FIGHT HARDER MOUNT VERNON
Dear Friends, Family and fellow Mount Vernonites:
I have done everything within my power to get a budget to the people. The Federal judge directed the City Council. Here is the deal. And here is how you can Help Me — Help You.
FEDERAL JUDGE DIRECTIVE
Federal Judge, The Honorable Cathy Siebel tells City Council to get on board with Mayor’s plan!
EXACT WORDS
“The Court said: But the gentleman at the table to my right, if they consent to the relief that the Plaintiffs are seeking and then the City Council doesn’t pay for it, you know, this is going to be like the City of Yonkers 2.0, where I’m going to be having to hold people in the City Council in contempt if they don’t come up with the money. Therefore, I think it is a good idea if the City Council can get on board, but it’s not — that’s a political problem that you guys are going to have to work out.”
TRUTH AND FACT
“It seems to me the parties gotta kiss and makeup because it’s going to cost them and the taxpayers of the City a lot more money to do this the hard way than the easy way,” Federal Judge Seibel declared when presented with facts of obstruction by Council and Comptroller.
MAYOR’S EVERY GOOD FAITH EFFORT
Despite my, the Mayor’s good faith efforts, the Council and Comptroller continue to play games. And I, as Mayor, father and native son of Mount Vernon, will continue to actively engage them in a positive and proactive manner to convince them that the 2019 Budget Proposal is in line with our pledge to best serve the People of Mount Vernon.
CITY COUNCIL NON- ACTION TRAGEDY FOR THE PEOPLE
Should the Council repeat past sins and seek to eliminate essential compliance monies, this will be an even bigger tragedy for the very people we serve. Continued denial of their obligation to fund the audit for the City as well as the business operations and green infrastructure plan to uplift Mount Vernon is unacceptable. I need the people to let their voices be heard.
PEOPLE MUST ACT
I have no choice but to ask Mount Vernon to fight harder! We desperately need to move forward and the Comptroller and City Council appear to want the people to stay the same.
The political establishment has set the stage for a “State of Disunion and continued confusion” and we must remain vigilant to bring people together to win the war for Mount Vernon’s future.
TIMELINE VERIFICATION
In that spirit of unity, over the past three years, and NOW again over past three weeks, I extended olive branches and invites to work together with the Council and Comptroller with limited success. It is no surprise that they are still committed to moving backwards and we want to move forwards with progress over decay. Hopefully, a combination of thoughts and prayer can soften stony hearts, to inspire them to keep at it so we can keep going forward together!
CALL UPON THE PEOPLE
Now is the time to stand by your convictions. Spiritual. Intellectual. Moral strength.
NO MORE
No more waiting for a cable contract to cut the cost of cable bills for our seniors.
No more waffling on funding Clean Water Act compliance.
No more weak excuses and half stepping on fixing Memorial Field.
No more. Enough is enough.
A Cart Before the Horse Goes Nowhere
DO YOU WANT GROWTH?
In the last budget meeting, the City Council conveyed that they want to eliminate every prospect of revenue generation from the proposed Fiscal Year 2019 Budget and instead repeat every failed mistake of the past quarter-century. They are offering no ideas on how to avoid paying for court-mandated obligations, and no plans to support local businesses to help grow the economy. The only plan the Council recommended was to raise property taxes by 7%!
RIDICULOUS
Taxpayers stated they will pay for performance and the fact is our ECONOMY GREW BY 11 PERCENT, crime is down 32%, property values are up 10% and quality of life is stronger.
Am I satisfied? No, because WE CAN DO EVEN BETTER. We cannot get better without the necessary investments to attract business and expand our commercial tax base. The sad truth is that the City Council and Comptroller are rejecting new and proven ideas to reclaim the $396 million leaving our local economy simply on the basis that I presented them.
Both City Council and Comptroller want you to:
Forget the prospect of fueling transit growth through the addition of a ferry to LaGuardia Airport from Target.
Forget the potential of a Starbucks on Sandford Blvd.
Forget the plans to put a boutique hotel on South 4th Avenue.
Forget the possibility of increasing neighborhood parking options while reducing congestion.
I, Mayor Thomas, will not let you down.
I will not forget.
We know that Mount Vernon is magnificent! And I will not stop fighting for you to make us all Move Forward! Join me and fight harder for hope over hate. Join us and fight harder for faith over fear, to fight harder for integrity over hypocrisy, Fight harder against the willful ignorance and deliberate confusion to achieve Freedom for Mount Vernon!
THESE ARE THE FACTS
Read the facts from the federal lawsuit that demands the City Council be accountable for their obstructionism.
Arm yourself with details from the”August 2018 Green Infrastructure Plan Town Hall” and take a closer look at the 2019 Budget Proposal.
Then call the City Council and Comptroller and tell them to STOP THE GAMES, stay at the negotiating table, and KEEP WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE PEOPLE!
Yours in Service,
Mayor Richard Thomas
P.S. In case you would like to see my previous budget submissions that were approved by “Tax Cap Creator” Lee Kyriacou, yet rejected by the City Council and Comptroller without positive alternative plans to better the City… visit:
