May 22nd Community Update
May 22, 2020
Dear Friends:
I hope you've been staying safe and healthy and enjoying the spring weather.
With the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, I would like to take a moment to remember and recognize our nation's fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the ideals for which our country stands. May our fallen heroes rest in peace, and may God bless our Gold Star Families. We are forever indebted to them for their service and sacrifice.
My office has been working hard to help constituents throughout the district with unresolved unemployment claim issues. This past month, one of the unemployment cases that my office helped resolve was featured in the New York Times. You can read about the story here. If you are struggling to receive your unemployment benefits, please email me at smayer@nysenate.gov.
Many individuals have experienced a loss of employment or income and are struggling financially. In mid-March, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that NY’s utility companies voluntarily agreed to not shut off service for individuals who have been financially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. If you get a shut-off notice and cannot pay due to the impact of the coronavirus, please contact my office immediately.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has outlined the New York Forward plan to reopen. New York will open on a regional basis, in phases, as each region meets 7 metrics necessary to control the spread of the coronavirus. Based on the Regional Monitoring Dashboard, the Mid-Hudson Region (which includes Westchester County) is close to meeting all 7 metrics necessary to begin Phase 1 of the reopening process. As we begin to reopen, I urge you to continue using best practices to protect yourself and others: wear a mask when you go out in public, wash your hands often with soap & water, and minimize social gatherings with others. The Mid-Hudson Region can achieve a successful reopening with a minimal increase in infection rate if we continue to do our part to protect ourselves and others.
There are two important elections in the month of June. The School Budget Votes and School Board Member Elections are scheduled for June 9th and will be done entirely by mail. The Presidential, Congressional, State & Local Primaries are scheduled for June 23rd, and voters have the option to vote by mail through an absentee ballot or go to the polls. You can find more details about each of these elections in the section below.
On Tuesday, June 2, I will host my First in a Series Education Virtual Town Hall. This event will feature special guests: Dr. Betty Rosa, Chancellor of the NYS Board of Regents; Dr. Frances Wills, Regent for the 9th Judicial District; Dr. Robert Glass, Superintendent of the Eastchester Union Free School District; Beth Sniffen, Region Director for the Westchester-East Putnam PTA; Joe Liberti, AP Government Teacher, Mamaroneck Public Schools; and Rev. Stephen Lopez, President of the Board of Trustees, Yonkers Public Schools. It will be an opportunity to hear about plans for the future of schooling, and to hear your concerns and opinions. You can join us for the event live on my Facebook Page: Facebook.com/ShelleyMayerSD37.
As always, my office is available to assist with any issue you might be facing. Please do not hesitate to contact us at 914-934-5250 (leave a voicemail) or email smayer@nysenate.gov. We will try our best to answer you within 24-hours.
Kind regards,
Shelley B. Mayer