Slater Versus Couzens In New York Assembly District 94

New York’s 94th Assembly District includes Somers, a large portion of Yorktown, and most of Putnam County. Republican incumbent Matt Slater was elected in 2022 after serving as Yorktown supervisor in the midst of the COVID crisis.

Challenging Slater will be Democrat Zack Couzens, a Mahopac native and political newcomer. Couzens previously served as an intern for State Senator Pete Harckham.

The candidates were both interviewed by phone and appear in alphabetical order. The interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Zack Couzens

Couzens is the youngest candidate in the current election at age 21. As he finishes his political science degree at Boston College, Couzens sees his youth as an asset. While interning for Sen. Harckham, he managed constituent services and worked on such issues as unemployment benefits, funding for libraries, and environmental initiatives aimed at cleaning up local waterways.

Why did you decide to run for Assembly?

I’ve always been interested in wanting to get involved in politics. The joke I like to make is that I was the only kid in my fourth-grade class that wanted Obama to be reelected. I worked for Pete Harckham for about a month the summer after my senior year of high school and I interned for him again last summer. This is where the decisions are made [so] it’s important for everyone to have a voice. And more importantly, if you want change to happen, you have to put yourself at the table. I was talking with Jen Colamonico, Putnam County Democratic chair, back in February; she said they were looking for someone to run for this seat and asked if I was interested in doing it. At first, I thought that was crazy, but then I gave it some more thought and I’ve been running since February.

What are the biggest issues facing residents in the district?

Number one is housing affordability. I think it’s one of the biggest issues affecting the state, and particularly the Hudson Valley. We do not have enough housing, which means we don’t have enough housing that’s affordable, especially for seniors and for people in their 20s and 30s who don’t necessarily want the single-family home right away. The housing affordability and supply crisis is a top issue because there are so many things that are downstream of it, with retaining people in their 20s and 30s, allowing seniors to age in place.

Another issue is education. One of the reasons people move to this area is because of our public schools. I think the state needs to pull its weight a little bit in providing more funding. That goes back to the foundation aid calculation, which my understanding is, I know there’s a big fight over it in this past session. I’m glad that all the lawmakers, at least in this area, Democrats and Republicans, came together to oppose Governor Hochul’s cuts. But that calculation … is using data from the 2000 census, which is from before I was born. I want to be able to be an advocate in Albany to get that funding calculation updated, and bring resources back to the district. As someone who is 21, I’m seeing what our system is like. There’s a lot of strengths, but I think we also need to provide more opportunities in high school for kids who don’t necessarily want to go to four-year college, to go to trade school or technical school and pick up a skill.

How might your age benefit you as an Assemblyman?

In addition to energy, there are two things I know that I have a different perspective compared to other people. I genuinely believe, as someone who is 21, not yet a homeowner, who’s been in the education system recently, it gives me some perspective on what life is like for people this age and the next generation. It also gives me a stake in the future. If I win, it’s going to be my responsibility to serve everyone and advocate for everyone, but [also] to bring this new perspective in. I think young people need to have a stake in their future, and we’re starting to realize that.

Battery energy and solar are hot-button issues around here. Where do you stand on those issues?

We have to build to meet the needs of our grid. I am in support of renewable energy, especially with solar panels, and I think that the state and the community need to partner to see where these can go. Renewable energy needs to go where it works with a specific project. The battery farm proposed for Mahopac, I highly oppose that; it was going in a highly populated area, it was a total boondoggle, to say the least. It never should have happened. It really upset me when over the summer, a bunch of the Republicans, Matt Slater, Gina Arena included, decided to blame Pete Harckham and the governor and the state for all this as if they imposed it, when in fact, the reason this project was going to happen was because [the Carmel] Town Board [and] Planning Board allowed this project to go in. There hasn’t been a master plan in over 10 years. A former Town Board member owned the property… he was going to profit for a project like this. This was such a mess, and then for Republicans to say it was Democrats doing this, when in fact it was [a former] Town Board member that probably was responsible for this. It was appalling to me. I pointed this out in my debate with Matt Slater. I really think it is sad.

Where do you stand on taxes and spending?

People are feeling the pinch [but] I’m in support of the [state] budget, because at the end of the day, the services it provides and the work [the money] goes towards still does good. They’ve been able to improve programs with the STAR credit for seniors, that kind of takes away a bit of that burden. But more importantly, I think the best way we can address our tax burden we have in the area is by killing two birds with one stone, which is we need more businesses in the area and more development to provide a commercial tax base to alleviate the property taxes that a lot of homeowners have to pay. We need more of a commercial property tax base to alleviate property taxes. And I think that comes in the form of private public partnerships and make it easier to have businesses here.

Why should people vote for you?

I would love to have people vote if they want someone that’s going to be an advocate in Albany, that’s going to sit in the majority caucus, and therefore have our voices heard and be able to pass legislation that meets our needs. I think I am the only candidate in this race able to do so, because [as a Democrat] I will be in the majority caucus. And most importantly, I think it is time for the next generation to step up and bring a new perspective and a younger voice, not in a way that wants to replace anyone, but to build on the work that people have done long before me. It is that voice and that advocacy and perspective that I hope to bring to Albany, because I think the time for change and the time for a brighter future is now.

Matt Slater

Incumbent Matt Slater moved directly from supervisor of his hometown of Yorktown, where he presided during the COVID crisis, to the State Legislature in 2022. The Yorktown High School grad went on to earn his degree from St. Anselm College in 2008 and received an MPA from Marist College in 2010. Before running for office, Slater served as chief of staff to former State Senator Terrence Murphy for four years. He was elected Yorktown supervisor in 2019 and reelected in 2021 before vacating that role to take his seat in the New York State Assembly in 2023. Slater received a Presidential Direct Commission in 2022 as an officer in the United States Navy Reserves and is currently assigned to Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 8 based in New Jersey.

What have you learned about the district in your first term?

There are a lot of similarities [among districts in the area.] Look at our water bodies; every community now is struggling with harmful algae blooms. There’s a commonality we’re trying to work to address in a collective manner. I’ve seen great pride within the district. People just love being in the Hudson Valley and love calling Putnam and Northern Westchester home. The district clearly supports our police and supports our military and veterans. But at the same time, I hear a lot of frustration out there, frustration with the direction the state’s going in and people demanding better—and I think that’s what we can deliver.

What are your biggest accomplishments?

We brought home close to $32 million we’ve been able to either secure or support our municipalities in obtaining, which is going to repair our roadways and bridges. Our infrastructure desperately needs real attention. Our region has been rated as having the worst roads and bridges in the entire state of New York, so that was a priority of mine.

In addition, we’ve brought home over $680,000 for libraries to make sure they can modernize and continue to provide essential services to our communities. And then more than $400,000 for law enforcement in the 94th Assembly District, from the Carmel PD and Kent PD to the Yorktown PD and the Sheriff’s Office. I think [the funds] are making a real difference.

We passed the seventh most legislation of any freshman in the Assembly, and that doesn’t include two statewide bills that we were able to work across the aisle to get done. That’s the Detective Brian Simonsen bill, which cuts down on the black market of cell phones, named after NYPD Detective Brian Simonsen who was killed in the line of duty. And we worked with the New York City Detectives Union and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin to get that across the finish line. And then just recently, the governor signed my legislation that closed the tax loophole on 529 college savings accounts. We’ve closed out more than 1,000 constituent cases in our first 18 months in office. I think the constituent services are the foundation of being a good representative.

Battery farms and solar have been hot-button issues in the area. Where do you stand on them?

Let’s be clear: Renewable energy has to be part of the solution. But I think the energy policies of the state are the most important conversation we need to have right now. The independent systems operator says we have not been and are not generating enough power for the grid as it stands today. And we’re trying to electrify everything. We’re trying to build more housing, at least from the governor’s standpoint. How do you do all that when you’re not generating enough electricity to power what we have today? We have to reassess our energy policy to make sure we have enough electricity on the grid. But when renewables can be part of that solution, I’ve supported renewable energy.

We’ve done great work when I was town supervisor on renewable energy, but I think it’s important that there is local control over the zoning and over these projects. That is being diminished because the state is so desperate right now, because they realize that the energy policies that they put forward are not working. They’re impeding local control of these decisions. And I think that’s wrong.

I sent a letter to the governor with all the town supervisors, highlighting the fact that the NYSERDA model law is obsolete. They have to update it to provide guidance to municipalities.

What are your goals for a second term?

I’m focused on three key areas. First, the affordability crisis. We continue to lead the nation in out migration because we pay the highest property taxes in the country [and] we’re paying among the highest in insurance. We’re paying among the highest in utilities, and the list goes on. It all comes on the backs of taxpayers, and they can’t survive here. We need to get our fiscal house in order. The state budget has grown by $66 billion in the last five years. People can’t continue to pay for these things and expect to be able to enjoy their lives here.

You’ve got $4.3 billion going to New York City for a migrant crisis and [NYC officials say] “We think it’s going to actually cost us $15 billion.” Who’s going to pay for that? If you think that the state budget can absorb that type of hit, then you’re not paying attention.

Second is creating a new generation of opportunity. We need to work with the business communities to create good-paying jobs so people can get those jobs and afford to live here—not just for our current workforce, but also our future workforce.

You look at the over-regulation, and we have the worst business climate in the country. If you look at our post-pandemic job recovery, we’re the ninth worst in the country. We’re leading in all the wrong categories.

The last piece is public safety. This continues to be a major issue for us, whether it’s the migrant crisis or cashless bail or all the other nonsense that has been shoved down our throats without any input from law enforcement [or] our DAs. You can’t have a prosperous society if we don’t have a safe one. I think cashless bail is by far the worst policy that’s ever been passed in the history of the state. We still do not allow for judicial discretion. We still are the only state in the nation that has cashless bail, but not a dangerousness standard. That’s crazy.

Why should people vote for you?

I think we very clearly are heading in the wrong direction as a state, and I think that you need experienced leadership to get us back on course. My experience is vast, and it’s exactly what’s needed right now to protect the Hudson Valley and save this state. If you look at what I did as a town supervisor, cutting town taxes for the first time in 30 years, being in the safest small town in America—because we support our police—all those things are the fundamental things we need to bring back to Albany to get us back on the right course. It’s not just theoretical. I’ve done it. I did it in Yorktown, and I can do it on the state level.