On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, our newly elected Town officials were sworn in at a public
ceremony at Town Hall. Although each Town Council member and I had already officially signed
the book and taken the oath of office, the public ceremony better marks the start of a new term
and presents a great opportunity for residents to meet their newly elected officials. In addition to
myself, four Town Council members – Jon Valentino, Mike Graziano, Don Franchino, and Bob
Axelrod – took the public oath along with Highway Superintendent Bob Milone, Town Clerk
Lauren Marie Wohl, and Town Justice Leslie Kahn (who was unable to attend).
Clarkstown Police Chaplain David Lothrop did a wonderful job, as always, in presiding over the
ceremony. Volunteers from the Clarkstown Police Honor Guard conducted the presentation of
colors and the Clarkstown South Troubadours performed beautiful versions of “God Bless
America” and a musical interlude with a song from their winter concert. I want to thank all of
these wonderful participants for donating their time and talents to this event, which was
broadcast live on the town’s facebook page.
For those new to Clarkstown or unfamiliar with the framework of the Town Council, Clarkstown’s
representation is divided into four wards. Each of the wards individually elects a member to the
Town Council, while the other offices such as Town Supervisor, Town Clerk, Superintendent of
Highways, and Town Justice are elected by voters town-wide. This year, Ward 1 will be
represented by Councilman Jon Valentino, Ward 2 by Councilman Mike Graziano, Ward 3 by
Councilman Don Franchino, and Ward 4 by Councilman Bob Axelrod. Council members serve
terms of two years in duration, but due to changes to state election law all seats on the Council,
including Town Supervisor, will be up for election again this November in order to realign local
elections with Gubernatorial or Presidential races.
If you aren’t sure which ward you live in or which Council member represents you, this
information can easily be found on the Town’s website. Under the Town Hall header you will find
a link to the Town Council page, which lists the names, pictures, and contact information for all
the Council members. On the same page, there is a link to a map which shows the ward
boundaries. The map also contains a searchable lookup tool which allows residents to type in
their address to identify the corresponding ward number. The general phone number for the
Council office serving all four council members is 845-639-2056. The general number for my
office is 845-639-2050.
I am incredibly proud and grateful for the opportunity to serve Clarkstown in my fourth term as
your Supervisor, and for the unwavering support of my wife Kathy and our children. I want to
thank the people of Clarkstown for placing their trust and confidence in me by returning me to
office.
Maintaining Clarkstown’s place as an inclusive and welcoming community for all while
protecting the quality of life and character of our town remains our core mission. We will strive to
further improve our government, maintain fiscal responsibility, and to create efficiencies so that
Clarkstown remains a vibrant and desirable place to live. I look forward to the challenges ahead
and working together to achieve these goals.
