Joe Torres takes on incumbent Colin Smith in 2nd bid for Westchester Board of Legislators
Two years ago, Republican Joe Torres came within 485 votes of ousting County Legislator Colin Smith, D-Peekskill, in the race to represent District 1 in the Westchester County Board of Legislators.
Now Torres has a rematch, hoping that he can win in the newly drawn district, which includes Peekskill, and the north side of Cortlandt and Yorktown.
In 2021, Smith won the race by 52% to 48% of the vote.
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“I like helping people in need,” said Torres, 61, the owner of Reliable Sewer & Drain, who served on the Peekskill City Council from 2014 to 2018. “I feel like I can make a difference.”
He faces Smith, 49, a Peekskill attorney seeking his third term on the county board, where he serves as chair of its Legislation Committee. Among the issues pending before the panel are bills to prohibit the release of helium balloons in Westchester, and regulations that would require retailers of products with lithium-ion batteries to post warnings about their fire hazards, and prohibit the resale of used batteries once used in an e-bike.
“We want to make sure people are aware of the dangers,” said Smith.
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The race unfolds as Democrats hold a commanding majority on the 17-member board, with 15 Democrats, plus one Republican and a Conservative. In District 1, an investigation continues by the Westchester District Attorney's Office into the failed nominating petitions of Peekskill City Councilman Rob Scott, which included the forged names of three dead men.
New district lines added two election districts on the south side of Peekskill and new areas in the north of Cortlandt Manor, with election districts in Montrose, Verplanck and Buchanan redistricted to District 9 to the south.
Torres, who noted that Peekskill’s voter enrollments have begun increasingly Democratic, said bringing more voices from the political minority to board debate would have a positive influence on the democratic process.
“Too much of any party is never good,” Torres said. “It’s always good to have a mix of parties. A more even mix keeps everybody in check.”
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Torres said he’d keep a close eye on county spending, as he did when he served on the Peekskill City Council.
“Our taxes are crazy,” said Torres. “We shouldn’t be spending money like there is no tomorrow.”
Smith points to legislation passed in his second term that will have a significant impact on Westchester residents. One measure guarantees the right to legal counsel to Westchester residents facing eviction, a measure aimed at stemming a rise in homelessness.
Another new law prohibits prospective employers in Westchester from asking about a job applicant’s previous salary history, which in the past has been a way to maintain a salary gap between men and women.
Smith also supports the county’s affordable housing program, which under County Executive George Latimer, has focused its investments on new buildings in the county’s cities, such as Peekskill.
“I continue to support the administration’s expansion of affordable housing in Westchester,” he said. “The cities seem to be logistically easier than some of the more suburban and rural areas. The cities are the population areas. It makes more sense there. Peekskill is a good example of that.”
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David McKay Wilson writes about tax issues and government accountability. Follow him on Twitter @davidmckay415 or email him at dwilson3@lohud.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: It's Torres v. Smith in Peekskill-area race for Westchester Legislature
