By Staff

March 4, 2026: The Bronxville Village Elections will be held on March 18, 2026. At that time, Bronxville Village residents will have the opportunity to vote for two Village Trustees and one Village Justice.

The terms of the Village Trustees are two years, varying in expiration. The terms of the Village Justices are four years, also varying in expiration. 

The following individuals are running in the upcoming election.  

Village Justice Candidate (Vote for 1)

The Village has two Village Justices with staggered terms. Bill Primps has been Village Justice since 2018 and has served two 4-year terms. He is running unopposed for another 4-year term.

Below is more information about Bill Primps.

Bill Primps, Candidate for Village Justice

William Primps ("Bill") was elected Bronxville Village Justice in 2018 and 2022 and is running unopposed for another 4-year term. 

There are three candidates running for two positions on the Bronxville Village Board.  The candidates are as follows:

Helen Knapp, Current Trustee

Rob Deichert

Vanessa O'Friel

It should be noted that Mary Behrens, who has served as a Trustee since 2020, is retiring from her role on the Board.

Below is information about each candidate.

Helen Knapp, Current Trustee

Helen Knapp is running for a third term as Village Trustee.  

When asked why she is running, Helen said, “It’s an honor to be part of this team.”  She spoke about the many people who care about this village.  She also said that the Board “really thinks about what’s best for Bronxville” and “looks at issues on their merits.”  

She also said that she was proud of the Board’s accomplishments over the past four years and that there is “a lot of work still to be done.”  She noted that her “years of experience, knowledge, and familiarity with the issues” enable her to be in a “good position to contribute.

Helen was born in Bronxville and attended the Bronxville School K-12. After graduation, she went on to the University of Virginia and then to John Hopkins University, where she obtained an MA in International Relations. 

Helen spent almost 15 years with Citicorp, first working in corporate finance and then in international private wealth management. She then worked for a NY-based global not-for-profit, developing partnerships between private philanthropists, governments, and businesses to create long-term solutions to poverty, social inequality in developing countries. 

Helen and her husband, Charles, moved to Bronxville in 2002 to raise their family. They have two daughters who attended the Bronxville School. One of her daughters is at Duke Law School, and her other daughter graduated from Northwestern and is currently a research coordinator in the psychology department at Northwestern.

Over the years, Helen was involved with the Bronxville School, serving on numerous committees and as President of the Bronxville School PTA. She was also a member of the Bronxville Non-Partisan Committee. Knapp also served as a Governor of the Bronxville Field Club for six years. She was also an alternate on the Village Planning Board for two years. She currently serves as a guide at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

When asked what she’s most proud of over the years she has been on the Board, Helen mentions the flood mitigation efforts, which, among other things, has included improving the stormwater infrastructure in many areas around the village.

She also talks about the work done “to improve walkability” in the village, such as new safer crosswalks, improved signage, and other traffic calming measures.  She notes that these improvements were the result of a multi-year study of these issues.

Helen also mentioned her close work with the Chamber of Commerce to enhance the business district, including the outdoor dining program that the Village implemented after Covid.  The decision to convert the program from year round to seasonal only came after much consultation and planning. The resulting successful seasonal outdoor dining program includes guidelines about design, number of tables, and other matters.

Helen also talked about the excellent relationship that the Board has with the Bronxville police department, as well as recent “green initiatives” around the village, including a seasonal ban of gas-powered leaf blowers due to noise complaints, and the adoption of a Climate Action Plan  for the Village with a set of measurable goals. She noted that the village changed from oil to natural gas at Village Hall, is in the process of installing solar panels on the roof of the Department of Public Works, and installed more energy efficient lighting throughout the Village. She also spoke about the many grants the Village has received for important projects, including $2 million from FEMA to help address flooding and $3 million from Westchester County to help address drainage issues.  Grants like this, along with conservative fiscal policies and careful budget planning has allowed us to make important instructive improvements while keeping taxes low. 

Helen has also enjoyed "working with the amazing staff at Village Hall, the police force, the DPW, and my fellow Trustees to address issues that are important to our residents and to get things done." 

She has also enjoyed working with Bronxville residents, who she describes as "incredibly smart, passionate and generous with their time and resources.” She further said, “their deep involvement on several successful recent and ongoing projects is one of the things that make Bronxville so special."

Helen mentioned a few recent examples of successful projects, including "the incredible transformation of Maltby Park, improvements to the Sagamore playground, and the current outdoor reading garden at the Public Library."

Helen described the current Board as “well balanced” with Trustees expressing “different viewpoints” and having “healthy discussions.”  “We spend a lot of time analyzing different options and modifying ideas to create workable solutions.”

Helen further points out that “the solutions are stronger due to different viewpoints.”

When asked what she brings to the Board, she mentions, among other things, “the ability to help forge consensus from different opinions.” 

Mary Taylor Behrens, Bill Fredericks, Mayor Mary Marvin, and Deputy Mayor Bob Underhill have expressed support for Helen in letters in this issue.

Rob Deichert

Rob Deichert grew up in Bronxville. He was born at Lawrence Hospital, went to the Reformed Church Nursery School and then to the Bronxville School from Kindergarten through 12th grade.  He graduated from Bronxville High School in 1993 and went on to Johns Hopkins University where he studied economics.

Following college, Rob worked in finance, strategy consulting and then digital advertising, which is his present profession. He is currently Chief Operating Officer at Triplelift, which is an advertising platform that “helps publishers monetize content and advertisers reach audiences through high-performing ad formats. It focuses on integrating ads seamlessly into web, video, mobile, and Connected TV (CTV) content to improve user experience.” 

After living in Baltimore, Maryland, Rob moved back to Bronxville with his family in 2006. He and his wife have three teenage boys who are in Bronxville middle and high school.

In addition to his professional career, Rob has been involved with the Bronxville Boys Scouts for many years.  He is Scoutmaster of Bronxville Troop 5, Committee Chair of Pack 5, and is on the Scout Cabin Committee. Over the years, Rob and his Troop have worked on various beautification efforts in the village.

Rob is also a junior warden at Christ Church Bronxville, which recently undertook a Geothermal heating and cooling project.  Rob is also a member of his Condominium Board at Gramatan Court.  Prior to that, he served as treasurer at Gramatan Gardens Coop. In these roles, among other things, he had been involved with multiple complex sewer projects as well as fighting the cell phone tower from being installed on the Gramatan court elevator tower.

This isn’t Rob’s first foray into Bronxville politics. He served on Patrick English’s campaign team when he ran for mayor in 1993. Rob says that being a Village Trustee is something “he’s always wanted to do” but he further explains, "since we've had great trustees it was a matter of timing, and with the push to move the voting date, it was time."

He particularly values listening to everybody, asking the right questions, and being non-partisan in his approach to issues.  “All of the things the Village deals with are not blue or red.  It’s important to do what’s right for the Village.”  He also believes it’s important “to give back” to your community.

In terms of what he would bring to the Board, Rob mentions his deep knowledge of the Village, his technology knowledge, and his knowledge of finance/fiscal discipline, marketing, and construction.

When asked what qualities he thinks are important in a Village Trustee, Rob said, “asking the right questions, going deep into the issues, and listening to everybody.”

Vanessa O'Friel

Vanessa O'Friel grew up in New York City and graduated from Georgetown University.  She then taught middle and high school science and math, first at the Buckley School and then at the Collegiate School, both in New York City. She also served as President of the Alumnae Board at Nightingale-Bamford School in New York City, and head of the Parents’ Association at St. Thomas More Play Group.

She and her husband, Jeremy, moved to Bronxville in 2014 with their four children.  Their two older boys graduated from Bronxville and now attend college.  Their son, Rory, is in 7th grade and Charlotte is a senior at the Bronxville School. 

Since moving to Bronxville, Vanessa has been actively engaged in several organizations, including the Junior League, The Friends of the Bronxville Public Library, the BASC committee for the Elementary School PTA and the Girl Scouts.  She is also currently a member of the Board of Governors of the Bronxville Field Club and has volunteered as an evaluator for the Community Fund for the past five years.

Vanessa is also a business owner. She owns and operates Prep Academy Tutors, which provides academic support for students in grades K-12 in Westchester and Connecticut.

Vanessa also currently serves as President of the Bronxville Chamber of Commerce.

When asked why she is running for Trustee, Vanessa says she ‘loves being here’ and has a “passion for the village.”  She is particularly "deeply interested in how she can help the Village and merchants, and the Village and its schools work together for the benefit of all."

Her experience as President of the Chamber is particularly relevant.  She has a great appreciation for the importance of promoting local purchase because it helps both merchants and the village, as sales taxes support the village. She notes that there are “jewelers, gift shops, and so many great products and services right here in Bronxville.”

She thinks it’s wonderful that the Village Board has worked so hard to make the village more “walker friendly” because “that’s what you need when you want families in the village.”  She notes that “Bronxville is known for being a friendly, walkable, safe destination with new restaurants and movie theater.” She is gratified that, in her role at the Chamber, she has been involved in “what makes Bronxville a lovely place to live." She has played a leading role in organizing many of the Village's beloved events, such as Christmas on Kraft, Oktoberfest, the Easter Egg Hunt and the sidewalk sales. 

Vanessa is also complimentary of the police force, who she described as “thoughtful community members.”  “I met with the Police Chief,” she said, and “they are very keen on hiring the right people” who “want to be here and who take an excellent approach to community policing and local partnerships with businesses, schools and community members." 

Vanessa also notes that the playgrounds and parks "add to the interest of families being here.”  She also feels that the Village’s decision in recent years to lower the speed limit was also crucial to making it a great place to live.

If elected, Vanessa will put her tremendous energy and passion to work for the Village.

Mary Taylor Behrens and Bill Fredericks have expressed support for Vanessa in a letter in this issue.

Letters Related to the Election

Letter to the Community from Rob Deichert, Candidate for Bronxville Village Trustee

Letter to the Community from Vanessa O’Friel, Candidate for Village Trustee

Letter to the Community in Support of Helen Knapp for Trustee and Bill Primps for Village Justice

Letter to the Community in Support of Helen Knapp and Vanessa O'Friel for Village Trustees

Letter to the Community from Rob Deichert, Candidate for Bronxville Village Trustee

Where to Vote

The Village has three voting districts for Village elections. Polls are open from 6 am to 9 pm.

-Districts 16 and 17 - Village Hall - 200 Pondfield Road

-Districts 18, 19, and 21 - Fire House - Corner of Midland Avenue and Palumbo Place

-District 20 and 22 - Christ Church - 17 Sagamore Road

If you are unsure of your district, you can refer to the map below.

Click here to visit the Village’s Voter Information page. For absentee ballot deadlines and additional assistance, residents may contact the Westchester County Board of Elections at 914-995-5700.