2007.10.26_Supervisor Cooper gave it her all

2007.10.26_Supervisor Cooper gave it her all

"Yorktown History Scrapbook" Binder, Volume 5 - People

2007.10.26

Compiled by the staff of the John C. Hart Memorial Library

This item is made available for research and educational purposes by the John C. Hart Memorial Library. Rights status is not evaluated.

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Preparing for this year's September 11th commemoration, departing Supervisor Linda Cooper displayed the same spirit and dedication that she gave Yorktown during her 12-year term.
The Saturday evening before the ceremony, Cooper was sitting on a friend's patio when it hit her: fliers announcing the commemoration didn't go out to houses of worship.
Early the next morning, at 8 a.m, Cooper grabbed the stack of fliers and began visiting churched - St. Patrick's Old Stone Church, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, and the Yorktown Jewish Center.
Along the way she chatted with priests and rabbis she's worked with in the past, watched congregations sit down for breakfast and marveled at the good work each organization is doing.
"Part of what happens as supervisor is you pick up and do what needs to be done," Cooper said.
Cooper announced her resignation in March, and will begin her new adventure on October 1st as village manager of Ossining.
Cooper devoted most of her waking hours to running the town. In her early days as supervisor, she worked 16-hour days and at least eight hours on the weekend. For the first nine years, she didn't take a vacation. This past year, she took one week off and two long weekends.
Cooper calls her job a "love affair" with the town.
She said she could talk about sewers, water filtration, property assessment issue and equalization rates for hours.
"The mundane in my life send," Cooper said. "Community services are everything people take for granted when they're working."
Running for supervisor every two years has taken its toll, and if part of the reason Cooper decided not to run again for office this November. At this time of year, Cooper would usually spend her weekends knocking on doors and standing in people's kitchens listening to their concerns.
"I never wanted to get to the point where I didn't love it," Cooper said. "That's why I got to the point where I decided to step down."
To relax, Cooper plays ice hockey for a female league.
While Cooper would like to see three or four year terms for supervisor, as opposed to two, she admitted she kept closer to the community because she was constantly running for office.
"Sometimes you get so buy at meetings and with all the work, you would pull away if not forced to be day-to-day and door-to-door," Cooper said. "It's the only level like that. Once you move to upper levels, elections are fought in direct mail pieces and telephone calls." During Cooper's 12-year tenure, her son Kevin grew from a seven-year old to a college student who is now studying politics. Prior to her stint as supervisor, Cooper established a Meals on Wheels program for seniors in 1980, the same year she gave birth to her daughter Anna, who is now in medical school.
In Cooper's farewell address to the town (see page 11), she said she was "missing in action" too many time for her family as she focused on the town's well being.
Carrying a vision:
Cooper believes she was successful in achieving many of her goals because she had a vision for the town. She wanted to protect the environment an create a well-planned and ordered community.
Cooper boasts of the town preserving 2,200 acres of open space during her tenure.
One of her most rewarding moments was the day Albany passed legislation to allow the town to create an open space and preservation district in 2005. The legislation allowed the town to tax parcels $30 to pay off debt service on a bond for acquiring land.
"It's a defining action moment when you actually get authorization and are able to begin a project," Cooper said. "It feels really good. You're really moving forward."
Prior to her career as supervisor, Cooper chaired the Environmental Conservation Board for eight years in the 1980's and directed the Environmental Resources board for four years in the 1990's.
Councilman Nick Bianco, who has also served on the board for 12 years, called Cooper the best Environmental Conservation chair in the state.
"This lady knows how to buy real estate," Bianco said.
Cooper prides herself in bringing culture to the community through Yorktown Stage, the Taconic Opera and Dance Theater of Westchester.
"When a town is as large as Yorktown, not one person makes things happen," Cooper said. "But projects need a champion."
Cooper cherished the history of the town and was often a champion for building-up the museum. She also helped publish two books about the history of Yorktown.
Perspective on local government:
As Cooper departs, discussion has begun about the benefits of hiring a town manager to manage the day-to-day operations versus a political supervisor.
Cooper said there are pro's and con's to either system. If the town continues with a supervisor, however, she believes more managerial staff is needed.
"It's more work than one person can do," Cooper said.
Over the years, Cooper believes town boards in the area have degenerated into micromanaging issues, which harms the town Cooper said elected officials are constantly pulled by complaints from the community, causing them to be politically reactive and their priorities start to blur.
"You should have a good management team of professionals and let them know what you expect of them but give them the freedom and oversight of the management team to do the jobs," Cooper said.
Councilman Jim Martorano said Cooper never pandered to a group of people, although he jokingly said he wished she had at times.
"People only see the tip if the iceberg at meetings," Martorano said. "I'm overwhelmed by her intelligence, intensity and integrity."

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