LEWISBORO, NY — The voters’ revolt against high taxes and a deep recession was so intense that even community leaders of New York’s sleepiest hamlets got tossed.
Nowhere was this more evident than in the tiny town of Lewisboro — a northern Westchester municipality of 12,000 near the Connecticut border.
Mirroring the upheavals in higher-profile races, like the defeat of New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, cranky voters in Lewisboro threw out their own Democratic leaders.
Keith Bauer, who co-owns Echo Farm, brought his pitchfork to the voting booth.
“I voted to get my town back on the right track,” said the registered independent, who voted for GOP/Conservative insurgents promising financial relief.
His neighbors were also enraged over taxes and President Obama’s big-government stimulus and health-care proposals.
“My main concern is taxes, taxes, taxes. Our taxes keep going up,” said John Nevins, a 78-year-old retiree.
“Our school taxes are off the wall. Our middle class — our seniors, of which I am one — are going to be pushed out.”
At the same time, Lewisboro townies said they were worried that they were going to have to pay more for Obama’s massive health-care overhaul.
“When we have trouble at home, we cut back spending. But the government doesn’t do that. This isn’t the time to expand health care,” said Steve Miller, 49, an unemployed helicopter pilot.
Led by Charles Duffy, who was running for the top Town Board spot of supervisor, the Republican ticket swept three board seats, regaining control of the five-seat body.
Two years earlier, Democrats, who have a slight edge in enrollment, won the majority.
Supervisor-elect Duffy, 43, a registered Conservative, garnered 1,939 votes, or 58 percent. He defeated Democratic incumbent Edward Brancati, who got 1,389. The winning team also included GOP running mates Peter DeLucia and Frank Kelly, who won by similar margins in a town with 8,760 voters.
Duffy, an accountant, said the Conservative ticket rode the voter rebellion into office on a platform of lower taxes and less government. He said Brancati sealed his fate by proposing a 29 percent tax hike.
“That was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Duffy said.
Moreover, Duffy said unease over Obama’s failure to stem high unemployment was a “contributing factor.”
“There’s some level of frustration that the stimulus package has not been effective,” he said.
Lewisboro employs 50 people and has a $10 million budget.