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Elmsford seniors press board for control of programming, budget clarity and staff reinstatement
Summary
Multiple senior center members urged the board to give seniors more control over programming, requested budget transparency, sought the return of a staff member named Sandra and asked for alternative timing and RSVP policies for events.
Several senior center members addressed the Board of Trustees during public comment, urging changes to how senior programs are run, requesting clearer budget information, and asking that a longtime staff member be reinstated to help run programs.
Theresa De Nord, who said she was selected by the senior group to speak, asked that seniors be allowed to run their own activities and requested clarity about the senior center budget and spending authority. She said the group wanted to reinstate a staff member named Sandra because “she knows what she’s doing.”
Anne Marie Thiesen, who said she was elected to speak for seniors, asked the board to change the day that volunteers and vendors bring food and goods to senior events because out-of-town attendees use the free items and then do not participate in center activities. Thiesen said the RSVP system limits capacity and that residents who miss RSVP deadlines cannot be accommodated.
Speakers also raised concerns about a $6,000 bill due in June and asked whether the village could split the payment; a speaker described the amount as difficult to pay in a single lump sum. One commenter noted the village had lowered the tax rate by 1 percent (statement presented as a staff comment) during the meeting.
Why it matters: Seniors said program timing, RSVP policy, staffing decisions and payment schedules affect participation and access to services. Speakers asked the board for clearer budget communication and more direct involvement of seniors in programming decisions.
No formal board response committing to policy or staffing changes was recorded in the meeting minutes; these remarks were delivered during public comment.
