Time for Mount Vernon to Move Forward
No one likes to pay taxes but we all know that to get services we must pay a price. In Mount Vernon, residents have long suffered the distinction of being shortchanged — paying the highest tax rate in the county in exchange for years of mismanaged services. Now, Comptroller Maureen Walker and the City Council have proposed a budget that will jeopardize services even more, virtually requiring a government shutdown.
The LAME DUCK Budget is an insult to the taxpayer and places the city in a precarious position. The Department of Justice is just as fed up with the obstructionism and petty politics that property owners rejected this past election cycle. Mount Vernon has been told we must fund our government. We must hire and train sewer crews; inspectors; engineers; attorneys; and experts to get the work done to enhance quality of life, protect the environment and increase property values. The LAME DUCK Budget will force the city to cut other services to remain in compliance. Trash may only be collected once a week instead of twice a week. Recycling service would be cut back as well. Furloughs may need to happen in other departments to ensure funding is provided. Less staff means slower services.
You should know the Lame Duck Budget is similar to the one they passed last year against the will of the people, only worse. This time, we are out of time with the federal government. Mount Vernon faces a “significant monetary penalty” for ignoring our obligation to fix our broken infrastructure. While many of us enjoyed Thanksgiving at home, the same cannot be said for the McNeil family. They were forced out of their home due to health threats related to raw sewage invading every floor and pipe it could exit from in their own house. Our Department of Public Works pumped over 100,000 gallons of fecal sludge from the pipes in and around their home… and they are still not done. To replace one section of sewer near the McNeil home will cost taxpayer upwards of $1,000,000.
Yet the outgoing Comptroller and Council couldn’t care less. I care and will continue to fight to fix the broken system in an affordable and equitable fashion. On July 3rd, 2017, I wrote Comptroller Walker a letter detailing how we can work together to secure over $60,000,000 in grants to pay for long term sewer repairs. I received no response. Thanks to Governor Andrew Cuomo, for helping us pay for a significant amount of the emergency repairs.
My hope for the new Comptroller is that she will listen to new ideas and work with us to earn free grants from the state and federal governments. With respect to the new City Council, I have the same expectation and believe that they too can help the city move forward if they focus on clear priorities. This involves helping us restore glory to Memorial Field, investing in technology to strengthen safety, and joining the team to bring jobs back to Mount Vernon.
A recent study confirmed that Mount Vernon has the potential to unleash $396,000,000 in new economic activity. My budget includes a comprehensive plan and implements policies to generate a conservative $5,000,000 in new sales tax revenue. This is the recipe to create hundreds of new jobs and tourism to bring quality of life back to the city.
We cannot allow disgruntled politicians to dump on us again. This Wednesday, December 6th at 7:00pm, in the City Council chambers there will be a discussion on the budget. Come and let your voice be heard! Tell them it’s time to move forward!
Originally Published in Westchester County Press December 5, 2017
