Q&A with City Council Candidate James Ward

MyRye.com is running a series of interviews with major party candidates for Congress (NY-16), State Senate (NY District 37), State Assembly (NY District 91) and City Council. All Democratic and Republican candidates have been invited to participate. The 2024 general election is on Tuesday, November 5th.

Today we are pleased to present the MyRye.com Q&A interview with City Council Candidate James Ward.

Why are you running for Rye City Council? 

Ward: My wife, Sawako, and I fell in love with Rye the moment we saw it on a house-hunting trip in 2011. It’s where we raised our two children and a community we feel deeply grateful to be a part of. Over the years, I made it central to my life to give back to the community. I am an active hockey coach for the Rye Rangers and the chair of the Rye Sustainability Committee. Running for City Council is a natural extension of these activities for me. I want to make sure that we are making the best decisions for the residents of Rye, both now and in the future. I am a strong advocate for sustainability, fiscal responsibility, cost containment, and efficiency. I am the Head of Valuations at Hedge Fund. I will bring over 25 years of financial analysis experience to my position. I want to ensure all voices are heard and reflected in my decisions as a council member, and that we make the best possible choices.

Why are you running for Rye City Council now? 

Ward: Through my volunteer work in Rye, as a committee chair and a coach, I have developed knowledge and perspectives that can serve the City across a broader range of matters. Through my professional work in science and finance, I have the skills and the drive to focus on the most important issues facing our community. This means: (1) ensuring we continue to address flooding and other environmental concerns that will impact this community over the years; (2) planning, which includes writing the first version of the master plan since 1985, in a manner that is responsive to the needs of our residents and businesses today and well into the future; and (3) dedication to thoughtful analysis and judgment in fiscal stewardship, listening to all views, and making the most informed decisions I can that are fiscally responsible and work for the community at large while meeting the needs of different interest groups.

What is your party affiliation? 

Ward: Democrat.

Please summarize your public service experience and contributions 

Ward: I believe public service and volunteering strengthen our community. To that end, I have been a member and Chair of the Rye Sustainability Committee and a youth hockey coach. 

I have been a member of the Rye Sustainability Committee for 4 years and the Chair since 2021. Whether it’s a clean-up day along Blind Brook, clearing invasives along Playland Parkway, or a compost give-back, I enjoy getting out in the community and helping. Under my leadership, the Committee has followed through on the 2015 commitment to become a Certified Climate Smart Community (Bronze Status). This certification has given the City potential access to millions of dollars in grant funding for infrastructure ($2 million bridge replacement) and planning ($200 thousand comprehensive planning). The Committee has also been awarded over $120K in grants under NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Communities program, earmarked for electric landscaping replacement, electric vehicles, and charging infrastructure—clean, efficient, and cost-effective infrastructure.

I have been involved in the Rye Rangers Hockey Club since 2013, with 5 seasons of coaching. Rye is well known as a great place to raise children. Education is a large part of that excellence, and access to athletics is a key component for so many of our children. I have been fortunate to work with Rye Rangers in a sport I love, helping to develop our youth on and off the ice.

What are the three biggest opportunities / challenges facing the City of Rye over the next 3-5 years?

Ward: 

1. Comprehensive Planning. The single most important opportunity and challenge is to write the next version of the master plan, which was last done in 1985. The Comprehensive Plan will set forth the goals, objectives, priorities, and recommendations for investing in the infrastructure, environment, and future of the City of Rye. In July of 2024, the City Council approved the Climate Smart Community grant recommendation for $200K to start this process. With my knowledge and skills, I will greatly contribute to this effort.
2. Safety. There are many facets of safety in the City, such as ensuring the fire and police departments continue to have the right training and equipment. With an aging parent, I have come to realize the importance of our EMS, and I want to make sure they are getting what they need to be best in class. Safety also includes cell coverage in the City, which I have found to be less than adequate, and improving it will be a focus. Finally, I am a proponent of bicycle safety. Many of our youth commute on bicycles, and I would like the City to improve bike lanes and traffic safety, as well as promote helmet wearing for our youth.
3. Efficiency and Cost Effectiveness. We are blessed with City staff who care and run the city well. Efficiency means marrying innovation with fiscal responsibility, continually seeking and implementing opportunities to deliver or improve services, save money, and hold the line on taxes. As a committee chair, I have worked with our city staff to successfully obtain grants to support electric landscaping equipment. I will use my skills as a financial analyst and bring aspects of cost analysis into the decision-making process.

What is new about these opportunities / challenges since the last election cycle? 

Ward: The biggest game changer is the status we achieve by becoming a Climate Smart Community (CSC) Bronze member. This gives the City access to grant money and incentivizes the community to do more in sustainability. I have helped lead both the city’s CSC task force and the Sustainability Committee. The money we have raised has led to greener, more efficient infrastructure and capital improvements.

Land use and the control of development has been raised as an issue in Rye, fueled by a variety of concerns including flood control, rock chipping and the development of flag lots. 

Should more be done to bring transparency and control to land use decisions in Rye? If so, what are three of the top recommendations you would make?  

Ward: People have a right to develop their land within the current regulations, but we need to make sure the current regulations are meeting the needs of all residents.

1. Start by reviewing what has happened since the flag lot laws, steep slope protection law, and rock chipping law were enacted. Let’s get statistics from the Board of Architectural Review (BAR), the Planning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) on what has happened. Has it resulted in the desired outcome? If not, why?
2. Review how neighboring communities in Westchester are handling development and make similar recommendations that make sense.
3. Require the BAR and the ZBA to review, in front of the council, semi-annually, the ratio of denied versus accepted applications for exceptions.

What benchmarks could the City publish annually or semi-annually that could help residents understand the state of land use in the City? 

Ward: We want to make sure that the City’s development is thoughtful and works for everyone. Many neighborhoods have suffered through knock-down and rebuild projects. A useful statistic would be the number of houses being sold as teardowns or near teardowns, their expansion footprint ratio (proposed house/previous square footage), and what concessions have been given to developers.

What are your current views on the development plan for the former United Hospital site just over the Rye City line in Port Chester? And what should the City be doing to represent its interests?

Ward: The United Hospital Redevelopment Project aims to create a mixed-use community comprising multi-family buildings, a hotel, and age-restricted housing units. It is a concern that a neighboring development may have an impact that is concentrated on certain neighborhoods more than others. For example, the completion of this project will undoubtedly impact Rye, as traffic leaving the premises will need to exit through Rye to get onto I-287 and I-95 North through, for example, Peck Ave. The City should analyze the impact of the project on Rye’s congestion, as well as the impact on downtown restaurants and parking, and work to have a plan to minimize the inconvenience to Rye residents and consider any benefits for Rye businesses.

The City’s Master Plan was written in 1985, over 35 years ago. Should the City update its Master Plan? If yes, describe the process, timeline, stakeholders, and a few of the issues and policies that might be addressed in this work. 

Ward: In July of 2024, the City Council approved a resolution for the application of Climate Smart Communities Grant of $200K which is a clear sign the City plans to go ahead with a master plan. First and foremost a city plan should have transparency to all and input directly from the community. A master plan is useless if it does not have broad support. The plan should be an amalgamation of the community’s concerns and desires for sustainable growth. Areas the plan should address sensible development, flood control and restorative green spaces among others. It is vital we have both expert opinion (e.g., flood mitigation options) but also have community desires for the plan. I would support breaking the plan down into sub-working groups and having those groups report back to the council on their areas. I would ensure the plan suits the broader community’s needs. I would use my financial skills to ensure the plan makes fiscal sense and is obtainable.

What are the three flood mitigation measures the City should undertake with the greatest cost/benefit? 

Ward: Flood mitigation and resilience strategies are sustainable efforts. Thanks to the Rye Sustainability Committee’s partnership with the city to gain Climate Smart Community designation, the city now can apply for grants under that program such as the grant application for $2 million dollars for the Locust Avenue Bridge replacement. Funding is available and the City will continue to pursue grant money in support of stormwater projects and bridge replacements in order to mitigate flooding.

The most important is to continue to follow up on the measures that were outlined in the Ramboll study of Blind Brook (1) replacement or re-engineering of bridges that were deemed undersized, (2) mitigation strategies like protection and establishment of wetlands, floodplains, forests, berms and open spaces, (3) increase resilience through contingency and disaster planning. However, we want to achieve these measures while being fiscally responsible and not just pass costs to the residents. That is why I would work tirelessly to ensure the grant money is available. 

In addition to the current Nursery Field turf project, should Rye have more turf athletic fields, yes or no?

Ward: I am very much a proponent of youth sports and feel it is critical to our community. I would like to ensure that playing field utilization is maximized by proper management strategies and every field should be analyzed on its use and needs. 

Having said that, I do believe that there are very successful ways of managing natural grass fields so that they offer robust playing surfaces. There are also new technologies that support more robust natural playing fields which would increase use capacity. Focusing on the financial viability, new laws are being enacted that could potentially make synthetics very expensive to maintain and dispose of at end of life.  

Finally, I care about our youth’s health. Both injuries and heat exhaustion from field temperatures are a concern with synthetics. It is becoming clear that athletics are moving away from synthetic turf as the default best answer and embracing more cost effective and safer playing surfaces for many, though not all, applications. Again, the City needs to consider each field on the merits of use, needs and location.

What are the three biggest areas for cost containment with the City of Rye over the next 3-5 years? 

Ward: 

1. Our dedicated DPW has lowered costs on countless projects here in Rye by hiring and retaining the best employees. We need to support them by planning that leads to utilizing their time most effectively.
2. Investment in sustainable infrastructure which is effective and efficient is also often eligible for grants. For example, through volunteer activities, and work with the City, the Rye Sustainability Committee and the Climate Smart Communities Task Force was able to secure $120K of grants that is being used to purchase electric vehicle charging infrastructure, electric vehicles and green landscaping equipment. Electric vehicles run more efficiently (cheaper), require far less maintenance all while being quiet and lacking tailpipe emissions. A similar grant which the city applied for is for $2M of matching funds to replace a bridge which will abate flooding.
3. Investment in a comprehensive planning process that leads to a master plan for our future will help us make better budgeting and capital investment decisions in the next several decades.   

Please answer the following questions Yes or No:

ANSWER	Yes or No	[Please add a one sentence explanation.]
Rye City is prepared for the next “100 year” flood.	No	Unfortunately, the 100-year flood happens every 10 years now. We need to keep working on mitigation and resiliency projects.
Rye City should update its Master Plan.	Yes	I think it is the most critical item to work on.
Rye City should have additional restrictions on residential development.	Yes	We need to strike a balance between development and keeping Rye affordable.
Rye City should be more pedestrian and bike friendly.	Yes	Safety is an issue for me. I worry about children riding to school without proper bike lanes and protection.
I voted for (or would have voted for) the recently passed tree law.	Yes	The law is a long way from perfect, but I would not want perfection to get in the way of good.
The City should either find a way to enforce the leaf blower law or eliminate it.	No	Things take time and I truly believe that as technology develops we will be able to re-address this issue.
Landscapers should be registered with the City so practices such as leaf blowers can be more closely controlled.	Yes	Despite our leaf blowing ordinance there are still an army of landscapers who continue to use them when they are not supposed to.
Sustainable Westchester’s Westchester Power program should be the default electricity provider for residents.	Yes	The way the state law works, to gain access to the most affordable green electricity, Westchester Power must be offered as the default. Residents can opt out of Westchester Power and into ConEd.
Rye Playland will be in good hands with Standard Amusements.	Not Sure	It’s early days with Standard Amusements.
Do you support the raising of the Pride flag on City flagpoles?	Yes	Raising the Pride flag on city flagpole harms no one and makes for an inclusive community
The current road conditions in Rye are acceptable.	Yes	The City has committed to a regular paving program to maintain sound roads within a responsible budget. Right now, the program in place is creating better overall road conditions. We should continue to look at the program and financial commitment annually to see if we are satisfied.
Rye City needs to reduce its deer population by active management that might include sharp shooters or bow hunting	Not Sure	The deer have so few natural predators in Rye that the population is probably too large. I am open to studying the problem and potential solutions.
Should Rye have its own designated, year-round off-leash dog park (similar to what Port Chester has)?	Yes	I have two dogs, and often use the dog park in Port Chester. I would be in favor of a feasibility study.

 

How would your friends and family describe you in one word? 

Ward: Caring

Pick one:

Select from:	Your Pick:
Coke or Pepsi?	Coke Zero
Regular or diet?	Diet
Action movie or rom com?	Terminator
Cook, order in or eat out?	Cook together. It’s where the great conversations happen.
Dog, cat or no pet?	2 Dogs and 1 Cat!
Balsamic vinaigrette or ranch?	My waist says vinaigrette, but my heart says ranch.
Ruffles Original, Lay’s Barbeque or Funyuns?	Ruffles Original but love sour cream and onion.
Still, sparkling or tap?	Tap!

 

What is the kindest thing someone has ever done for you? 

Ward: I am a big believer in paying kindness forward: if someone does something kind for you, pass it on and be kind for someone else. I had so many great mentors, but my favorite was my college advisor and mentor Dr. John Engleke. He took so much of his personal time to help me explore my passion for science. I try to pass that on to the youth that I come into contact with. 

What is your day job? 

Ward: I am a Head of Valuation at a hedge fund with a specialty in valuing illiquid assets. For non-financial people, that means assets like private equity, hard-to-value derivatives, private or distressed loans among other investments. Prior to that I worked as a chemist. In fact, I worked my way through college as a bench chemist for the EPA and then as research scientist in a startup biotech company before transitioning to finance. In both fields, working with diverse audiences has been part and parcel of my career. Financial analysis, scientific reasoning and the ability to practically apply these disciplines to a broad range of matters are talents that I can bring to the city council.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why, and who would you take with you? 

Ward: That’s easy. I am trying to convince my family to take a bucket-list-fulfilling trip to the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania next year.  

What is your favorite streaming / TV series ever?

Ward: The Wire (2002 – 2008) – I went to graduate school in Baltimore, and I am a big fan of David Simon who wrote and directed both Homicide Life on the Streets and The Wire. 

What is your favorite movie?

Ward: The Sting (1973) starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman.  The acting duet is perhaps most famous for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), but The Sting is a must-see classic.

Where do you live in Rye and how many years have you lived in the City?  

Ward: Rye Gardens (Reymond Ave) since 2012.  We moved to Rye 13 years ago in the Summer of 2011 from Tokyo, Japan.

What affiliations do you have with organizations in Rye? 

Ward: 

• Rye Rangers Hockey Coach – I have been involved in this wonderful program since 2013. Over those years, I have coached 5 or so seasons and love it. Coaching/mentoring is a great way to give back to the community
• Rye Sustainability Committee – We are charged with delivering sustainability to the community. I am the current chair.
• City of Rye Climate Smart Community Task Force – A four-member team including the assistant city manager that is tasked with moving the City towards the goals of Climate Smart Communities.
• Rye100 – A founding member of the Rye100 Chapter of CURE100 (Communities United to Reduce Emissions 100%).
• Rye Oak250 – A founding member grassroots effort to plant 250 Oak tree saplings sewn from acorns from Rye’s “bicentennial trees”.

What are three of your favorite food takeout / delivery restaurants in or around Rye? 

Ward: There are so many great places to eat in Rye, it’s near impossible to pick 3.

1. Jerry’s Market.  Nothing better than their bacon, egg and cheese sandwich in my opinion.  
2. Sunrise Pizza – sometimes you just need a slice, and they have plenty to choose from. Now that my kids are away in college, less of a chance to run into them there and embarrass them.
3. While not take-out there are many excellent fine dining choices in Rye that my wife and I enjoy going to.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? 

Ward: There are two activities that I haven’t mentioned that factor into my “free time.” The first is the Rye YMCA which is just great. Lately I have gotten into swimming, and I just love jumping in their pool for a few laps there. Finally, we are members of the American Yacht Club. The Sound is a very special part of Rye and sailing is a great way to experience it.

Thanks James!

Learn More:

James Ward Campaign Website

LinkedIn