Woodbury, Orange County, New York
Encyclopedia
Woodbury is a town and village in Orange County
, New York, United States. The town population was 9,460 at the 2000 census. The village was incorporated in 2006 and comprises all of the town that is not part of the village of Harriman
. The region was once called Woodbury Clove. It is part of the Poughkeepsie
–Newburgh
–Middletown
, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area
as well as the larger New York
–Newark
–Bridgeport
, NY-NJ
-CT
-PA
Combined Statistical Area
. Woodbury is in the southeastern part of Orange County.
The Town of Woodbury (which comprises the hamlets of Central Valley
and Highland Mills) and the area formerly known as the hamlet of Woodbury Falls was officially created on December 19, 1889 by an act of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. The first town meeting was held on March 4 the following year, with John A. Patterson presiding as Supervisor. The second Supervisor was James Seaman. Even though the land is no longer used for farming, the Seaman family property can still be identified by a sign which reads “Sweet Clover Farm” along Route 32
at the northern end of town. This is now the home of Palaia Vineyards.
The Town of Woodbury was actually created twice; the first time in 1863, when the Board of Supervisors approved the division of Monroe into the three communities of Monroe, Southfields and Highland. The Highland portion was what would become Woodbury in 1889. Objections to this arose, and two years later the Legislature was asked to overrule the Board's decision; it did, by recreating the old Town of Monroe. In 1889 the Board of Supervisors reinstated the original separation, and the town now known as Woodbury was reborn.
Woodbury had undergone numerous geographic and name changes prior to its incorporation in 1889. Until 1764, the area was part of an enlarged Goshen. Goshen was then divided into two parts, with Woodbury becoming part of Cornwall. During the American Revolution, the area was shown on maps as Woodbury Clove. By 1799 Cornwall was also divided, with Woodbury joining present-day Monroe and Tuxedo to become the Town of Cheesekook. This name was changed to Smithfield (or Southfield) and in 1808 became Monroe (supposedly in honor of newly-elected US president James Monroe; however, Thomas Jefferson was president in 1808. James Monroe served from 1817 to 1825, and some believe Monroe was named for a local family).
The derivation of the name “Woodbury" is uncertain. Some say it may have come from the Dutch
word wode for "wood", meaning "a dwelling place in the woods". Others claim that the many English
families who settled here bestowed the name of a famous English family named Woodbury upon the area. As for the hamlets, Central Valley and Highland Mills were once called Lower Smith's Clove ("clove" meaning valley). Highland Mills was also known as Orange Post Office but the residents changed it in 1824, with the present name most likely reflecting the water and flour mills and tannery
businesses in the area. A map dated about 1790 shows Woodbury Falls as Smithfields. It may have later taken its name from the once-lovely falls there. The first Cuban president, Thomas Estrada Palma, lived in Central Valley and Estrada Road was named in his honor.
In addition to flour and grist
mills, the area's industry was dominated by tourism
and fly rod (fishing rod) manufacturing businesses; Woodbury was home to the Payne and Leonard Rod Companies.
The town's major attraction is Woodbury Common Premium Outlets
– one of the largest outlet malls in the world, visited by people from Japan, China, Europe and the Americas. The shopping boom in the area (which began in the 1980s) has inspired construction projects including Wal-Mart
, Home Depot, BJ's Wholesale Club
, many chain restaurants, car dealership
s, other retailers and proposed projects. This has caused conflict and controversy with local residents and surrounding municipalities. Orange County is prospering from the tax revenue this area produces; however, commuting on Route 32 during peak holiday shopping days is extremely irritating to local residents.
The NYS DOT (Department of Transportation) is currently undertaking a $30 million project to redirect traffic flow, attempting to ease the unsafe conditions arising on peak shopping weekends.
On August 10, 2006, residents voted by a 4½-to-1 ratio to create the Village of Woodbury. The village incorporates all the town's land, except for a small portion of the Village of Harriman
which lies within the Town of Woodbury.
, the town has a total area of 37.2 square miles (96.3 km²), of which, 36.2 square miles (93.8 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it (2.72%) is water.
The town is west of West Point
, the United States Military Academy
. Interstate 87
, NY-17
(future Interstate 86
), NY-32
, and US Route 6 pass through the town.
Schunnemunk Mountain defines part of the west town line.
there were 9,460 people, 3,117 households, and 2,546 families residing in the town. The population density
was 261.6 people per square mile (101.0/km²). There were 3,358 housing units, with an average density of 92.9 per square mile (35.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.18% Caucasian, 3.03% African-American, 0.29% Native American, 2.60% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.21% from other races
and 1.67% of two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos (of any race) were 7.94% of the population.
There were 3,117 households, of which 46.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 69.9% were married couples
living together; 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 18.3% were non-family units. 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals; 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03, and the average family size was 3.39.
The age of the population was diverse, with 30.9% under age 18; 5.8% from 18 to 24; 31.4% from 25 to 44; 24.5% from 45 to 64 and 7.4% who were age 65 or older. The median age was 36. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $79,087, and the median income for a family was $84,156. Males had a median income of $59,744, versus $37,695 for females. Per capita income
for the town was $28,566. About 1.8% of families (3.3% of the population) were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.
(R).
In state government the town is located in the 39th Senatorial District and represented by William Larkin
(R),
and in the 96th State Assembly District is represented by Nancy Calhoun
(R).
The community is split into three county legislative districts: the 1st District, represented by Michael Amo (I) (Amo switched from the Republican to the Independence Party in 2007); the 12th District, represented by Kevin Hines (R) and the 14th District, represented by Roxanne Donnery
(D).
The town is divided into ten election districts, each of which elects two enrolled individuals from the Republican, Democratic and Conservative parties to represent those enrolled voters in the three parties at local and county party caucuses.
Woodbury has been a town dominated by the Republican Party since its establishment. However, Democrats have now succeeded in securing a majority of the town's enrolled voters, and won majority control of the Town Board for the first time in over 20 years at the 2007 elections. As of January 1, 2010, no Republican was serving on the Town Board following the 2009 election – probably the first time in town history the board has had no Republican member.
Supervisor - John Burke (D)
Deputy Supervisor - Carlton L Levine (D)
Town Clerk/Registrar - Desiree Potvin (R)
Town Justices - David Levinson (D) & David Hasin (R)
Town Board - Frank Palermo (I), Amidee T Haviland (D), Carlton L Levine (D), James Skoufis (D)
Tax Collector - Carol Herb (R)
Highway Superintendent - Peter Stabile (R)
(R) – Republican Party
(D) – Democratic Party
(I) – Independence Party
of Woodbury, either by election or on an acting basis since the founding of the town. Between 1890 and 1969 the supervisor represented the town on the old Orange County Board of Supervisors – the governing body of the county until December 31, 1969, when charter government took effect.
1890–1899 John Patterson (R)
1900–1905 James Seaman (R)
1906–1907 Alexander Thompson (R)
1908–1909 William Ferguson (R)
1910–1921 Richard Bullwinkle (R)
1922–1930 William McClellan (R) (died in office November 2, 1930)
1930–1933 Norman C. Lawson (R) (appointed to fill vacancy, then elected)
1934–1935 Walter Doscher (D)
1936–1947 Howard B. Gregory (R)
1948–1957 Walter H. Belding (R)
1958–1967 Stephen W. Hayes, Sr. (D)
1968–1981 Louis R. "Bud" Burgunder (R) (first term)
1982–1985 Lawrence Bayard (D) (resigned)
1985 Marie Brickley, Dep. Supervisor (D) (acting)
1985 Louis R. "Bud" Burgunder (R) (second term/acting)
1986–1995 Robert Till (R)
1996–1999 Joan Caruso (R)
2000 Jay Gubernick (R)(died in Office-November 2, 2000)
2000–2001 Henry J. Dobson, Dep. Supervisor (R) (acting)
2001 Theodore Jones, (R) (acting)
2002–2005 Sheila Conroy (R)
2006–present John Burke (D)
Village officials are elected on independent-party ballot lines. The two primary village parties are the Woodbury CommUNITY Party and the Woodbury Preservation Party. In the 2009 village elections a third party (the Common Sense Party) emerged, whose members were voted into office at the March 18, 2009 elections. They took office at the organizational meeting, held at the beginning of April.
Mayor - Michael Queenan (Common Sense)
Village Board - Neil Crouse (CommUNITY), David Sutz (CommUNITY), Timothy Egan (Common Sense), Thomas Flood (Common Sense)
Village Attorney - Richard Golden
Village Clerk/Registrar/Treasurer - Desiree Potvin
Deputy Village Clerk/Registrar - James Booth
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, New York, United States. The town population was 9,460 at the 2000 census. The village was incorporated in 2006 and comprises all of the town that is not part of the village of Harriman
Harriman, New York
Harriman is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 2,252 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
. The region was once called Woodbury Clove. It is part of the Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
–Newburgh
Newburgh (city), New York
Newburgh is a city located in Orange County, New York, United States, north of New York City, and south of Albany, on the Hudson River. Newburgh is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown metropolitan area, which includes all of Dutchess and Orange counties. The Newburgh area was...
–Middletown
Middletown, Orange County, New York
Middletown is a city in Orange County, New York, United States. It lies in New York's Hudson Valley region, near the Wallkill River and the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains. Middletown is situated between Port Jervis and Newburgh, New York. The city's population was 25,388 at the 2000 census...
, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown metropolitan area
The Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in New York's Hudson Valley, with the cities of Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, and Middletown, and the Arlington census-designated place as...
as well as the larger New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
–Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
–Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
, NY-NJ
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
-CT
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
-PA
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Combined Statistical Area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
. Woodbury is in the southeastern part of Orange County.
History
The region was once called Woodbury Clove ("valley").The Town of Woodbury (which comprises the hamlets of Central Valley
Central Valley, New York
Central Valley is a hamlet in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 1,857 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a census-designated place...
and Highland Mills) and the area formerly known as the hamlet of Woodbury Falls was officially created on December 19, 1889 by an act of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. The first town meeting was held on March 4 the following year, with John A. Patterson presiding as Supervisor. The second Supervisor was James Seaman. Even though the land is no longer used for farming, the Seaman family property can still be identified by a sign which reads “Sweet Clover Farm” along Route 32
New York State Route 32
New York State Route 32 is a north–south state highway that extends for through the Hudson Valley and Capital District regions of the U.S. state of New York. It is a two-lane surface road for nearly its entire length, with few divided and no limited-access sections. From Harriman to Albany,...
at the northern end of town. This is now the home of Palaia Vineyards.
The Town of Woodbury was actually created twice; the first time in 1863, when the Board of Supervisors approved the division of Monroe into the three communities of Monroe, Southfields and Highland. The Highland portion was what would become Woodbury in 1889. Objections to this arose, and two years later the Legislature was asked to overrule the Board's decision; it did, by recreating the old Town of Monroe. In 1889 the Board of Supervisors reinstated the original separation, and the town now known as Woodbury was reborn.
Woodbury had undergone numerous geographic and name changes prior to its incorporation in 1889. Until 1764, the area was part of an enlarged Goshen. Goshen was then divided into two parts, with Woodbury becoming part of Cornwall. During the American Revolution, the area was shown on maps as Woodbury Clove. By 1799 Cornwall was also divided, with Woodbury joining present-day Monroe and Tuxedo to become the Town of Cheesekook. This name was changed to Smithfield (or Southfield) and in 1808 became Monroe (supposedly in honor of newly-elected US president James Monroe; however, Thomas Jefferson was president in 1808. James Monroe served from 1817 to 1825, and some believe Monroe was named for a local family).
The derivation of the name “Woodbury" is uncertain. Some say it may have come from the Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
word wode for "wood", meaning "a dwelling place in the woods". Others claim that the many English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
families who settled here bestowed the name of a famous English family named Woodbury upon the area. As for the hamlets, Central Valley and Highland Mills were once called Lower Smith's Clove ("clove" meaning valley). Highland Mills was also known as Orange Post Office but the residents changed it in 1824, with the present name most likely reflecting the water and flour mills and tannery
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
businesses in the area. A map dated about 1790 shows Woodbury Falls as Smithfields. It may have later taken its name from the once-lovely falls there. The first Cuban president, Thomas Estrada Palma, lived in Central Valley and Estrada Road was named in his honor.
In addition to flour and grist
Grist
Grist is grain that has been separated from its chaff in preparation for grinding. It can also mean grain that has been ground at a grist mill. Its etymology derives from the verb grind....
mills, the area's industry was dominated by tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and fly rod (fishing rod) manufacturing businesses; Woodbury was home to the Payne and Leonard Rod Companies.
The town's major attraction is Woodbury Common Premium Outlets
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets is an outlet center located in Central Valley, New York. The center is part of the Chelsea Premium Outlets group and takes its name from the town in which it is located...
– one of the largest outlet malls in the world, visited by people from Japan, China, Europe and the Americas. The shopping boom in the area (which began in the 1980s) has inspired construction projects including Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, Home Depot, BJ's Wholesale Club
BJ's Wholesale Club
BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. , commonly referred to simply as BJ's, is a membership-only warehouse club chain operating on the United States East Coast, as well as in the state of Ohio...
, many chain restaurants, car dealership
Car dealership
A car dealership or vehicle local distribution is a business that sells new or used cars at the retail level, based on a dealership contract with an automaker or its sales subsidiary. It employs automobile salespeople to do the selling...
s, other retailers and proposed projects. This has caused conflict and controversy with local residents and surrounding municipalities. Orange County is prospering from the tax revenue this area produces; however, commuting on Route 32 during peak holiday shopping days is extremely irritating to local residents.
The NYS DOT (Department of Transportation) is currently undertaking a $30 million project to redirect traffic flow, attempting to ease the unsafe conditions arising on peak shopping weekends.
On August 10, 2006, residents voted by a 4½-to-1 ratio to create the Village of Woodbury. The village incorporates all the town's land, except for a small portion of the Village of Harriman
Harriman, New York
Harriman is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 2,252 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
which lies within the Town of Woodbury.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 37.2 square miles (96.3 km²), of which, 36.2 square miles (93.8 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it (2.72%) is water.
The town is west of West Point
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
, the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
. Interstate 87
Interstate 87
Interstate 87 is a Interstate Highway located entirely within New York State in the United States of America. I-87 is the longest intrastate Interstate highway in the Interstate Highway System. Its southern end is at the Bronx approaches of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in New York City...
, NY-17
New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17 is a state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States...
(future Interstate 86
Interstate 86 (east)
Interstate 86 is an Interstate Highway that extends for through northwestern Pennsylvania and southern New York in the United States...
), NY-32
New York State Route 32
New York State Route 32 is a north–south state highway that extends for through the Hudson Valley and Capital District regions of the U.S. state of New York. It is a two-lane surface road for nearly its entire length, with few divided and no limited-access sections. From Harriman to Albany,...
, and US Route 6 pass through the town.
Schunnemunk Mountain defines part of the west town line.
Demographics
As of the 2000 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
there were 9,460 people, 3,117 households, and 2,546 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 261.6 people per square mile (101.0/km²). There were 3,358 housing units, with an average density of 92.9 per square mile (35.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.18% Caucasian, 3.03% African-American, 0.29% Native American, 2.60% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.21% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
and 1.67% of two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos (of any race) were 7.94% of the population.
There were 3,117 households, of which 46.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 69.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together; 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 18.3% were non-family units. 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals; 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03, and the average family size was 3.39.
The age of the population was diverse, with 30.9% under age 18; 5.8% from 18 to 24; 31.4% from 25 to 44; 24.5% from 45 to 64 and 7.4% who were age 65 or older. The median age was 36. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $79,087, and the median income for a family was $84,156. Males had a median income of $59,744, versus $37,695 for females. Per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $28,566. About 1.8% of families (3.3% of the population) were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Woodbury
- Central ValleyCentral Valley, New YorkCentral Valley is a hamlet in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 1,857 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a census-designated place...
– A former hamlet south of Highland Mills on NY-32 - Coronet Lake – A small lake, partly in the town at the southwest town line
- Cromwell Lake – A small lake, northwest of Central Valley
- Highland MillsHighland Mills, New YorkHighland Mills is a hamlet in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 3,468 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a census-designated place...
– A former hamlet, west of Interstate 87 on NY-32 - HarrimanHarriman, New YorkHarriman is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 2,252 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
– A village, part of which is on the south town line at the junction of Interstate 87 and NY-17 - Lebanon – A former hamlet in the western part of Woodbury, on Shunnemunk Mountain
- Newburgh Junction – A former hamlet, at the southern tip of the town on NY-17
- Thevenet Hall – A location at the west town line
- Woodbury – The former hamlet of Woodbury is north of Highland Mills, on NY-32.
Political representation
Woodbury is located in the 19th Congressional District of New York and is represented by Representative Nan HayworthNan Hayworth
Nan Alison Sutter Hayworth is the U.S. Representative for . She is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and nursing career:...
(R).
In state government the town is located in the 39th Senatorial District and represented by William Larkin
William Larkin
William Larkin was an English painter active from 1609 until his death in 1619, known for his iconic portraits of members of the court of James I of England which capture in brilliant detail the opulent layering of textiles, embroidery, lace, and jewellery characteristic of fashion in the Jacobean...
(R),
and in the 96th State Assembly District is represented by Nancy Calhoun
Nancy Calhoun
Nancy Calhoun is a Republican member of the New York State Assembly for the 96th district. She was first elected in 1990. Born in Suffern, New York, she began her career as in 1976 as Washingtonville Central School District Tax Collector and served in the position until 1984. She elected to the ...
(R).
The community is split into three county legislative districts: the 1st District, represented by Michael Amo (I) (Amo switched from the Republican to the Independence Party in 2007); the 12th District, represented by Kevin Hines (R) and the 14th District, represented by Roxanne Donnery
Roxanne Donnery
Roxanne Donnery is a member of the Orange County legislature in Orange County, New York. She represents the 14th District as a member of the Democratic Party, which includes the town of Highlands and most of the town of Woodbury, both located in Orange County...
(D).
The town is divided into ten election districts, each of which elects two enrolled individuals from the Republican, Democratic and Conservative parties to represent those enrolled voters in the three parties at local and county party caucuses.
Town
The town is governed by a board of four elected councilmen, elected for staggered four-year terms. Woodbury is governed under New York Town Law, by which the board holds executive and legislative powers. The day-to-day operations of the town are administered by a supervisor, elected for a two-year term. The supervisor also serves as a full voting member of (and chairs) the Town Board. The town voters also elect a town clerk, two town justices, a tax collector and a highway superintendent. Town elections are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in odd-numbered calendar years. Elected officials take office the following January 1.Woodbury has been a town dominated by the Republican Party since its establishment. However, Democrats have now succeeded in securing a majority of the town's enrolled voters, and won majority control of the Town Board for the first time in over 20 years at the 2007 elections. As of January 1, 2010, no Republican was serving on the Town Board following the 2009 election – probably the first time in town history the board has had no Republican member.
Supervisor - John Burke (D)
Deputy Supervisor - Carlton L Levine (D)
Town Clerk/Registrar - Desiree Potvin (R)
Town Justices - David Levinson (D) & David Hasin (R)
Town Board - Frank Palermo (I), Amidee T Haviland (D), Carlton L Levine (D), James Skoufis (D)
Tax Collector - Carol Herb (R)
Highway Superintendent - Peter Stabile (R)
(R) – Republican Party
(D) – Democratic Party
(I) – Independence Party
Former town supervisors
The following have served as town supervisorTown supervisor
Town Supervisor is an elective legislative position in New York towns. Supervisors sit on the town board, where they preside over town board meetings and vote on all matters with no more legal weight than that of any other board member .Towns may adopt local laws that allow them to provide for an...
of Woodbury, either by election or on an acting basis since the founding of the town. Between 1890 and 1969 the supervisor represented the town on the old Orange County Board of Supervisors – the governing body of the county until December 31, 1969, when charter government took effect.
1890–1899 John Patterson (R)
1900–1905 James Seaman (R)
1906–1907 Alexander Thompson (R)
1908–1909 William Ferguson (R)
1910–1921 Richard Bullwinkle (R)
1922–1930 William McClellan (R) (died in office November 2, 1930)
1930–1933 Norman C. Lawson (R) (appointed to fill vacancy, then elected)
1934–1935 Walter Doscher (D)
1936–1947 Howard B. Gregory (R)
1948–1957 Walter H. Belding (R)
1958–1967 Stephen W. Hayes, Sr. (D)
1968–1981 Louis R. "Bud" Burgunder (R) (first term)
1982–1985 Lawrence Bayard (D) (resigned)
1985 Marie Brickley, Dep. Supervisor (D) (acting)
1985 Louis R. "Bud" Burgunder (R) (second term/acting)
1986–1995 Robert Till (R)
1996–1999 Joan Caruso (R)
2000 Jay Gubernick (R)(died in Office-November 2, 2000)
2000–2001 Henry J. Dobson, Dep. Supervisor (R) (acting)
2001 Theodore Jones, (R) (acting)
2002–2005 Sheila Conroy (R)
2006–present John Burke (D)
Village
The village is governed by a board of trustees, consisting of four trustees elected for staggered two-year terms. The board is the legislative branch of village government. The executive branch is headed by a mayor, elected for a two-year term and who is also a full voting member (and chair) of the board of trustees. Village elections are held each March, and elected officials take office the following April 1.Village officials are elected on independent-party ballot lines. The two primary village parties are the Woodbury CommUNITY Party and the Woodbury Preservation Party. In the 2009 village elections a third party (the Common Sense Party) emerged, whose members were voted into office at the March 18, 2009 elections. They took office at the organizational meeting, held at the beginning of April.
Mayor - Michael Queenan (Common Sense)
Village Board - Neil Crouse (CommUNITY), David Sutz (CommUNITY), Timothy Egan (Common Sense), Thomas Flood (Common Sense)
Village Attorney - Richard Golden
Village Clerk/Registrar/Treasurer - Desiree Potvin
Deputy Village Clerk/Registrar - James Booth