Oct. 20, 2026

To the Editor:

Mayor Mary Marvin recently urged Bronxville residents to preserve our tradition of holding Village elections in March. I deeply respect the Mayor's long and remarkable service to Bronxville, but I believe her argument overlooks an important fact about our March elections: too few Bronxville residents participate in them.

The numbers are staggering.  In four of the last six March Village elections, fewer than 10% of registered voters cast a ballot. Compare that with November, when turnout has averaged nearly 40% in off-year elections, nearly 70% in midterm elections and more than 80% in presidential elections. In a typical March election, the record is clear: the overwhelming majority of Bronxville residents who are eligible to vote do not vote.

Greater participation is a worthy goal in a democracy. As Jefferson put it in the Declaration of Independence, governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.” When fewer than one in ten registered voters participate in so many of our Village elections, one can fairly ask how broadly that “consent of the governed” is being expressed.

There is another important difference. March Village voters tend to be older than November voters.  Older residents who consistently vote deserve admiration. The problem is not that older residents participate too much, but that younger residents participate too little. Newer and younger villagers, including those raising young families, have every bit as much at stake in decisions about taxes, public safety, infrastructure and the character of Bronxville as those of us who have lived here for decades.  

Mayor Marvin believes that moving the election will inject national partisan politics into Village government. She also emphasizes that most of the residents who gathered signatures to put this question on the ballot again are registered Democrats. Who carried the petitions tells us little about the merits of the proposal itself.  Fact: more people signed the petition than voted in 4 of the 5 most recent March elections.  Ultimately, the question is not who proposed the change, but whether changing the date of Village elections would increase participation in choosing our Village government.  The fact that Bronxville has held March elections for 125 years tells us how long we have done something; it does not tell us whether that remains the best way to do it.

Mayor Marvin is also concerned that Village elections will be “drowned out” by national politics. That concern deserves consideration, but Bronxville's independent spirit does not depend on a date on the calendar. It depends on its people. Bronxville voters are perfectly capable of distinguishing between national and local politics—of walking and chewing gum at the same time. Many residents may feel strongly about national politics while supporting local candidates or initiatives associated with a different party. That is certainly true within my own family. 

In sum, the best way to preserve Bronxville's independent civic spirit is to broaden participation—to encourage more residents, across all generations, to have a voice in choosing our Village government. 

Philip von Mehren

Editor's note:  MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements in letters to the editor, and the opinions do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff. Its objective in publishing letters to the editor is to give air to diverse thoughts and opinions of residents in the community.