Rye Mayoral Candidates Discuss Top Challenges and Opportunities

With the Rye City Council election around the corner on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, MyRye.com is publishing a series of issue focused articles highlighting the views of our candidates running for mayor and for city council.

Today we are highlighting what each of the three mayoral candidates describe as the biggest opportunities / challenges facing Rye. Read the full interviews on MyRye.com (links below).

Be sure to sign up for the FREE MyRye.com daily email newsletter.

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

Bill Henderson (GOP):

Henderson: Mitigating severe flooding on the Blind Brook is the highest long-term priority. This is a significant undertaking involving multiple identified projects. These projects are expensive, involve municipalities outside of Rye, will require federal and state funding support, and are unlikely to be completed in the next three to five years. Continued focus and vigilance on the part of present and future City Councils will be needed to make and sustain progress. Flooding from the Beaver Swamp Brook is a lesser problem overall for the City than the Blind Brook but also an important issue. 

As to the next 3-5 years, I would list these:

1. Regional and local land development, causing increased traffic and density. We can control what happens here in Rye, but we should also try to work better with our neighboring jurisdictions through discussion and not lawsuits;
2. Improving our parks including our children’s play spaces; 
3. Enhancing and beautifying our downtown by repaving our neglected parking lots, getting rid of the jersey barriers, better groundskeeping and maintenance, and more engagement with our volunteer groups and the downtown business community. 
4. Improving cell service throughout the City of Rye – this is first and foremost a public safety issue.
5. Taking control of and managing our deer population. 

Rick McCabe (Ind.):

1. With this election of a new mayor and three council members, we should embrace the opportunity to take party politics and factional squabbles out of the debate and decision making at the council, focusing first and only on the needs of everyone in Rye. 
2. Being ready for the next major weather event is and will be a challenge in Rye. Even with all the work that’s been done by the mayor, council, professional staff and citizen commissions, preparation and mitigation have to remain a top priority.
3. The other “downstream” effect Rye will face is direct and indirect impact of cuts to federal budgets and programs. The state and county will be under this pressure so it’s something we need to account for moving forward.

Josh Nathan (Dem):

1. Flooding and Environmental Challenges. We regularly face severe weather, leading to flooding, downed trees, and power outages. As a Council we have taken some positive steps, but we must look at all three floodplains and make flood mitigation a constant on our agenda. We need to continue to prioritize and build on the work that has gotten us Bronze status as a Climate Smart Community; working toward Silver status is completely aligned with meeting these challenges. 
2. Comprehensive planning to meet infrastructure needs and protect quality of life and neighborhoods. I’m optimistic that we can articulate a shared vision and set strategic priorities through comprehensive planning (our 1985 master plan set a vision through 2000, it is out of date by 25 years). Our process will be open and collaborative with active community participation; we have a lot of talent and smarts in Rye. We need to repair roads and sewers, maintain parkland and trees, protect our neighborhoods and ensure a vibrant and beautiful downtown. We need to do so in a manner that supports and enhances the quality of life we enjoy in Rye. This means prioritizing the projects that yield the greatest positive impact. 
3. Good Governance/Fiscal Discipline. It’s how we can get good things done well. My commitment to transparency and listening to the community at large has been unwavering since I was elected to the City Council and has been demonstrated in my service to Rye since 2003 when I was first elected to the Board of Education. The Council must always be prepared to listen to multiple interest groups and consider multiple points of view when deliberating policy and legislation, new initiatives, and budget. This goes hand in hand with responsibly managing our budget and supporting our City staff in obtaining grants for infrastructure and meaningful initiatives.

Read all our candidate interviews:GOP Slate – Henderson / All in for Rye

• Q&A with Mayoral Candidate Bill Henderson
• Q&A with City Council Candidate James Fee
• Q&A with City Council Candidate Robin Thrush Jovanovich
• Q&A with City Council Candidate Maria Tufvesson Shuck

Independent Rick McCabe / McCabe for Mayor:

• Q&A with Mayoral Candidate Rick McCabe

Democratic Slate – Nathan, Anderson, Kesavan & Ward for Rye:

• Q&A with Mayoral Candidate Josh Nathan
• Q&A with City Council Candidate Marion Anderson
• Q&A with City Council Candidate Amy Kesavan
• Q&A with City Council Candidate James Ward