By: Daniel Friedman

At a time when everyone seems to be talking about the “change” that Ramapo has experienced in recent years, one thing that hasn’t changed is a stalwart of Ramapo that has served on the Town Council for almost a quarter of a century: David J. Stein.

Stein has seen all the changes that have taken place in Ramapo over the last number of decades, and that didn’t just start when he began serving on the Town Council in 1986. He had been involved in town politics for many years before then, and has lived in Ramapo more than twice as long as he served on its Town Council: a whopping 53 years and counting.

David Stein grew up in Ramapo, and attended schools in what is known today as the East Ramapo Central School District. In 1970, he earned his degree in accounting from NYU. In 1976, he graduated from Brooklyn Law School.

After law school, Stein worked in a “Big-8” accounting firm, and then joined the Rockland County Public Defender’s office for about four years. In the beginning of the 1980’s, he opened up his own private law practice, but worked at building it up only on a part-time basis, because of his other commitments. In the mid-1980’s, he served as a part-time county attorney while also managing his law firm. Shortly after being elected to the Town Council in 1985, he dedicated himself to the council and his law practice.

David Stein was first elected in 1985, but he was re-elected in 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005, and after serving six four-year terms, he is seeking his seventh this year, already making him the longest-serving councilman in Ramapo. Stein is the running mate of Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence, who he has served alongside since St. Lawrence became the supervisor in 2001. He is also running with Yitzy Ullman, who is currently a councilman as well.

David has lived in many different areas of Ramapo, including Monsey, Spring Valley, Airmont, and other areas of unincorporated Ramapo. “I have seen Ramapo,” he said, “and I know how to represent it.”

Unlike most elected officials who hold a number of different offices in their lifetimes, Stein has only held the office of Ramapo Town Councilman. It is quite telling that he never sought another office, and attributes his commitment to this town because of his history living in Ramapo. “I grew up here, I raised my family here, and I want to see this town continue to thrive,” he said.

David Stein squeezes his campaign message into one sentence. “I’m running on my record of years of accomplishments,” he stated vigorously. He pointed to the achievements of the town, including the ranking of Ramapo as the safest town in the nation, the 0% tax increase proposed by the supervisor this year, and the naming of Ramapo as one of the best places to live on the east coast.

These were accomplishments achieved by the work of everyone on the Town Board and Supervisor St. Lawrence. Stein stressed the importance of having a board that works together with the supervisor in order to achieve progress for the town. That’s why it’s so important that voters remember the running mates of the supervisor, since they can support or oppose the agenda he has.

What would David Stein do if he were re-elected? “I will continue the aggressive position we have taken on open space issues and preserving the town of Ramapo,” he said, referring to the town’s continued purchases of property being preserved for open space at the same time as taking a swipe at his opponents. “Others may talk about it,” he said with a smile, “but this town board actually preserves the town of Ramapo.”

David J. Stein is seeking his seventh term as a Town Councilman, and is running alongside Supervisor St. Lawrence and fellow councilman Yitzy Ullman. He will be facing Preserve Ramapo challengers in the Democratic Primary on September 15th.