend of mine and our family for many years. She is running for State Senate in the April 24 special election and I am honored to support her.

Did you know that Westchester County gets the least per-pupil school aid of any county in New York State? And New York is one of the few states that expect Medicaid to be paid for at the local level.

It should come as no surprise we have among the highest property taxes in the nation!

Julie will fight to change the school aid formula and to move Medicaid costs back to the state, which would lower our property taxes.

Born in Mount Vernon, one of six siblings, Julie learned the value of an honest day’s work – and the importance of education – at an early age. As a teenager, she started a summer camp with her sister and waited tables at a pizza place at night, often working 15-hour days each summer to help pay for college. After earning a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from New York University, Julie spent more than a decade working on Wall Street in the financial services industry.  She and her husband, Gary, have five children.

Julie also has experience at the local level, which will serve her well in Albany. As a Rye City councilwoman and deputy mayor, Julie led the fight to reform local government and protect property taxpayers. She held the line on property taxes and worked to negotiate fair labor contracts after years of impasse to save taxpayers money. Julie also protected Rye taxpayers by selling unnecessary city property and using the proceeds to fund critical infrastructure investments.

She is also a leader in the fight against substance abuse. Julie co-founded RyeACT (Rye Action for Children and Teens) to fight youth drug and alcohol abuse. RyeACT trains local leaders and youth, develops prevention messages, and provides local access to drug and alcohol abuse prevention experts.

We must get out and vote for Julie Killian on April 24. The only way to affect change in government is to elect new people with fresh perspectives who are going to fight AGAINST the status quo and FOR the taxpayers. This is an important race for the future of this state – and Westchester. For more information about Julie’s campaign, please visit www.juliekillian.com or on Facebook and Twitter: Killian4Senate.

Mark E. Jennings, Jr.

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.