ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! Mount Vernon’s rented garbage trucks may be repossessed next week.
Mount Vernon’s six rented garbage trucks may be repossessed next week because the City Council has refused to authorize rental payments for the essential trucks.
Mayor Richard Thomas previously saved the rented GARBAGE TRUCKS from repossession when he wired $90,000 to keep trucks running. He was punished for taking decisive action by Comptroller Deborah Reynolds when she removed his name from the City bank account.
Coming Monday — AGAIN, NO City Council ACTION for the past four months and the Comptroller refuses to process a VOUCHER for $90,000 that is DUE.
This inaction is deliberate sabotage of City services in flagrant violation of several court orders against the City Council and Comptroller Reynolds. On April 2 state Supreme Court Justice Susan Cacace ordered the Comptroller to stop obstructing Mayor Thomas’ access to City financial records. On July 5, 2017, state Supreme Court Justice Joan Lefkowitz decided that the City Council violated the City Charter by attempting to subvert Mayor Thomas’ appointees and on July 7, 2016 Supreme Court Justice Robert Neery ordered the City Council to stop usurping the Mayor’s right to countersign City checks. Despite these court orders, the sabotage and obstruction continue.
Mount Vernon’s sanitation workers are not miracle workers. They can’t collect GARBAGE without the rented trucks that will be repossessed next week if the City doesn’t pay its debts.
It has been 113 DAYS since Mayor Thomas warned about the failing garbage trucks. That’s plenty of time to resolve the matter without unnecessary drama and discord.
Call 665–2348, Post Online, Go to the CITY COUNCIL’s meetings on June 10 and June 12 at 7 p.m. & DEMAND ACTION. Demand that the City Council #PayTheBills.
Mayor Thomas has repeatedly appealed to Gov. Andrew Cuomo to intervene on behalf of the people of Mount Vernon. The only remaining options are for the City Council to act on the Comptroller or another court order to compel the Comptroller to do her job.
How did we get here?
February: Mayor Thomas warned public and the City Council that half of the City’s garbage trucks are disabled and in need of replacement.
March 5: Malfunctioning garbage truck shifted out of gear and rammed home.
March 6: Recycling collection canceled after all the City’s garbage trucks are grounded because of safety concerns.
March 9: Mayor Thomas rents six new garbage trucks to allow City sanitation workers to pick up garbage and recycling.
March 11: Public Works Commissioner Mark Ederer asked the City Council to approve spending for $49,200 per month to pay for the six rented garbage trucks.
March 20: Comptroller Reynolds refused to accept a voucher and invoice from the garbage truck company to pay for the six rented trucks.
March 26: Commissioner Ederer asked the City Council to approve spending for $174,452 to pay for the rented garbage trucks through the end of the year.
March 27: City Council failed to include garbage truck rental legislation in their agenda.
April 1: City Council asked for a different budget line for the rented garbage trucks.
April 12: Commissioner Ederer complied with the City Council request and he again asked the City Council to approve spending for $49,200 owed to Premier Truck Sales & Rental. He also noted that it would cost $19,328 per month to rent-to-own eight new garbage trucks versus the average $20,000 per month spent on parts and outside services for the old garbage trucks. That same day Comptroller Reynolds called the rental truck company and told them she wouldn’t pay for a rental or lease.
April 15: Comptroller Reynolds again refused to accept an invoice voucher for the garbage truck rental
April 17: Commissioner Ederer prepared a second invoice for the April garbage truck rentals.
April 24: City Council again FAILED to include garbage truck legislation on their meeting agenda.
April 25: Premier demanded return of the garbage trucks for nonpayment. Mayor Thomas successfully persuaded Chase to wire $90,000 to Premier Truck Sales and Rental to avert repossession of rented trucks.
May 9: Comptroller Deborah Reynolds removed Mayor Thomas from the bank signature card to obstruct his access to City banking records in violation of a court order that the Mayor have FULL access.
May 22: City Council took NO ACTION on two ordinances for garbage truck rentals or garbage truck purchase.
May 29: Commissioner Ederer presented May and June invoices for the garbage trucks to Comptroller Reynolds, who refused to accept them.
June 3 & 4: Garbage collection disrupted because Comptroller Reynolds failed to send timely payments to the City’s diesel vendor.
June 6: Premier demanded return of the garbage trucks for nonpayment.
June 7: Mayor Thomas called for emergency City Council meeting to adopt resolutions authorizing payments for the garbage truck rentals.
June 10: Possible repossession of the six garbage trucks.
