Rematch: McCown challenges Hansan for supervisor seat

Cannabis process, water district and accounting among issues cited

By THANE GRAUEL

In a rematch of the race two years ago, John McCown is running against Town Supervisor Kevin Hansan for the town’s top position.

McCown is a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for Maritime Strategy, and has had a career in international shipping. His research focuses on commercial shipping and national security. 

He won’t be alone on the Pound Ridge Party line on the November ballot. He is joined by Peter Avellino, a health care executive who has lived in town more than 30 years, and Ron Asaro, an auto restorer who had a 39-year career with GE Healthcare. He has lived in town six years, and in Westchester for 62.

The Pound Ridge Party noted in its announcement that its slate is “a nonpartisan group that brings together Independents, Democrats, and Republicans who prioritize the good of the town over party politics.” McCown is a registered Democrat, Avellino an Independent and Asaro a Republican.

The Democrats also this week announced their slate.

Hansan has lived in town 30 years, has run an IT company for about 30 years and been town supervisor for eight. He is joined on the Democratic line by deputy supervisor and town board member Diane Briggs, who is seeking a third term. She has lived in Scotts Corners for 28 years and is a nonprofit executive. Town board member Dan Paschkes, an attorney and lifelong town resident, also is seeking reelection on the Democratic line.

The town’s Republicans have not fielded a candidate for supervisor in six years, and have not been heard from this year.

The supervisor’s race two years ago was tight for a third-party challenge. Hansan won with 56 percent of the votes to McCown’s 43.

Hansan said he’s seeking a third term because he wants to finish what he began, “bringing in fresh water, clean water, in the business district,” he said of the plan to pipe water in from Aquarion lines near the Connecticut border to Scotts Corners. “It’s a 40-, 50-year-old problem.”

The groundwater in Scotts Corners has had a variety of environmental issues for years from septic systems and a fuel leak from a service station. A more recently emerging problem was the detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as “forever chemicals,” at levels health officials call unsafe.

The town water district formation has been stalled in court since a property owner filed a lawsuit challenging it. It alleges the town was not truthful in statements filed with the state, among other allegations. 

Among the accomplishments Hansan mentioned have been made during his tenure is catching up on maintenance projects that had been deferred for years.

“New structures in the Town Park, we fixed pools in the Town Park, revitalized business, new streetlights, sidewalks,” he said, and the town turned a disused gas station in Scotts Corners, the owner of which was years late on taxes, into a new town park.

“Now it’s to finally tackle the fresh water issue,” he said, and improve cell service in Pound Ridge.

McCown said the water district is also his main reason for running. He has criticized the costs the town has said would be incurred by stakeholders in the district, and is concerned property owners outside the district might end up funding it as well, despite assurances.

He called the town’s accounting “woefully wrong,” and said he didn’t like the way the town board characterized critics.

“People who raise a question are being branded as against safe drinking water,” he said.

McCown also doubts the town’s justification for forcing Scotts Corners property owners to hook into a new water system.

“It’s patently obvious to me that the so-called study that they did, they didn’t have a thumb on the scale on the filtering solution, they had their thumb and their entire body and the dump truck outside on the scale,” McCown said.

McCown has been a frequent critic of the town’s financial reporting overall. It was behind with legally required statements for some time. He acknowledged the town appears to be catching up.

“We’re all caught up,” Hansan said, after falling behind during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The finances are in fantastic shape. No problems, it’s all good.”

McCown said the town board’s decision to let the clock run out on an opt-out provision for recreational cannabis dispensaries without letting the public weigh in — as all neighboring communities chose to do — also is a reason he’s running.

“It’s incredible that was done without residents being involved,” he said.

The issue has resulted in a lawsuit against the town, filed by local attorney John E. Nathan, alleging decisions were made secretly.

Hansan took a shot of his own at the Pound Ridge Party, which was recently reformed with petitions submitted to the Westchester County Board of Elections. He noted that petitions people signed listed two town board candidates, but they were later switched to Avellino and Asaro.

“It doesn’t seem normal, it doesn’t seem transparent, it doesn’t seem forthright,” Hansan said of candidate swaps.

Board of Elections records show that the two original candidates, Debra M. Coughlin and Nicholas Cianciola, soon after signed certificates of declination, and were replaced by Asaro and Avellino.

McCown said his party was under a tight time constraint, having to get paperwork in on a tighter deadline as a third party than the major parties had, and that those who originally signed on did so while saying that if other candidates agreed to take their place, it was OK. McCown said that’s allowed.

The election is Nov. 4.