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Bray moved to Mohegan Lake in 2010 with his wife and believes his background as a building and zoning code inspector in New York City would bring a “fresh perspective” to the council. His interest in politics was sparked by his personal dealings with the zoning and planning board, as well as the 2012 dispute over the proposed Costco Wholesale Club.
"I just came to a realization with my background I had some intelligent things to add,” said Bray, a fervent follower of Yorktown news. “I just thought I should get involved instead of getting snarky in the comments.“
Bray said he will draw from his 12 years in New York City to make Yorktown’s government more "usable." He said average residents have a difficult time dealing with departments and boards when it comes to building something as small as a fence.
"It’s not a broken system but there’s definitely room for improvement," he said.
Both the Democratic and Republican town committees will endorse two candidates to run for seats held by Vishnu Patel (D) and Terrence Murphy (R). Patel will seek re-election, though Murphy has not publicly announced his intentions.
“Political labels at this level are nominal,” Bray said. “I'm not entering the race run 'against' any particular board member. I feel that I have a skill set not offered by any of the other candidates.”
Bray was born and raised in Canon City, Colo. and moved to New York City in 1996 to attend Cooper Union, where he received a bachelor’s degree in architecture. He has three children and a fourth on the way.
He said he acknowledges that his relatively new residency in Yorktown and lack of political background could hurt him in the eyes of voters.
“I certainly think I won’t get past 'hello' with some people because I don’t have Yorktown roots,” he said.
Bray is keeping expectations tempered but is running because he and his neighbors "deserve better," he said.
“I don't always agree with the board or its positions and believe all of the current members are decent people trying to do the right thing," he said. "I do believe that my fresh perspective and strong professional background uniquely qualify me to serve the people of Yorktown.”
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