Although local elected officials make up the largest governing body in the United States, less than 15% of eligible voters turnout for municipal elections on average according to a report by the Carnegie Corporation. Dobbs Ferry’s local officials – primarily the Mayor, trustees and various oversight boards – directly impact the daily lives of citizens in the Village. 

Here’s the breakdown on Dobbs Ferry’s government:

Government Overview

The government is structured top-down as follows: mayor, Board of Trustees and departments and boards. Dobbs Ferry legislation is housed in the Dobbs Ferry Charter, which functions as a local constitution. 

The mayor and three trustees are up for election in odd-numbered years, with the  next mayoral election coming up in November of 2025. Every even year, the remaining three trustees are up for election. 

The Board of Trustees has seven voting members, all of equal weight: Vincent Rossillo (mayor), Nicole Sullivan (deputy mayor), Matt Rosenberg, Jessica Galen, Shari Rosen Ascher, Christy Knell and Michael Patino. They are responsible for voting on local legislation.

Like presidential elections, mayoral and trustee candidates are usually nominated by a party. The two dominant parties in the last mayoral election were the Dobbs Ferry Democratic Committee and the Dobbs Ferry Union Party, and candidates are also permitted to run as independents. Policies embraced by the “Dobbs Ferry Dems” align with those of the National Democratic Party, such as gun control, sustainability regulations and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The Dobbs Ferry Union Party leans more conservative – though does not perfectly mirror the National Republican Party.

The Nominating Committee researches, vets and ultimately suggests individuals to the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees then has the final decision on who is admitted to serve on a board. According to Trustee Michael Patino, in the past five years he has been involved in local government, the Board of Trustees has not rejected a candidate sent over from the Nominating Committee.

Mayor Rossillo

Since his initial election as mayor in 2019, and successive re-elections in 2021 and 2023, Rossillo has notably focused his administration on infrastructure improvements, downtown improvement, expanding affordable housing and legislative sustainability efforts. 

Under his leadership, the town has hired an engineering firm to scope out underground infrastructure flaws and remedy issues like potholes and sinkholes. 

“We are looking to replace infrastructure throughout the village,” he said. “We’re working on a number of different areas at the same time.”

In addition to fixing up structural blemishes in Dobbs Ferry, Rossillo’s administration has prioritized sustainability efforts. Within a year, he said, there will be about 50 electric vehicle charging stations throughout the Village. Some administrative buildings like the Department of Public Works (DPW) now rely on greener heat pumps as opposed to fossil fuel energy, and solar panels were installed on the Dobbs Ferry Library and the DPW. 

The village is also focused on another one of Rossillo’s key campaign points – affordable housing. Average apartment rent in Dobbs Ferry is $3,173 per month, which is 104% higher than the national average of $1,556. 

“We’re looking to put up some buildings that would have some form of affordable housing, where once you graduate college and you want to come back here, you could afford to live here. Or, once you’re on a fixed income and a pension – you’re retired – you could afford to live here,” he said.

In response to a Black Lives Matter rally at the Dobbs Ferry Waterfront Park, Rossillo formed one of the government’s core volunteer panels: the Human Rights and Diversity Committee.

“I listened to other people speak, and frankly, it was amazing to me that some people who live and work in Dobbs Ferry didn’t feel comfortable here because of their color or their gender.” He continued, “[the Committee] has been working with the Village since then, trying to raise awareness and make people feel comfortable.”

In the seven years leading up to his election as mayor, Rossillo served the Village as a Trustee. A Dobbs Ferry resident since 1992, he also works as a partner in a state-wide law firm representing labor unions and union members.

Rossillo is not planning on running for reelection in 2025.  

“I just think it is time to have new people come out to run. Being mayor should not be a job people do forever,” he said.