July 28, 2010: A little over a month ago, Sheila Marcotte was serving on the Eastchester Town Council. That changed on June 22, when she won a special election to fill the shoes of Westchester County Legislator Vito Pinto, who stepped down in the spring to take other positions with the county.

Now that she's had a chance to settle into her new role in the Michaelian Office Building in White Plains, Marcotte told MyHometownBronxville (MHTB) about her first impressions, and what lies ahead.

MHTB: What was it like leaving Eastchester government?

Marcotte: While I'm excited about the opportunity to represent the residents of the 10th legislative distric, I was wistful about leaving the position of Eastchester Councilwoman. The last seven years on the town board have taught me a great deal and I look forward to applying much of what I have learned and accomplished in my new position. I very much plan on remaining involved in many of the projects and initiatives that I took part in, such as the town parades, the historical society, the snow angels, the annual senior citizen 50/50 raffle, the Columbus Day Carnival, and the Senior Fun Fair, to name a few.

MHB: What is your impression of the County legislature so far?

Marcotte: I received a very warm welcome from each of the legislators and have sat in on numerous meetings as well as discussions since taking office on July 2nd. While certainly the scope of the job of the legislator is much more broad than that of a Town councilwoman, or Village Board member, certainly the objectives of doing the people's business in the most efficient manner remain the same.

MHB: Which issues are you planning to get the most involved in, and why?

Marcotte: I have several proposals/ideas that I am working on, and am in the early stages of refining, and hope to introduce them over the next month or so.

MHB: Which committees have you joined/been appointed to?

Marcotte: I requested of Chairman Jenkins to be appointed to the Budget Committee as well as the Energy and Environment Committee and to date have been officially assigned to each of the aforementioned. I have sat in on many of the other meetings and will continue to do so in order to get a better feel for and understanding of the functions and authorities of each one.

MHB: What is your take on some of the recent decisions affecting the county such as the appropriation of funds to move and renovate the Miller House, and the Section 8 change?

Marcotte: I am very much in favor of any restorations that need to take place at the Miller House. It is the obligation of Westchester County to take care of this precious resource which has been horribly neglected for well over decade. After reading the many documents that are available, and that speak to the use of the funding, it seems to me that much of the money to be allocated was not being used in a practical or efficient manner. For example, a large sum of money was to be directed to regrading the property for proper drainage as well as parking lot improvements while additional documents direct funding to the actual moving of the property.

To move the property, which has been there since 1738, diminishes much of its historical significance, in my opinion. The County Executive agreed to immediately expend funds to fix the most pressing issues such as the roof and other interior work in an effort to stabilize the property. Having worked closely on historical properties ... one that can truly boast "George Washington slept here" seems to be an excellent candidate for aggressive fundraising. Unfortunatel, there has not been any real effort to raise the needed funds in the last several years. The bonding should have been a last resort. I am hopeful that not all of the money approved to be bonded will be spent and that the project will fall very short of the appropriated $1.3 million bond. I voted "no" on the funding.

I agree with the veto of the source-of-income legislation. While section 8 is a valuable and much-depended-on resource for many residents, especially for some elderly and those with disabilities (I do not argue that) ... I have a problem with the "working section 8 voucher" being considered as a source of income. I do not believe that the County, or any government body for that matter, should tell a landlord to whom to entrust their property. Additionally some units, such as condos, have been completely exempted under this law. Why?

MHB: Lastly, what is your impression of Luigi Marcoccia as he steps into your old shoes in Town Hall?

Marcotte: I have known Luigi for many years as a village trustee as well as a person who has always taken an interest in his community as a whole. He is a dedicated individual with new ideas and I am every bit confident that he will do a tremendous job representing all of the residents of the Town of Eastchester.

In addition, Legislator Gordon Burrows, who represents Bronxville and parts of Yonkers, shared with MyHometownBronxville his impressions of his new colleague:  "She's terrific. She really has experience, not a novice. She's been an invaluable member of the team in just a few short weeks. Sheila brings a very conservative fiscal approach, similar to those in our caucus. She's been able to hit the ground running. Sheila has a dry sense of humor, really works hard, and has the ability to focus on the job on a full-time basis."