On Sunday, March 9, New Rochelle Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert hosted Coffee with the Mayor at the North End Grill. In addition to Mayor Ramos-Herbert, residents had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with New Rochelle City Council Members Sara Kaye and Matt Stern, as well as County Legislator Judah Holstein, Deputy City Manager Todd Castaldo, DPW Director Bryan Bracey, Parks Commissioner Vincent Parise, Deputy Police Commissioner Neil Reynolds and Deputy Commissioner of Development Jorge Ventura.
Ramos-Herbert explained, “I came up with the idea of Coffee with the Mayor as part of my broader goal to increase community engagement and make City Hall feel more accessible. Traditional town-hall meetings, where officials sit at the front and neighbors from the audience ask questions, don’t always foster open, comfortable dialogue. I noticed whenever I stopped by a coffee shop or restaurant, neighbors would often approach me with questions or concerns, things they might not have felt comfortable bringing up in a more formal setting or in front of an audience. So, I thought, why not create a space that mirrors those organic, one-on-one conversations? Coffee with the Mayor was born out of that idea: a casual, informal, welcoming environment where neighbors can share their thoughts, ask questions and stay informed about what’s happening in New Rochelle.
“I start most of my days with a cup of coffee and I know I am not alone,” she continued. “So why not connect over a shared daily habit? I’ve opened my calendar to all elected officials representing New Rochelle. This gives neighbors a chance to engage directly with those shaping policy and services, ask questions and receive real-time responses in an informal setting.”
In addition to these coffee shop events, Ramos-Herbert brought this program to local senior buildings. “These conversations have been an invaluable way to connect with a wide range of neighbors and gain insight into their day-to-day experiences right outside their front doors.
“The most overwhelming response I’ve received is simply ‘Thank you,’” she said. “Neighbors expressed gratitude for bringing these conversations to their part of town, for listening and for being accessible. It’s incredibly humbling and heartwarming to see how much people appreciate the opportunity to connect with their local leadership in this way. Aside from citywide topics, most other questions tend to be specific to the neighborhood where the event is held. It’s been a great learning experience for me, balancing big-picture policy discussions with hyper-local concerns that shape neighbors’ daily lives.”
“To help provide information about big-picture policy, we’ve put together an informational packet covering key city initiatives, which we bring in print to each event and make available at https://newrochelleny.com/DocumentCenter/View/20193/Coffee-with-the-Mayor-packet-2025. This also lets us focus on listening and responding to the hyper-local concerns neighbors have.
“I’m incredibly pleased with the response so far,” she continued. “I fully intend to continue Coffee with the Mayor as a regular series. My goal is to host at least one event every month throughout 2025, ensuring neighbors have ongoing opportunities to connect, ask questions and share their thoughts in a welcoming, informal setting.”
Stern added, “I think it was important to host an event at a kosher restaurant given our large Jewish population in New Rochelle, and the great turnout validated that choice. We were grateful to have NRPD leadership with us to reassure residents how we remain vigilant amidst rising antisemitism, and how we’ve continued to partner with regional law enforcement and CSI.
“I heard concerns about whether the school district’s budget troubles may affect private school bussing so many families rely on,” he added. “I am advocating to my colleagues on the school board and the superintendent to preserve these critical services, while also calling on the state to provide increased funding to provide an excellent education to all New Rochelle students. I also heard the more common requests for increased pedestrian infrastructure like sidewalks, more street paving and flood mitigation, which I am advancing with my colleagues.”
Many members of the Young Israel of New Rochelle participated. Shachar Minkove said, “I appreciated the mayor reaching out to the community to find out what we really care about.” Shirah Schwartz-Jacobs added, “After Yadira’s speech at the YINR dinner, I felt the need to meet her in person. After speaking to her one-on-one, I am confident that she is truly interested in getting to know her constituents and fostering a better New Rochelle for everyone.”
