Patch Candidate Profile 2023: Patrick Murphy For Yorktown Town Board (2024)

Patrick J. Murphy tells Patch why he should be elected to the Yorktown Town Board.

Posted Mon, Oct 30, 2023 at 2:26 pm ET|Updated Tue, Oct 31, 2023 at 4:45 pm ET

Besides picking a town supervisor, people will have to decide who will fill two Town Board positions.

Republican Patrick J. Murphy, 59, of Yorktown, will appear on the ballot for Yorktown Town Board along with Democrats Thomas Marron and Steven J. Shaw and incumbent Republican Edward A. Lachterman.

Murphy spent more than 15 years in the corporate sector with IBM and ABC/Disney. After leaving ABC/Disney, he opened Murphy’s Restaurant in Yorktown with three siblings, where he ran the daily operations for 13 years.

While he said he never held elective office, Murphy worked on the politicial campaigns of his brother, former state Senator Terrence Murphy.

Murphy said there are four generations of his family currently living in Yorktown. He is married and has three daughters.

Campaign website: murphy4yorktown.com

Patch submitted questions to all candidates for the Yorktown Town Board. Here are the responses from Murphy.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am deeply committed to the town and its residents. I understand the responsibility that comes with the office and believe it is my time to serve Yorktown. All of my prior experience has led me to where I am today — a place where I can confidently represent our community and tackle the challenges that lie ahead. I have a strong desire to facilitate community solutions that support our senior population, ensuring they can comfortably stay in Yorktown, and ensure the town remains accessible for future generations to raise their families here. I am motivated by a commitment to engage the community in finding appropriate paths to keep Yorktown an affordable and attractive place to live and do business, while preserving all that is good about the town’s rich history. My motivation is reflective of a strong sense of family, community and commitment to the residents of Yorktown.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My broad range of experience (including corporate roles, a variety of community volunteer positions and running a local business) and deep-rooted connection to our community are unmatched. I have a history of being of service to the town and its residents and of successfully listening to and working with the many stakeholder groups across our community. I have a solid framework to understand issues facing the town and help facilitate solutions that will move the town forward.

What is the single most pressing issue facing your constituents and what do you intend to do about it?

While attending or viewing different boards, I think one of the town's pressing issues is the infrastructure. I will challenge the highway department, water department and sewer treatment plant department to provide 1-, 3- and 5-year plans for long-term projects which is a practical and forward-thinking strategy. This strategy will help ensure that resources are allocated and projects are completed in a timely manner. Projects like the sand beds and filter replacement at the water treatment plant are a positive step.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I will work with the Chamber of Commerce to help create plans to fill vacant stores that will increase the town’s commercial tax base while making Yorktown both affordable and attractive. I will seek ways to increase support for senior citizens, veterans and first responders, while keeping our tax base as low as possible.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle the job?

Operating Murphy’s Restaurant for over a decade as a local business in town. This required good business sense, along with the ability to coach our employees, cultivate our vendor relationships and serve our customers. Our restaurant was a trusted local establishment — and more importantly played a significant role in the community. We had the privilege of employing hundreds of Yorktown residents, offering them jobs and a sense of belonging and supported dozens of local non-profit organizations through donations of money and space. I have experience working with our community and its leaders, having served on the St. Patrick’s Golf Outing Committee for over 10 years and being an original board member of the recently established Yorktown FamJam. I am dedicated, sensible, hard-working and fully committed to making Yorktown the best place it can be for all of its residents.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

My dad always told us to "treat people the way you want to be treated.” Over my life experience, I have modified that just a bit to be mindful to also treat people the way they want to be treated. It’s simple but powerful.

Is there anything else you would like the voters to know about yourself and your position?

My volunteer experience includes over 10 years of coaching YAC Girls Lacrosse and over 15 years as an active member of the Yorktown Elks Lodge. In the last last two years, I became in involved with Meals on Wheels. With my qualifications in the corporate sector and my local experience within Yorktown, I will be able to hit the ground running and represent ALL of Yorktown’s residents. I would be humbled and honored to serve the Yorktown community.

Editor's note: The candidate's responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity.