SCARSDALE CITIZENS' NON-PARTISAN PARTY
SCNPP TRADITION
"The selection of village officials should be based solely on the needs of the village and the ability of the individual to meet those needs. The injection of politics into our local affairs can only lead us away from the high standard of unselfish service which our village has enjoyed."
- SCNPP Founding Resolution
ADVANTAGES OF THE NON-PARTISAN SYSTEM
The continued success of local government is Scarsdale is due, in large part, to the non-partisan procedures that removed politics and politicking from our electoral process. For nearly 100 years, the non-partisan system has:
-
Established the principle of the office seeking the candidate, rather than the candidate seeking office, perhaps for personal or party advantage;
-
Enabled both major political parties to have representatives on the village board;
-
Emphasized the duties of the office, so that candidates understand the arduous responsibilities of government and are willing to serve without remuneration;
-
Resulted in an exceptionally high quality of village services;
-
Contributed to the integrity of government and fiscal health of the village, which currently enjoys a AAA credit rating; and,
-
Attracted exceptional civic-minded individuals to public service.
%20vs%202%20WHITE-01.png)
OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL
The Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan System seeks to promote a cooperative, deliberative and open atmosphere in local civic affairs in order to attract the most qualified individuals to serve in local public offices.
There are numerous opportunities to become involved in village affairs through a great number of civic and volunteer organizations. There are no "right groups" or "right causes" in Scarsdale, as evidenced by over 120 unpaid members of 17 government advisory boards and councils. In addition, there are numerous participants in 56 village organizations of various areas of interest. And, there are the 30 volunteer members of the Citizens' Nominating Committee, each of whom is openly selected by neighbors to screen, discuss and nominate candidates for the village board. Finally, the Scarsdale Board of Trustees consists of seven residents of the village who donate countless hours to managing government affairs.
EVOLVING TO MEET SCARSDALE'S NEEDS
In 1930, village leaders from the Democratic and Republican parties collaborated on the first "Non-Partisan Resolution," which has been the standard for nominating village officials. While some may believe that this system is outdated, the resolution has been amended 43 times over the years (most recently in 2022) to suit Scarsdale's changing needs.
The Procedure Committee is organized each year to conduct the election of candidates to the Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC), and to review and periodically revise the Scarsdale Non-Partisan Resolution, which governs our local non-partisan system.
Learn more here
Photo credit: Scarsdale HamletHub