Supervisor Spotlight – Haverstraw’s Howard Phillips

Town Supervisor Howard Phillips has a passion for Haverstraw. Before even sitting down to formally begin an interview with RCT, Phillips was already detailing the history and current operations of a program designed to save taxpayer money and improve the quality of life for his constituents. Though he has spent much of his life serving Haverstraw and Rockland as a whole, it was clear that the work of Rockland Green, formally the Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority ( a name that Phillips was proud to have had a hand in changing), is a special point of pride for the Supervisor. Now acting as the Chairman for Rockland Green, which has been operating since 1994, Phillips believes that the work of reducing waste in his town and across the county has been one of the most important projects he has undertaken “…if you want to leave a legacy of being an elected official, you can’t choose something better than to leave the next generation with a clean environment,” Phillips told the RCT.

The Supervisor of Haverstraw was eager to discuss Rockland Green’s newest resource, a Material Recovery Facility, or the MRF based in Hillburn. The new recycling center frees up manpower, as the MRF has the ability to sort through mixed recyclables by utilizing magnets, blowers, and other electronic advancements:  every piece of trash that Rockland Green is able to recover and reuse is a piece of trash that stays out of local landfills, and Phillips was proud to report that the reclamation of plastics, metals and paper has proven both a cheaper and cleaner option than the creation and expansion of garbage burial sites. Rockland Green has also invested in ensuring that any water being put into the Hudson is held to a higher standard than in years before.

Phillips has been working in his role as Town Supervisor since 2001, after working as the Director of Finance primarily under the tutelage of previous Superintendent Philip J. Rotella. One of the biggest challenges that Phillips says the town of Haverstraw is facing today is the lack of infrastructure to support new businesses and new residents. There is no thruway or commuter train system that would encourage new blood to the area; combined with a lack of power substations that are vital in attracting energy intensive business, such as data storage facilities, Haverstraw faces an uphill battle in growing their economy and population.   The town has turned to tourism as a potential revenue stream, extending ferry service to the weekends and matching arrival times with the Metro North trains to and from Grand Central, as Haverstraw courts visitors from Westchester and NYC. 

“Our greatest natural resource is the Hudson River,” said Phillips, stating that “we’ve been trying to get back to that to create business”. This includes reaching out to Hudson River cruises and encouraging them to stop in downtown Haverstraw, and placing an emphasis on the Haverstraw Marina, which the town will own fully in 2028. 

While Phillips wants to bring in new businesses and residents, he also wants to preserve the affordability of the area. Perhaps Haverstraw’s greatest asset is a demonstrated  commitment to reducing residents’ cost of living. Haverstraw is the only Rockland town that has passed rent stabilization legislation, and Phillips states that “we’ve been trying to keep very vigilant on the taxes…we’re very aggressive on securing grants, whether they’re state, federal, or private”.  Haverstraw’s leadership is optimistic that this focus, combined with efforts to provide recreation and community spaces in Haverstraw, will draw in residents and business looking for a more supportive environment to establish themselves. 

Phillips has implemented a plethora of outdoor recreational activities, saying that “One of the biggest things we hear from our residents is they want things to do with their family. They want outdoor activities”. These investments look like a top rated golf course, an Olympic sized pool, a town park, a volleyball court, two piers, and plans to build a skate park and playground. Keeping in step with his previous statements of maintaining affordability, Phillips says that they have been able to do all of this “…without bonding a penny”. The town also has senior citizen leagues, leagues for women, men, and multiple youth leagues. Their youth board facilitates trips for younger residents  to attend events such as Broadway plays, sporting events and the like for a discounted price. They pay for their tickets, and Haverstraw pays for the transportation. 

This kind of active inclusion around Haverstraw is what has kept Phillips going for the last 23 years. He shared that his ultimate goal as the Town Supervisor is “…trying to make everybody feel as though you’re in a community and that…your town government is working for you”.