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BRONXVILLE, N.Y. -- No Democratic candidates will run against the Republican nominees in the March election for two seats on the Bronxville Village Board.
"We have been having a very hard time finding people to run," said Betsy Harding, chair of the Bronxville Democratic Committee. "There is not a lot of interest."
Harding said that people are busy, and local politics frequently fall to the way side in hectic lives.
"If people are paying attention to politics at all these days, it is to the national elections," Harding said.
She added that being a member of the village board is a huge commitment in many ways.
"There's a very big time commitment, and of course there is no compensation for your time," Harding said.
In Bronxville, none of the village board members, including Mayor Mary Marvin, get any salary.
In 2011, there were roughly 4,300 registered voters in Bronxville, with 1,300 Democrats and 1,763 Republicans.
There has not been a Democratic candidate for a seat on the village board since Harding ran in 2006.
The last time there was a Democrat on the board was sometime in the 1990's, but neither Harding, nor fellow Democrat Phyllis Sharp can remember the exact years.
Republican Committee Chair Rene Attayan said that in the small village, where she knows most of the members of her party, she looks for appropriate candidates and calls upon members who have the skill set to be an asset to the board.
"In addition to needing skills, the candidate needs to have a desire to put in the hours that are required and a willingness to be in the public eye," Attayan said.
Village residents will go to the polls on March 20, but since Republican incumbent Anne Poorman and newcomer Guy A. Longobardo are running unopposed, the voting will be merely a formality.
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