SOMERS, N.Y. - Somers Supervisor Robert Scorrano, in delivering his 2026 State of the Town address last week, cited the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary as he spoke passionately of the importance of local self-governance.
He applied that theme to topics ranging from fiscal responsibility and infrastructure improvements to future initiatives and community pride.
“For 250 years, this country has endured not just because of what was written in 1776, but because of what’s been lived out every day since, not in Washington, but in places like Somers,” Scorrano said as he stepped up to the podium on Thursday, April 23, at The Elephant Hotel.
(Deputy Supervisor Michael Coughlin introduced him. Local Boy Scouts led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.)
Shortly after taking office in 2022, the supervisor was standing outside the historic building when a resident told him his grandfather had often taken him there when he was a boy.
“He talked about parades, elections, walking through the museum and how The Elephant Hotel is the heart of Somers and that Old Bet is the symbol that binds all of us together,” said Scorrano. “That stayed with me because he was right.”
(Old Bet was an elephant that starred in local farmer-turned-showman Hachaliah Bailey’s traveling menagerie in the 1800s. A bronze statue of her still stands in front of Town Hall.)
“Old Bet is more than a mascot. She represents who we are, our history, our identity and how we show up for each other when it matters most. That’s what it means to be Somers Strong,” continued Scorrano, realizing that the man wasn’t “talking about the past; he was talking about right now.”
“Because here, Democracy isn’t a concept, it’s neighbors showing up for each other. It’s decisions made close to home. It’s accountability you can see and feel. That’s what this building represents. If you want to understand the strength of this country, you can see it right here,” he declared.
DIVISIONS DECRIED
He then thanked the Town Board, other elected officials, department heads, board and committee members, community partners, and, most importantly, Somers residents.
Urging folks to “be honest” as they reflect on the community, Scorrano said: “Something has changed in this country. We all feel it.”
“Division is louder. Tempers are shorter. And too often people talk past each other instead of to each other. We’re not immune to that. But that’s not who we are at our core,” he said, adding: “I think most people feel that. We don’t want to live that way. We want something better for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren.”
It made him think about Friday night football games when “the stands are filled with families, kids are playing, neighbors are talking, people are showing up.”
“For a few hours, there is no division. The noise fades and what’s left is something real. Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose. That’s just not about a game; that’s about community,” he said.
There are many challenges ahead and Somers doesn’t “need to be perfect,” but it does need to rise above “the noise” and not to lose sight of “what truly affects our daily lives.”
FISCAL FOUNDATIONS
Local government is still where “things get done, where people come together,” Scorrano said before talking about the town’s duty to “be responsible” with the public’s money, to “make smart decisions, to protect the future.”
According to the supervisor, Somers has managed to remain under the state tax cap since the policy was established in 2011.
It holds Moody’s highest rating, Aaa, reflecting extremely strong credit-worthiness, something that’s “achieved only by a small number of municipalities,” he said.
The average tax increase over the past four budget cycles has been just 2.16 percent.
“Thanks to the fiscal restraint and stewardship of your tax dollars, Somers remains one of the most affordable towns in Westchester,” said Scorrano, noting that in 2026 the town cut the projected increase from 2.6 percent to 2 percent.
And it did that even while faced with things that were beyond its control, including a county property tax hike and proposed increases in NYSE&G utility rates.
“We made difficult decisions to lessen the burden on our residents because that’s what responsible government requires,” he said.
INFRASTRUCTURE’S ROLE
Roads and other infrastructure are important to a community’s ability to function, he noted.
According to Scorrano, the town last year secured “significant” grant funding to support improvements such as sidewalks along the Route 202 corridor.
It continues to “advocate” for water and sewer projects in the downtown and other areas of town.
Somers officials are also demanding that the state take better care of its roads.
“The conditions are unacceptable and you deserve better,” Scorrano told the public.
The town is proud, he said, to have worked with state Assemblyman Matt Slater and state Sen. Pete Harckham to get $9 million in state money earmarked to repave three key state roads: Routes 202, 118, and 139.
The project is slated to begin early next year.
Somers has also been working with the state DOT on “critical culvert repairs,” Scorrano said.
Because nearly all of the town lies within New York City’s watershed, it takes its responsibility to protect the environment seriously.
It maintains more than 1,500 catch basins, which have to be cleaned twice a year.
Somers got a $281,000 grant to purchase a new vacuum truck for that purpose. It also repaired the Ross Drive water tank, is working to improve the Park Drive “loop,” and approved a new water connection to the Church of the Good Shepherd in Granite Springs.
“These projects may not always be visible, but they are essential,” Scorrano said.
Warning that infrastructure improvements “don’t happen without disruption,” he urged folks to prepare for detours, delays, and temporary closures.
“But those short-term inconveniences are necessary because they will strengthen this community,” he added.
PARK PROJECT
Topping Scorrano’s list of upcoming projects was the proposed $10.7 million revitalization of Reis Park.
“This will be the largest investment that the town has made in decades,” he said, noting that it’s been a topic of much discussion since 2015.
Planned are six pickleball courts, upgraded LED lighting throughout the entire park, two synthetic turf athletic fields, a splash pad, bathrooms, and the resurfacing of the existing basketball courts.
(But no pool, an amenity that many residents have been clamoring for for a long time.)
The intent is to serve the wants and needs of this community while staying fiscally responsible, according to Scorrano.
“Years from now, families will be standing on those sidelines, kids playing, parents watching, neighbors talking. Moments that matter. Moments that last,” he said.
While the project is underway there will obviously be disruptions.
According to Scorrano, Lincoln Hall has “stepped up” to help.
(In January, the privately run, nonprofit residential facility for immigrant youth, filed a notice under the New York State Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, stating that it may be in the position of closing programming and operations as a result of the end of its contract with the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Halston Media has been trying to confirm its current status.)
“As they work through their next chapter, they’ve opened their fields to the town, our schools, our youth programs,” said Scorrano.
“It means seasons don’t get canceled. It means kids still get to play. Families get to gather. That’s real impact. That’s what partnership looks like. And we are very grateful for it,” he said.
ENGAGED WITH PURPOSE
Scorrano’s speech also addressed local senior programs, the library, and collaborative efforts between the town and school district, such as Tusker Café, a community series that’s designed to bring residents together for presentations and discussions.
Recent events have focused on Holocaust education, such as the “13 Drivers’ Licenses” project.
Scorrano urged folks to engage with those efforts, “stand against hate, and work together to build a more inclusive community.”
“The challenge of a community is not just how it responds during a crisis but how it prepares before it happens,” he added.
STAYING STRONG
Scorrano thanked all the folks who worked every day to make Somers a better place. He also gave a shout-out to his dad, Michael, a Korean War veteran who taught him “the value of hard work,” as well as his wife and children for “their love and support.”
“As we mark 250 years as a nation, one thing is clear. Strength doesn’t start at the top, it starts in places like Somers and how we treat each other, and how we show up, and how we move forward even when we don’t agree,” he said, concluding: “The state of the Town of Somers is strong, not because of the government but because of its people. The future of this town belongs to all of us. We are, and always will be, Somers Strong.”
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