Mayor Thomas Weekly Report — November 4, 2017
Finally! Fixing our Streetlights at No Cost to the Taxpayer
Mayor Thomas and the City of Mount Vernon are working with Philips Lighting and the New York Power Authority to replace every streetlight in Mount Vernon. On Halloween night, Mount Vernon made the decision to scare away the darkness as the Board of Estimate and Contract voted to release the city from a past bad deal and affirm our commitment to partner with NYPA.
The new LED technology will create safer, smarter illumination on Mount Vernon’s streets so drivers can see more clearly at night, businesses can seem friendlier to customers, people feel safer walking about town, and criminals no longer have places to hide.
Most importantly, these new lights are coming at no cost to the taxpayer and, because they are LED, they will burn brighter for longer, creating more energy efficiency and saving money in the long run. We look forward to talking with each neighborhood on the types of decorative lights they would like to have installed in their area to add value to the rich character and distinction of their communities.
Justice for Memorial Field
On Friday, subpoenas were issued against former Mayor Ernie Davis, Comptroller Maureen Walker, City Councilman Marcus Griffith, former municipal employees John Royce, Nicolas Cicchetti, Anthony Bove and others in connection with the illegal toxic dumping that occurred at Memorial Field. The subpoenas, issued in conjunction with a special proceeding filed in the Supreme Court of Westchester, are necessary to preserve evidence and identify potential defendants.
We all know the sad story of the crimes that were committed at Memorial Field — the bribery, the illegal dumping of over 12,000 cubic yards of construction debris and other materials containing contaminated substances, and the fact that those with responsibility looked the other way. The latest news reports that a “handshake deal” by the prior administration was responsible for the toxic dirt at the Field is heartbreaking, frustrating, and requires a response.
Mayor Richard Thomas and the City of Mount Vernon have issued a formal demand letter to the contractor that was paid over $1 million to demolish the grandstands to come back and finish the job, at no cost to the taxpayer.
It’s time to bring those responsible to justice! It’s time for them to come clean about what really happened at our park.
Gloves Off Gloves On with
Mayor Thomas spoke with community activist Delia Farquharson about his hopes that the new government will work toward making Mount Vernon magnificent. Mayor Thomas shared that he expects the outgoing Comptroller and Council to continue to ignore opportunities to collaborate on addressing complex challenges, or passing a budget to comply with federal environmental orders. The two spoke about fixing broken sewers and questioned why Councilman Griffith eliminated funding for the Police Commissioner and 20 cops. Click here to listen to the entire interview.
2017 Mount Vernon Pumpkin Blaze
Mount Vernon’s Pumpkin Blaze 2017 made its triumphant return for the second year in a row! This year’s event was better and bigger than last year and featured our signature hayride around Hartley Park, a mechanical bull, local vendors like Diner Brew Co., our jack o lantern showcase with more than 800 glowing pumpkins, and a haunted house! Special thanks to the Recreation Department, Fire Department, Public Works, and Police for making the Halloween season so special for our young people.
The 2nd IDA Newsletter is in the Mail
Yesterday the Mount Vernon Industrial Development Agency dropped its 2nd edition newsletter in the mail. The newsletter should be hitting mailboxes between this weekend, with lots of information about what’s happening in The City of Mount Vernon. Be sure to be on the lookout for it so you can stay up to date on what’s on the horizon from the Industrial Development Agency and The City of Mount Vernon.
Clergy Round Table
Earlier this week, Mayor Richard Thomas met with Mount Vernon’s clergy to discuss concerns and answer inquiries from our faith-based community.
Mayor Thomas was joined by several Commissioners, to discuss the 2018 budget proposal that will charter a new course for the city including the continued revitalization of our parks, the need to resolve the funding cuts to our public safety department, and our recent proposal to Amazon to build their second world headquarters in Mount Vernon, to name just a few.
A special thanks to Reverend Arthur Thomas for hosting the event. If you are a church, neighborhood, or business organization and would like to host a “Meet and Greet” with the Mayor Thomas, please email MayorThomas@cmvny.com or call us at 914–665–2360
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Lights on After School
On Thursday, October 26, 2017, Mayor Richard Thomas, the Mount Vernon Youth Bureau, and Mount Vernon After School Programs Alliance hosted the city’s 7th Annual Lights on After School Press Conference and Youth Rally on the steps and plaza of City Hall. In attendance were several key city and school officials, as well as, approximately 400 youth who helped to send the message that positive youth development programming during unsupervised time is critical to youth success and that we must keep the lights on and doors open after-school. Every year, thousands of Lights on After School events are held across the country to raise awareness of how additional programming keeps kids safe, secure, and expands their intellectual horizons.
Listen to us live:
Every week, Mayor Thomas speaks to Yonkers Tribune radio with host Hezi Aris: Catch this week’s interview here for an unvarnished look at what’s happening in Mount Vernon: Mayor Thomas also hosts Mount Vernon Moving Forward every Friday on WVOX, from 5pm to 6pm. You can listen to this week’s show here for an in-depth discussion about the what’s going on in Mount Vernon. On the Internet, tune in to Future 98.9 every Wednesday at 8:30am to listen to Mayor Thomas and Minister P. Tyson. You can find last week’s interview here. On Tuesdays at 8am, you can hear Mayor Thomas on 104.5 Linkage Radio. Catch this week’s discussion here.
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