Who They Are: Profiles of Our Elected Officials

This week: Village of Larchmont Trustee Chris Verni

by Paula Eisenberg

(December 17, 2002) When Chris Verni and his wife Kate were house-hunting in Westchester and Connecticut, they saw properties all over both areas. But they kept coming back to Larchmont, seeing in its small size, tree-lined streets and friendly people a vision of what a hometown should be. "It looked like a great place to raise children," Verni said. The Vernis must be satisfied with Larchmont's child-friendly ways, because they're still here, and baby number three is on the way.

Verni, who was born in Bronxville and grew up in Scarsdale, attended Iona Prep. He graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in government, then worked as a congressional intern and in public relations and advertising. But when his family's real estate management firm needed help, his career changed direction. "My grandfather started the business, and my dad grew it from there. It seemed a shame for it not to continue, so I came in to work with my family. Eventually, when my father retired, I took it over,"" he said. His experience in building management has helped him understand many of the issues facing Village government, he said.

Why did he decide to run for office?

"I just thought it was the natural thing to do," Verni told the Gazette. "I'd been to a Village Board meeting shortly after moving here, and an elderly gentleman stood up to speak about something, and he was so passionate about it. I thought, 'Wow, that's great that somebody cares so much about local issues.' And then I got involved in the IKEA fight as a member of WRAIN and Parents Advocating Safe Streets." The best birthday present he ever had, he said, was when IKEA announced it was pulling out of the New Rochelle project...on his birthday.

Verni, a Republican, ran for and won a Village Trustee seat in 2001. He actually enjoyed campaiging, he said. "It was great to meet people, get out in the community and hear what people had to say. It was pretty intense at times." He ran, he said, because he wanted to work toward keeping Larchmont beautiful and affordable for everyone, especially for young families coming in and for retired residents who want to stay. "We need to find ways to keep our taxes as low as possible while retaining the services people really need," he said. "We're actually in competition with other communities, when you think about it, and we need to stay competitive."

Sprucing up the business district is another goal Verni considers important. "Larchmont has great bones," he said. "But of course the business district could use some improvement. The trick is not to overwhelm what's there with a heavy hand." Citing the crucial role of parks in the life of a community, Verni spends a lot of time as liaison to the Parks and Trees Committee and with the Flint Park Conservancy. He is also liaison to the planning, library, recreation and human rights committees and also oversees Village invoices. This last job, while it may sound mundane, he said, helps him understand how the Village really works.

Asked why he puts in the long, sometimes inconvenient hours of a Village Trustee, Verni said, "It's done out of love. I really love the work and the people, and this is a good time for me to be doing this. My kids are still really young (ages five and three), and it'll be harder to do this when they get older and have lots of activities on weekends."

When he does have some free time, Verni plays tennis, golf and basketball, and goes running with Casey the Wonderdog, the family's exuberant black Lab.

We have contacted all of the elected leaders in the Village and the Town, and the profiles will appear in the order in which the interviews were conducted. Check back frequently for more profiles.