Early voting starts June 13. Primary day is June 23. And right now, neither candidate for Greenburgh Town Supervisor has presented a specific, written, accountable plan for the Black residents of Fairview.
That is not an opinion. That is a documented fact. And before one vote is cast in this primary, Fairview deserves to know it.
My name is Mechelle Brown. I am a community advocate and the author of the Greenburgh Black Lives Matter resolution, which I conceived, drafted, and brought to the White Plains/Greenburgh NAACP for partnership. That resolution was adopted by the Greenburgh Town Board on November 22, 2021. I have been fighting for the residents of this community for years — through housing battles, through the fight to protect the Black Lives Matter sign on Knollwood Road after it was vandalized, and through organizing alongside the NAACP on issues that directly affect Black families in Greenburgh.
I am not writing this to tell you who to vote for. I am writing this because Fairview residents have something rare this June — a real choice. And to make an informed choice, voters need to know where both candidates actually stand on the issues that affect this community most directly.
The Race: Who Is Running and What Are They Running On
Paul Feiner has served as Greenburgh Town Supervisor since 1991 — 34 years. He is running on his record of constituent service and personal accessibility, stating on his campaign website that he has handled over 20,000 matters personally and invites residents to call him directly. He has received the endorsement of the Working Families Party. His campaign website is www.paulfeiner.com.
Barry McGoey is an Ardsley Village Trustee and attorney who is challenging Feiner for the first time anyone has held this office since 1992. He entered the race, citing a water main break and a report showing nearly $30 million in uncollected taxes as evidence that Greenburgh needs new leadership. He received the endorsement of the Greenburgh Democratic Town Committee with over 83% of the vote. More than 56% of his campaign funding has come from labor unions and donors based in Yonkers — not Greenburgh. His campaign website is www.barryforgreenburgh.com.
McGoey announced his candidacy to Black Westchester in January 2026. In that announcement, he spoke about the water main break. He said nothing about Black residents. He said nothing about Fairview.
His campaign platform covers fiscal responsibility, flood mitigation, Edgemont incorporation, and Central Park Avenue. Fairview is mentioned once — listed alongside other unincorporated communities in a general geographic description of the town. There is no policy commitment directed at Fairview. There is no mention of racial equity. Not one word.
Feiner’s record in office spans 34 years. In that time, Greenburgh paid a $9.5 million federal fair housing settlement — one of the largest of its kind in the country — after fighting a lawsuit over affordable housing placement. Former Greenburgh Town Clerk and Westchester County Legislator Alfreda Williams publicly described the Town’s pattern of placing nearly all of its affordable housing projects in Fairview as the deliberate “ghettoizing” of the area. Fairview also carries an Urban Renewal District designation dating to the 1960s — a legacy of federal policies that displaced Black communities across America — that has never been formally addressed or remedied by the Town.
In 34 years, no comprehensive racial equity plan for Fairview has been produced.
What Fairview Needs — And What I Am Asking Both Candidates to Produce
This week I formally challenged both candidates — in writing, on a documented email chain — to present a real racial equity plan for Fairview before early voting begins. I asked for something specific, written, and accountable. Not a list of programs. Not symbolic gestures. A plan.
That plan must include:
- Affordable housing access and tenant protections — ensuring Fairview residents are never displaced from their community and always have the right to return.
- Homeownership opportunity — the active removal of zoning and policy barriers that have historically prevented Black residents from buying, building, and investing in property in Greenburgh.
- Small business creation and a real pathway to growth for Black entrepreneurs in Greenburgh.
- Black vendors and contractors are included in all Town hiring and procurement — every dollar Greenburgh spends is an opportunity to invest in this community.
- Financial partnership and support for nonprofit business creation in Fairview.
- Equal access to every opportunity afforded to any Greenburgh resident — in employment, contracting, development, and civic life.
- Infrastructure equity — a documented assessment of gaps in Fairview compared to other parts of Greenburgh, with a funded plan and specific timelines to close them.
- Public safety and community relations — a specific plan addressing the relationship between law enforcement and the Black community in Fairview.
- Youth programs and educational support with measurable goals and annual reporting.
- Cultural recognition that goes beyond symbols — a commitment to completing and protecting projects that reflect the history of Black residents in this community.
- Community oversight — every board and committee affecting Fairview must include Black residents from Fairview as voting members with real authority.
- A dedicated point person within the Supervisor’s office accountable to Fairview residents.
- Annual public reporting on measurable outcomes — not a list of programs, but data showing whether conditions for Black residents in Greenburgh are actually improving.
These are not radical demands. These are the basic elements of equitable governance. Towns and municipalities across this country produce plans exactly like this. There is no reason Greenburgh cannot — except for the absence of political will to do it.
What Happened When I Asked
I sent a direct written challenge to both candidates this week, asking for exactly this. Supervisor Feiner responded — with a list of 23 programs and initiatives. Sidewalks, clothing drives, snow shoveling, a Black history museum proposal, and a pickleball court. These are constituent services. Some are meaningful. None of them are a racial equity plan with measurable goals, hard deadlines, and public accountability.
When I pointed that out directly, Feiner responded again — this time describing 34 years of listening circles, advisory committees, and community conversations. I appreciate the engagement. But 34 years of listening without a written plan and measurable outcomes is not racial equity leadership. It is process without product.
As of the publication of this article, Barry McGoey has not responded to my challenge. He came to Black Westchester for coverage. He has not come to Black Greenburgh with a plan.
This Is Not About Choosing a Side
I want to be clear about something. I am not telling Fairview how to vote. I am not endorsing either candidate. I am on the side of the candidate — either candidate — who produces a real, written, specific, accountable racial equity plan for this community. Whoever that is will have earned the vote. Whoever does not will have answered the question themselves.
Fairview residents have the power this June to demand something real before they cast a ballot. This community has fought for everything it has — through housing battles, through vandalized signs, through broken promises. That history of fighting is also a history of winning when we are organized and informed.
We are organized. We are informed. And we have six days before early voting begins.
Both candidates have been challenged. Both candidates know what is being asked. What happens next is up to them — and up to you.
How to Vote
Early Voting: June 13 – June 21, 2026
Primary Day: Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Find your polling location and register to vote:
Westchester County Board of Elections: www.westchestergov.com/boe
New York State Voter Registration: www.elections.ny.gov
Contact the candidates directly:
Paul Feiner: www.paulfeiner.com | feiner98@aol.com
Barry McGoey: www.barryforgreenburgh.com | barryforgreenburgh@gmail.com
Mechelle Brown is a Greenburgh community advocate and the author of the original Greenburgh Black Lives Matter resolution, adopted by the Greenburgh Town Board on November 22, 2021, in partnership with the White Plains/Greenburgh NAACP.
