Today meet city council candidate James Fee.
Fall is underway, and that means elections are around the corner. The election will be on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, with early voting from Saturday, October 25, 2025 through Sunday, November 2, 2025. Our local early voting center is Resurrection’s Early Childhood Education Center at 88 Milton Road. You can find your election day voting location online.
In the City of Rye, there are active races for mayor and for three city council seats. Mayor Josh Cohn is ending two terms as mayor. Keith Cunningham, Jamie Jensen and Josh Nathan remain on the council with terms expiring December 31, 2027 (Nathan is running for mayor).
Bill Henderson, Julie Souza and James Ward have council terms expiring this December 31st (Henderson is running for mayor and Ward is running for council reelection).
Running for Mayor:
Bill Henderson (GOP)
Josh Nathan (Dem)
Rick McCabe (Ind)
Running for City Council:
Marion Anderson (Dem)
James Fee (GOP)
Robin Jovanovich (GOP)
Amy Kesavan (Dem)
Maria Shuck (GOP)
James Ward (Dem)
Now here is our MyRye.com interview with city council candidate James Fee.
Your Name: James Fee
Running for: Rye City Council
MyRye.com: Why are you running for Rye City Council?
Fee: I am running for the Rye City Council to support Bill Henderson in his efforts to lead a common sense-driven and effective Council. I believe I will provide an important viewpoint on the Council as a working parent of young children.
Why are you running for Rye City Council now?
Fee: I can think of no better candidate for Mayor than Bill Henderson so running with him was a no-brainer. I also have the privilege of teaming up with Robin Jovanovich and Maria Shuck, so we have a fantastic team who cares deeply about our community and its future.
What is your party affiliation?
Fee: Republican.
Please summarize your public service experience and contributions.
Fee:
- Staff Member, Office of U.S. Senator Scott Brown (MA), 2010-2012 (Washington, DC)
- Accredited Attorney, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2022-present
Describe your core base of electoral support.
Fee: All voters in Rye who care about having a City Council that represents them effectively, invests in our future while honoring our past, and serves our community with humility and respect, without getting bogged down by factionalism and contrived distractions.
Opportunities and Cost Containment
What are the three biggest opportunities / challenges facing the City of Rye over the next 3-5 years?
Fee:
- Development both within Rye and in neighboring communities must always be a top concern for the Council, as it provides both opportunities and challenges. These projects impact quality of life for our residents ranging from noise, to traffic, and environmental issues like flooding, which we need to stay on top of and improve. At the same time, thoughtful development can improve Rye and provide benefits to our residents.
- Recreation space upgrades are a tremendous opportunity for us, since they are important venues for our residents to enjoy our beautiful city and should always be top notch. Nursery Field is a tremendous addition and I think the proposed renovations to Gagliardo Park will vastly improve that space as well. Our recreation spaces are some of the most visible parts of our community and we should be putting our best foot forward.
- Providing better cell service is very important, especially given the increase in remote working since 2020. Further, having adequate cell phone service is a safety issue since many homes no longer use landline phones.
- Like our recreation spaces, our downtown parking lots must also receive much-needed TLC. We have a vibrant downtown and we owe it to our residents, commuters, merchants, and visitors to provide more facilities like the new Lot 1 between Elm and Locust.
What is new about these opportunities and challenges in the last 12 months?
Fee: The renovations of Lot 1 and Nursery Field create a sharp contrast to the state of disrepair of our other lots and play spaces. As noted, cell phone use is only increasing as cord cutting and remote work continues and we need to make sure our residents have access to excellent service. Development is a constant issue in Rye.
What are the three biggest areas for cost containment with the City of Rye over the next 3-5 years?
Fee:
- Scrutiny of the City budget each year is vitally important to ensure that our various departments are efficient with Rye tax dollars and we keep the tax burden on our community as low as possible.
- Keeping a close eye on capital improvements and being open to re-prioritizing as needs change or specific funding sources become available to accomplish our goals.
- Embracing new tools and processes to modernize how our government functions. Recent examples of such improvements are the digitization of property record cards and the City’s mobile app.
City Management
Describe how you see the role of Rye’s city manager and her or his relationship with the city council. Pick a. or b. and add any further explanation on the roles and responsibilities of the mayor, council members, city manager and how they interact.
Pick one:
- The city manager form of government: the council acts as a legislative body, responsible for setting policies, passing laws, and approving the budget. One member of the council often serves as mayor and the mayor’s role is usually ceremonial or limited in executive power. The city manager serves as the chief executive officer of the city.
- The mayor-council form of government: power is divided between an elected mayor and an elected city council. The mayor serves as the chief executive officer of the city.
Fee: We have a city manager form of government. The city manager is the chief executive officer of the City and the Council and Mayor are akin to a board of directors, providing insight for strategic decisions, suggesting courses of action, and, in some instances, executing on employment-related issues. The Council’s job is to serve as a conduit between Rye’s residents and merchants and our diligent professional City staff to work to set priorities and address needs.
The City of Rye has been without a permanent city manager since the end of March. Indicate yes or no on the following statements.
Fee:
| Issue | Yes or No |
| The city is generally good at succession planning | No. |
| The current city manager search has taken too long. | Yes. |
| A new permanent city manager should be in place by or before the fall election. | If the right candidate is available by then, yes. |
Comprehensive Planning and Land Use
The city is finally taking steps to update its comprehensive (fka master) plan that dates back to 1985 and is in the process of selecting an external consultant to help develop the plan. How would you explain what this process is and why it is important to a fifth grader?
Fee: The comprehensive plan is an important tool that provides guidance for over a long period of time concerning how Rye should approach a variety of policy issues such as zoning, development, conservation, flooding, and dozens of other issues. It is important to emphasize that the plan is a guide, not a set of laws. It is my understanding that it takes between 1 to 2 years for a plan to come together after the City hires a consultant who works with a committee of residents and other stakeholders. The Council has been able to make some progress in recent years without an updated plan, so its absence does not prevent action from taking place.
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?
Fee: This is a nuanced and complex issue, which requires thoughtful policymaking. There is a big difference between development by owner-occupiers and projects by speculative developers. Transparency is less necessary for owner-occupiers, who intend to stay in the neighborhood, than for the second group, which engages in speculative commercial activity in our neighborhoods, even as our children play in our yards and streets and retirees spend their well-earned retirement in Rye. We are losing too many smaller homes in the City, often those with historical value and character, and those that remain are becoming expensive just by sitting there. This dynamic exacerbates an affordability problem in Rye for those just starting out and, in some cases, for those who have lived here for decades.
What benchmarks and data could the City publish on a routine, ongoing basis that could help residents understand the state of land use in the City?
Fee: This is a difficult issue to address prospectively, as all data the City could publish with respect to permit issuances, for example, would be retrospective. The Building Department does provide a lot of information for individual lots and the Board of Architectural Review (“BAR”), Planning Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals do publish their agendas in advance of meetings, which are open to the public. It is important to note that participation in any of the above meetings should be civil and respectful of our neighbors and volunteer members of the commissions/boards.
Larger Development Plans
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?
Fee: I understand that Rye sued Port Chester over its zoning plan, which isn’t the way we should do things. I am not certain if that lawsuit is still active or not. We should keep a dialogue open with Port Chester to understand what is happening there but should focus on the aspects we can control, such as traffic mitigation on local streets and in neighborhoods proximate to the development.
What are your current views on the development plan for the Rye Art Center on Milton Road? And what should the City be doing to represent its interests?
Fee: The Rye Arts Center is a great community asset. The Planning Commission will soon be issuing its findings related to the requested zoning change, which could have an impact on the current plans. The Council will be involved in any changes at Rye Arts Center because it is on City-owned land and must consider environmental impacts, traffic, and neighborhood concerns.
What are your current views on the plan to redevelop The Osborn retirement community on the Boston Post Road? And what should the City be doing to represent its interests?
Fee: My understanding is that The Osborn, a valuable and longtime part of our community, has developed plans that conform to the zoning changes the Council approved a few years ago.
What are your current views on the plan to develop the Thruway property along the Boston Post Road purchased by Rye Country Day School? And what should the City be doing to represent its interests?
Fee: I have not seen the RCDS plans in detail but the school is a private landowner that will need to follow our City’s Code when developing the Thruway site. The New York State legislation authorizing the sale promised the City ~30% use of potential new athletic fields, so we should monitor the development on that front, maintaining a civil and productive dialogue with the school, where many Rye residents choose to enroll their children.
In addition to the current Nursery Field turf project, should Rye have more turf athletic fields, yes or no?
Fee: Yes. Having top-of-the-line athletic and recreation facilities for our residents is critically important. Anywhere we can upgrade our fields, provided we address environmental issues and have adequate money to cover the costs, we should consider.
Flooding
What are the three flood mitigation measures the City should undertake with the greatest cost/benefit?
Fee:
- Because upstream partnerships with SUNY/Harrison/Westchester remain difficult to obtain, we need to focus on what we can within our borders for both the Blind Brook and Beaver Swamp Brook flood mitigation and resiliency.
- Just because the upstream partnerships have been difficult to obtain, however, we should continue our push for mitigation projects at SUNY and the Bowman ponds. We have the benefit of having a NYS Assemblyman and U.S. Congressman (and former Westchester County Executive) as neighbors in Rye and we should engage with them to help us implement flood mitigation measures beyond our borders.
- Implement regular sweeps/clearing of the waterways so that when storms do come, we do not have any backups or chokepoints that could have been avoided with diligent monitoring.
What are some of the ways the City can realistically expect to pay for some of the more expensive flood mitigation projects (including infrastructure)?
Fee: The big items (such as bridge replacement/upgrades) will necessarily rely on funding and grants from New York State and the federal government. Locally, we can plan for smaller projects as part of our capital improvement plan.
What are a few of the most effective but least expensive measures the City can take in regards to flood mitigation?
Fee: I do not have enough information to know what could be inexpensive with respect to flood mitigation but see above answer. We must always remain on top of our options (and especially grants) to do our best to stay ahead of the next flood.
Deer Management
The City is assembling its first deer management committee, realizing that the massive overpopulation of deer has decimated our parks, our native plants and gardens and has been one of the factors contributing to the spread of invasive species.
Fee:
| Issue | Yes or no |
| We have a serious deer overpopulation problem | Yes |
| I support a scientifically informed deer management process, including an ongoing culling program if recommended by experts | Yes |
| If indicated, I would support a culling program utilizing trained and licensed sharp shooters if recommended by experts | No, given the density of our community and the relatively small areas in which these activities might occur, Rye is not the right location for sharp shooters. |
City code allows for a maximum fence height of six (6) feet on most private property – this is ineffective at deterring deer.
Proper deer fencing in a high deer pressure area should be eight feet (8) feet or higher. Would you support a change in City code that raises the max fence height to eight (8) feet or higher where six feet is currently indicated so residents can protect their private property from deer browse?
Yes or no?
Fee: Certainly not across the board, potentially in the larger residential zoning districts (R2/half acre and R1/one acre plus) but in smaller lot zones would be unsightly and change the character of the neighborhoods (e.g., 8-foot fences in zones where the side setbacks can also be as small as 8 feet, such as in R5).
Lightning Round
Please Answer the following questions Yes or No:
Fee:
| Issue | Yes or No | One sentence explanation. |
| Rye is prepared for the next “100 year” flood. | No. | |
| Rye should update its Comprehensive / Master Plan. | Yes. | A new document will be helpful in guiding decision-making given the current plan is 40 years old. |
| Rye should have additional restrictions on residential development. | Yes. | Thoughtful policymaking to preserve smaller homes should be considered. |
| Rye should have additional restrictions on commercial development. | No. | Our current City Code appears to do a good job at balancing our large-scale commercial uses that are an important part of the tax base (e.g., Theall Rd./Theodore Fremd Ave.) and residential uses, including where we have neighborhood stores/cafes (there are too many great ones to name!). |
| Rye should take steps to preserve the character of its downtown / central business district. | Yes. | Yes. The proposed zoning change from 40 feet to 35 feet for building height downtown is a step in the right direction. |
| The City does a good job supporting its local merchants. | Yes. | Improvement to our parking lots downtown is an important item to address. |
| Rye should be more pedestrian and bike friendly. | We are constrained by the age/size of many of our roads/sidewalks but this is an important issue, which the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee does a great job handling. TPS has recently added several crosswalks and installed many “Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons” throughout the City. Electric bikes, scooters, and hover boards should be looked at as they become more common. | |
| I voted for (or would have voted for) the City’s tree law. | No. | Clear cutting and indiscriminate removal should be regulated; however, I believe the law can be tailored to regulate within the setback areas along property lines that would be more appropriate and pose less of an unnecessary burden on property owners. |
| Rye should either find a way to enforce the leaf blower law or eliminate it. | The current law encourages neighbors to report on neighbors, creating an ugly dynamic in some neighborhoods. The city has increased enforcement this year based on prior learnings and there is discussion of continuing that program. | |
| Rye should aim to completely ban gas leaf blowers within 2-3 years. | I cannot predict the technological progress that will be made in that timeframe. When the electric options are as effective as the gas for all locations in Rye and are not many times more expensive than conventional options, we should consider it. One of the most important things will be to know that the landscapers have adequate batteries to last through an entire day’s work. | |
| Landscapers should be registered with Rye so practices such as leaf blowers can be more closely controlled. | No. | This would not accomplish anything except to burden city staff with yet another permit program. |
| I voted for (or would have voted for) in favor of the artificial turf installation at Nursery Field. | Yes. | My children will be beneficiaries of this dramatic improvement in both function and safety (during construction, there were toxins like arsenic discovered in the old field given its prior life as a commercial garden center). |
| Sustainable Westchester’s Westchester Power program should be the default electricity provider for residents. | No. | The City Council has no place making financial decisions for our residents with respect to mandatory enrollment in a more expensive program for utilities. If people want to opt in themselves, that’s fine, and there are dozens of ESCOs that provide that opportunity (I have used one). |
| Rye Playland will be in good hands with Westchester County. | No. | Managing a 100 year old amusement park is complicated under any circumstance and the County needs a reliable partner to help them. Hopefully the recent arbitration rulings change the dynamic between the County and Standard Amusements but, if not, a new partner may be necessary. Of course, that is all outside of the Council’s remit. |
| The Pride flag should be raised each year on City flagpoles. | Yes. | We fly the Pride flag at City Hall each June. This shows our community’s commitment to inclusivity. |
| The current road conditions in Rye are acceptable. | Yes. | |
| Rye needs to reduce its deer population by active management that might include sharp shooters. | No. | |
| Rye should have its own designated, year-round off-leash dog park (similar to what Port Chester has). | No. |
Tell us about you:
How would your friends and family describe you in one word? Fee: Diligent.
What is the kindest thing someone has ever done for you?
Fee: On the first day of my freshman year of high school at a new school, a pretty girl, who was taller than I was then, offered to be my partner during an ice breaker game. Now, we’re married with three kids and a dog (and I’m taller than she is).
What is your day job?
Fee: In addition to being a husband and father, I am a litigator based in New York City, with a focus on class action litigation and mass arbitration.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why, and who would you take with you?
Fee: Our family is deep into the Lion King phase of our Disney movie rotation, which has prompted me to think that a safari in Africa to see the animals in real life would be a blast once the kids are a little older and ready for such a big trip (exact location TBD).
What is your current favorite streaming / TV series?
Fee: I don’t have a favorite per se but have recently enjoyed Full Swing, Ted Lasso, and The Morning Show.
What is your favorite movie?
Fee: The Game, with Michael Douglas.
Where do you live in Rye and how many years have you lived in the City?
Fee: We have lived in Rye since July 2020.
What affiliations do you have with organizations in Rye?
Fee:
- Church of the Resurrection
- American Yacht Club
- Rye Golf Club
- Let the Kids Play Supporter
What are three of your favorite food takeout / delivery restaurants in or around Rye?
Fee:
- Date night in: Fogama
- Family pizza night: Al Dente & Piazza
- Comfort food and train watching: Rye Grill
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Fee:
- Spending time outside with my family
- Golfing
- Going to the gym
- House/yard projects
- New York Philharmonic concerts
Thanks, James!
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