Jan Feb 23, 2024 Member Spotlight: Senator Bill Weber

Senator Bill Weber joined us to discuss his Rockland County district and his experience during his first year in the Legislature. Prior to being a Senator, he worked as a Chief Financial Officer for a local business in his district and as an affordability advocate for his local community. Currently, he is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Budget and Revenue and a member of various committees, including Consumer Protection, Disabilities, Education, and Elections. 
 

What district do you represent? 
I represent District 38, covering all of Rockland County except Stony Point. District 38 was Senator David Carlucci’s seat, partially in Rockland and Westchester. During redistricting last year, the district was smartly compacted into one county on the western side of the Hudson River. It’s a great district. 

My district office is in Nanuet, which is in the middle of the county. I can be just about anywhere in my district within about 20 minutes from the district office. I think that makes for good governance. We can be responsive to any constituent in any village or to any localized need within 20 minutes.

Can you describe it for those who have never been there or highlight anything about your district?
One obvious landmark in my district is the Palisades Mall – a major attraction. Aside from that, we have great parks for recreation and various golf courses. Besides all the attractions, it’s a great place to raise a family. I was born and raised in Pearl River and live in Montebello with my wife and four kids. Schools are great in the district as well. We are also close to New York City, so we can enjoy all the city’s benefits while living in the suburbs.

What was your profession before becoming a legislator? 
I have been a certified public accountant (CPA) in the state of New York since 1994. I was also a CFO for a golf course and real estate development company. I’m proud of the work I have done over the years, and taking my financial experiences to Albany was something that I felt was very important and useful in the Legislature.

What inspired you to run for office?
I got involved in politics at the local level because I was frustrated with what my local government was spending money on and what the state was doing. It’s very expensive to live in Rockland. I believe Rockland County is the second most expensive property tax county in the U.S., just behind Westchester County. It’s squeezing a lot of young folks out of the area and restricting a lot of the residents, especially the elderly and families living on fixed incomes, from being able to stay in the county. So I ran for office. I lost the Senate race in 2020 but returned in 2022 and beat the incumbent. With New York State going through very dire fiscal times in the coming years, I want to utilize the experience I’ve built up over 30 years in the private sector to get some common sense, fiscal responsibility, and fiscal restraints in the state.

What kind of music do you like? Do you have any favorite bands/artists?
I like a lot of music. I listen to anything from heavy metal, rock and roll, and stuff I grew up with, like Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. When driving, I always leave the SiriusXM on 80/90s pop – the music I grew up on. But, having a 13-year-old daughter, I admit I am also a Swifty. It brings my daughter and me closer, and it’s funny – suddenly, my 13-year-old daughter is interested in watching football on Sunday because Taylor Swift is dating a particular football star.

How about sports? Do you have any favorite N.Y. sports team or play any sports?
I am a Yankees fan. I also love college football, and I play golf. I am an avid golfer, and I especially love competitive golf. I’m involved in a men’s golf club and play at Spook Rock Golf Course in Suffern. Even though I grew up playing baseball, golf is the sport that resonated with me.

What do you like to do in your free time? Any favorite activities?
I love to spend time with my family and my four kids. One of my daughters goes to RPI, which is near Albany. So when I have time during session, I always visit her. One of my younger children is an avid runner and soccer player, so I love attending his games. I always like to participate in any school activities that my kids are part of to spend time with them.  

What are/is your greatest/proudest legislative achievement(s)?
Last year was my first year in session, and I’m proud of the work that my team and I have done. We had a few localized bills passed that I’m very proud of. One was renaming a section of a highway near Saint Thomas Aquinas College, the Doc Schelin Memorial Highway. Dr. Schelin had a very big presence in the college and the community as a whole. Coming out of the private sector, I’ve seen states like New York have too many regulations and red tape. There are a lot of outstanding bills that were passed this year and signed into law the previous year. But my philosophy is that sometimes state governments overkill and overregulate. So, I like to help many of these localized bills get through in Albany. These local bills are very important to me and are extremely important to local residents.

Are there any members in particular that you like to work with or find yourself hanging out with a lot?
Being new to the Republican Conference, members like Patricia Canzoneri Fitzpatrick – she’s also a CPA and an attorney- and Jack Martins from Nassau County. I also have conversations and coordination with Democrats on the other side of the aisle. Rockland has four Assembly districts, two Republicans and two Democrats: Assemblymen McGowan and Brabenec, who are Republican, and Assemblymen Ken Zebrowski and Chris Eachus on the Democrat side. We worked great collaboratively. Whether it’s Democrat or Republican, I think we all love working together. We have constant meetings and updates with the county. We pride ourselves on really being hands-on and accessible to our local residents and our local government officials. It’s one of those middle-of-the-road counties where Democrats and Republicans get elected. So, we pride ourselves on being bipartisan.

As a ranking member of Budget and Revenue, are there any issues you see arising in 2024
The budget will be a challenging issue. In a conference I attended with local superintendents and education advocates, they were concerned about continuing all the progress and money that has been made available, like Foundation Aid, which should continue to be funded. 

With the budget shortfall we’re going to see this year and the following years, we need to ensure we are vigilant in making sure the great programs put into place aren’t impacted by bad financial decisions. I would like to say there are wants and needs, but when you have a limited amount of money, you must take care of your family first. That’s your mortgage, your bills, your food bills. So, I utilize that same philosophy when it comes to government. The government should be taking care of our students in school, public and private, taking care of our roads and our bridges, and doing many of these infrastructure projects. Other pet projects the government might have can be funded when the government does not have a budget deficit. So, we should be taking care of the basics first, and I’ve outlined what those basics are. I hope we will focus on the basics first. 

I’m also proud to be on a lot of other committees – to name a few: Education, Consumer Protection, and Disabilities. I’m very thankful to be appointed to these, and I’ll continue to advocate for those issues daily.

What advice would you give to young folks getting into politics?
I would say: get involved in politics. That would be the first thing. I’ve seen the younger generation - my daughter and her generation - being turned off by politics. That might be because both sides talk at each other, but they don’t talk to each other. You can still stand your ground on issues, but in the end, good governance is done when there’s compromise involved - not compromising your principles - but knowing there’s a certain give and take required to get things done. But first and foremost, don’t get turned off by politics. Don’t think every politician is a bad person. Focus on the good things about governance, try to make a difference, and change the things you don’t like about what’s happening in politics right now. 

Any last comments you want to mention? 
I’m proud to represent the residents of District 38, Rockland County, where I’ve lived my entire life. It’s a county where I want to see my kids return and raise a family like I have had the luxury of doing. I want to be able to make a positive impact on people’s daily lives. And I will continue to do so as long as I can.