About Damon Maher

Experienced and Ready To Be Our Mayor on Day One

Damon will:

• Increase transparency, accountability, and oversight in downtown development and city government.
  • Unlike his opponent, Maher rejects campaign contributions from real estate developers and others who act to compromise the integrity of our democracy. He promises to provide the oversight that has been lacking under his opponent’s tenure on the City Council during the recent development boom.
  • Downtown is developing rapidly, and Maher believes we need to pump the breaks a bit and evaluate who has benefited thus far and who has borne the brunt of the financial, environmental, and social costs of all the recent development.
  • We can put a pause on giving luxury housing developers many millions of dollars of additional tax breaks that go against what is best for our community. New Rochelle is in a prime location and we can be more selective about how we want our downtown to develop.
• Improve our public safety by taking proven approaches to reducing harm to our community, including trained mental health response, increased youth activities and employment, improved street lighting, and accountability rules that are fair to civilians and police alike.
• Enhance our community’s affordability by creating more housing for owners and renters at varied and affordable price points while protecting the beauty of historic neighborhoods and preserving the flavor of colorful ethnic enclaves. New Rochelle needs more affordable housing so our children can live here–we don’t just need more luxury apartments and condos.
• Strengthen our resiliency and environment by prioritizing flood mitigation, increasing community greenspace, implementing a composting program, increasing bike and pedestrian safety, and doing our part to reduce global warming on a local and national level.
• Modernize our city services and improve our quality of life including improving downtown parking, and increasing our city government’s responsiveness.

Damon’s Record As County Legislator

• Expanded funding for childcare programs, supporting working families and ensuring access to quality care for children.
• Implemented a ban on gun shows, prioritizing public safety and taking steps to reduce the proliferation of firearms.
• Significantly increased funding for affordable housing initiatives and ensured renters have a right to counsel in cases of eviction, which has been shown to significantly reduce eviction and homelessness by deterring frivolous eviction cases.
• Reduced county property taxes to a 10-year low, providing relief to residents and businesses.
• Demonstrated a commitment to transparency and accountability in governance with 24/7 service to constituents. As a vigilant vice chair of budget and appropriations, Damon held every county department answerable for their expenditure of taxpayer funds.
• Fostered collaboration with community stakeholders and engaged in active outreach and communication efforts to ensure that citizens’ voices were heard and considered in budgeting and decision-making processes and worked towards creating a more inclusive and equitable community for all residents.
• Provided oversight and guided funding and policy to improve Westchester’s parks, roads, housing, childcare, and public safety.

About Damon

County Legislator Damon Maher is running to become the next Mayor of New Rochelle. Damon will continue his engagement and real work for the diverse communities of New Rochelle after serving over 5 years as a County Legislator, representing the people of Eastchester, Tuckahoe, and half of New Rochelle. Damon is ready on day one to deliver for all the communities in the City of New Rochelle.

As Legislator, Damon helped to enact laws, policies, and budgetary appropriations that made big improvements for his constituents. Damon worked hard to increase equitable availability of housing for all demographics, protect low wage workers and immigrants, reduce access to guns, improve roads, bridges, and wastewater recovery facilities, and increase investment in quality daycare, and provide for those most impacted by the pandemic.

As Mayor, his priorities would include more affordable housing and more accountability to make sure developers meet community needs, including exploring creative solutions to improve downtown parking. He would fight for real environmental solutions including flood mitigation programs, food waste composting, and bike and pedestrian safety. As Legislator serving on the Budget Committee, Damon has always been committed to maximizing our precious county resources for residents in Eastchester and New Rochelle. Damon is focused on taking measures to make public safety a reality for all residents!

Damon is a lifelong Westchester County resident, born in Yonkers, and has lived in Hastings-on-Hudson, West Harrison, Larchmont and, since 1994, New Rochelle. He is a managing partner in a small law firm that concentrates on employee rights and civil litigation.

Valedictorian of his class at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, Damon received his B.A. from Yale College, and his J.D. from Fordham Law School, where he was a member of the Fordham Urban Law Journal, before being admitted to practice in New York state and federal courts. As a lawyer, he has been active in the Commercial Law League of America and the New York Democratic Lawyers Council.

He has been active for many years in local volunteer organizations, serving on the Boards of the New Rochelle Bar Association, NewRo Runners, New Rochelle Public Library (as Trustee), Westchester Foster & Adoptive Families, and Youth Soccer of New Rochelle Travel Division, which he also served for many years as a successful coach.

WFP Candidate Questionnaire [PDF]