Moving Towards a Better Future
Mount Vernon is moving forward — crime rates are down, property values are rising, and the local economy is strong — despite desperate attempts by the old guard to divide and distract us from fixing what’s broken. I will continue to protect the taxpayer and correct the discredited and corrupt practices of the past to make a better future for today.
It is indeed ironic for former Mayor Davis to send such a disingenuous and inaccurate letter just as the county and city are on the verge of fixing one of his great fiascos — the decade long shuttering of Memorial Field by his secret handshake deal to dump tons of illegal debris on the park, costing children time and taxpayer treasure.
Constructive dialogue is replacing years of inertia and bickering. Memorial Field is now being cleaned up and returned to the people of our city, with the cooperation and support of New York State and Westchester County.
We are setting new standards and have installed the most professional and responsible government Mount Vernon has ever seen. Political promises are no longer the way to skate through the building code process once upon a time only relying on a wink and a nod for approvals. Establishments must have proper plans for permits, ensuring health and safety for all.
We are implementing a capital plan, the first the city has had in decades. We are slaying zombie properties, saving neighborhoods from loss of property values, and gaining quality of life back. We earned the respect of the MTA and worked with them to replace century-old bridges that divide our city. We are making tax dollars stretch, paving pothole-riddled streets without the need of an election close at hand. The new fire department puts out fires quickly, investigates them, and helps folks get back on their feet and back into their homes. The real problem Ernie has is that Mount Vernon has become policy-driven, not politically-motivated.
On Tuesday evening at 7 p.m., my administration is hosting a town hall to discuss a full and transparent financial picture of Mount Vernon. We will discuss where we have been and, more importantly, where we are going as a City. Mount Vernon’s bright future is being built on its proud past, and its present results show services are improving and pride is returning. Leadership takes followership. I’ll follow leaders that play for team Mount Vernon and compete against any that work to defeat our dreams of better days. I will not stop fighting the good fight to move Mount Vernon forward.”
