Bob Romano was born and raised on the upper West Side of Manhattan. He graduated from the Bronx High School of Science, New York University, and New York Law School. His family was middle class and his parents were Holocaust survivors.

As a young man out of college he partnered with a friend to convert old factory buildings into co-ops. His experience in New York real estate included a seven-year stint with the Helmsley Spear group. His involvement with incredibly talented business people such as Harry Helmsley provided a solid base and understanding of business.

Although he doesn’t want to be known as a big real estate developer building sky scrapers in Armonk, he does want, as a resident and candidate for town council, to build character and a definitive downtown.

He sees a great need to develop and grow revenue from the existing commercial properties in town. “He’s not looking to build construction, but rather sustainable development that enhances the quality of life and increases revenue.” An exception is Armonk Square which Romano is 100% in support of.

“Every time I pass an empty building (in town) I think of it as a lost opportunity for revenue. When Schultz closed, the town not only lost doughnuts, it lost people that came from miles away. We were a destination location. We need to become a destination place again, we need visitors to spend their dollars here. Local sales turn into tax revenues. We all want to protect members of the community including local businesses.”

He believes The Farmer’s Market will bring us back as a local destination and help local businesses. “It would bring more people into the community, more money spent, more money into the coffers.” There’s a right way of doing things and change is not always bad. With more people in town retail stores would benefit. Limiting the types of products and integrating local merchants into the market would protect the members of the community. We do have to make sure that while we would encourage business growth, this growth is properly balanced by formulating a plan for sustainable development, a plan that would in no way harm the quality of life we expect in our town.

“The single most difficult issue we face right now is balancing the budget. There’s no need to increase taxes, and as councilman I would always prefer to seek ways to increase revenues without the need to raise our taxes; there are alternative revenue sources that we must tap into.”

“Our town is unique in that that there are a spectrum of residents; from those on fixed income, some of whom are to those that don’t have a problem paying $3,000 a month on utilities and those that are tittering on what they can afford.”

“The budget has to be watched and every dollar spent has to be watched closely. Everything but essential services should be looked at.”

Romano is not going to take anything for granted, no spending will be considered without thinking long and hard. “Armonk residents are bright enough to know how to spend money.” Votes in this upcoming election will tie North Castle residents to the financial impact on the quality of life.

Romano says there’s much work to be done as councilman: consider the long-term plan; review several town boards including the Planning Board and Architectural Review Board. As a lawyer and sole general practitioner in Armonk, Romano specializes in commercial real estate transactions and has handled hundreds of contracts. He brings the ability to read a contract and explain it in layman’s terms.

He believes the Town Administrator is a great idea, “the size of the budget calls for proper administration. Also the continuity of the government like in the days of Lombardi is important. But the timing might not be right.”

He’s a regular guy, “guided by the principles as father and husband” and “wants to do what’s right for the community.” He has been married to his wife Penny for eighteen years and has three children. The Romanos have been residents in Armonk for ten years. During that time his involvement with the Byram Hills High School Stage Program has given him the opportunity to meet a lot of the local families. He has been an active board member of the Byram Hills Education Foundation for the past 5 years, and has donated his time and services to the North Castle Cable Advisory Committee.