Chris Day, Candidate for Orangetown Supervisor (Republican, Conservative, Reform)

BIO

This opening paragraph should tell readers who you are, how and why you became involved in public service and specifically how and why you became interested in charting the course of Rockland’s (or your town’s) future?

My name is Chris Day.  I’m a combat veteran, an investment professional, a small business owner, an active member of our community, a husband, and a father of three.  I’m running for Orangetown Supervisor because I want to apply my skills from the military and private sector to our local government so as to ensure that when my kids, and all our kids, grow up and are ready to decide on a place to settle down and raise a family of their own, that this town is still a place they both can and want to raise that family.  We face a lot of challenges here, most particularly preserving the suburban character of our town, growing our economy, and lowering our tax burden, but I am confident that I have the skill set necessary to do just that.

RESUME

Early Years & Education

• Born and raised in Rockland; Graduate, MTS Honors Program at RCC; Graduate, Yale University (Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, named Distinguished Military Graduate); MBA, Columbia Business School (after completing military service)

Military Service

• Commissioned as a Lieutenant in the US Army Infantry after completing ROTC at Yale; Served as an Army Ranger and Airborne Infantry Platoon Leader in Iraq (2+ months) and Afghanistan (1 year), leading his men through combat action; Served as the Senior Logistics Officer of a 461 soldier, 135 vehicle squadron with equipment valued in excess of $125 million spread across seven forward operating bases in Afghanistan.  Also responsible for writing multimillion dollar governmental budgets and contracts; Completed service after four years having been promoted to Captain and earned 17 awards and decorations, to include the Bronze Star, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and Ranger Tab

Post-Military & Career

• After earning MBA, worked in venture capital industry, rising to the position of Vice President at Selway Capital and its successor firm Columbus Nova Technology Partners, a middle market investment firm focused on promising companies based in Israel; Is now a small business owner (owns and operates the Route 59 Car Wash, across from the Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack – if asked, he will hire a manager when he takes office); Also now works part time as an executive at Para Bellum Designs, a military-themed apparel startup affiliated with his venture capital firm; Named to Rockland County’s Forty Under 40 for community service and professional achievement; Managed Ed Day’s successful underdog County Executive campaign in Rockland County

Community Involvement

• Has coached Palisades-Sparkill Baseball League T-Ball; Has coached Orangetown Patriots Pop Warner Football; Has served as a den leader for Tappan Cub Scout Pack 88; Member, Sparkill American Legion Post 1044; Member, Blauvelt Sons of Italy; Member of the Rockland Iraq & Afghanistan Memorial & Monument committee

ENDORSEMENTS

Preserve Orangetown

Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters

Legislators Vince Tyer and Pat Moroney; Councilmen Denis Troy, Tom Diviny, and Paul Valentine, Receiver of Taxes Bob Simon, Highway Superintendent Jim Dean

PLATFORM PLANKS

Preserving Orangetown: I will implement my eight plan, available at www.voteforday.com/preservingorangetown, to preserve our town against the threat of overdevelopment, to include such measures as a complete review and rewrite of our code, proactive code enforcement, and creating a fund to protect under threat properties from overdevelopment.

Growing our Economy & Lowering our Taxes: By implementing my 12 point plan, available at www.voteforday.com/economicgrowth, which focuses on growing our economy in a responsible way while introducing efficiencies to government, I will deliver real tax savings.

Supporting our Law Enforcement & Protecting our Youth: In the face of an ever-worsening opioid epidemic, our law enforcement need someone who understands the proactive measures and tactics they need to implement in order to keep our kids safe.

Improving Services – Getting More for Less: By pursuing novel public-private partnerships and bringing an outside the box perspective to running government, I will bring more value in services for each tax dollar spent, such as a community center for seniors and our youth and more activities for our families.

Building our Community & Infrastructure: I will lobby for and implement strong reforms to increase our mass-transit options and community infrastructure, and will market our residential listings to comparably more expensive nearby areas to attract new buyers in order to ensure we remain vibrant with each passing generation.

What is the top priority you will tackle day one in office?

My proposed in depth, private-sector style review of governmental operations within the town will be key to implementing all of the proposals for both preserving our town and growing our economy and lowering its taxes, and as such will be my first priority upon taking office.

Why should voters believe you have the leadership qualities necessary to achieve your goals?

My entire life has been about leadership.  I have led men through the harshest of conditions, taking them towards danger in furtherance of accomplishing a mission at risk of my own life and theirs.  I have helped lead companies through transition periods as part of an investment team.  I have led a small business through a complete operational turnaround.  Leadership is about being out front and setting the standard through example, not ordering people around.  Simply put, I know I will be able to do that and lead this town and its government because I have done it before.

Contrast vs. Opponent

The people of Orangetown have a choice in this election. They can choose to go backwards, to failed policies of the past, or they can go forwards, to a bold vision.  My opponent has a record. He raised Orangetown’s taxes 102 percent while raising his own salary 74 percent. He supported “workforce housing” – high density, low-income housing zones that ended up being voted against 4-1 including three Democrats, with my opponent the sole vote in favor, because he wanted the 2,000 plus votes that came on the Working Families line in that year’s county executive race, and it was their pet issue.  He issued an RFP for multifamily housing in Rockland Psychiatric Center.  What must be considered is what did Thom Kleiner do when supervisor, and what didn’t he do?

I have developed a reputation as the staunchest defender of our town in the face of the threat of overdevelopment.  I have a resume and skill set, from the halls of Yale and Columbia to elite units of our military to demanding positions in the private sector, that set me apart and give me the qualifications to lead this town forward, and that is what I intend to do if elected.

  chris day, orangetown, orangetown supervisor