SUBHEAD:
Is New Biz, or Dem Heat Ending Her Career?
By Dan Murphy
County Legislator Virginia Perez has always marched by the beat of her own drum. She was elected to the County Board after her upset victory over then-Legislator Jose Alvarado in 2011 in a democratic primary for the County Board in the 17th District of Southwest Yonkers.
Perez ran after the murder of her brother, who was killed delivering food in a Yonkers housing project. Since then, Perez has fought off democratic challenges in 2013, 2015 and 2017. In 2012, Perez joined with democratic county Legislator Michael Kaplowitz in joining with republican county legislators and republican County Executive Robert Astorino in forming a bi-partisan, coalition government.
That coalition operated county government for four years, until Astorino was defeated for county executive and three republican county legislators lost their seats, resulting in the election of County Executive George Latimer and a democratic supermajority of 13-4 on the BOL.
For a short period of time it appeared that Perez was mending fences with her democratic colleagues until she decided to challenge perhaps the most powerful democrat in Westchester County – State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
Perez’s decision to challenge Stewart-Cousins in a democratic primary was objected to by her fellow democrats in county government and her republican friends on the county board.
“Virginia has a proven conservative record and for a time was a registered Conservative. She has been in bed with republicans for five of the last six years,” said one county official last year.
“I told her that I think this will be the end of her political career,” said the same county official. “When you take a shot at the king (or the queen), be sure you don’t miss. But she is ambitious and doesn’t take people’s advice.”
Perez wouldn’t listen to anyone and pushed forward with her challenge to Stewart-Cousins. “Apparently, we have to wait for somebody to feel like retiring or to die so that we the younger generation can finally get up and do things for our communities. Well, not anymore,” wrote Perez, who tried to tie herself to another successful progressive democrat, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, to no avail.
Stewart-Cousins easily defeated Perez in the democratic primary and is now the most powerful woman in state government. Last week, BOL Chair Ben Boykin announced that Perez had resigned as chair of the BOL Committee on Legislation.
The statement from Boykin and the BOL Democrats reads: “Westchester County Board of Legislators Chair Ben Boykin announced that Legislator Kitley Covill will become chair of the Committee on Legislation, succeeding Legislator Virginia Perez who has resigned as chair and as a member of the committee. Legislator Covill will continue to serve as chair of the Social Services Committee.”
In resigning, Perez said: “My outside business interests have taken an increasing amount of my time. I have always devoted my full-time energies to the best interest of our constituents. I have concluded that given my increasing business commitments, stepping aside as chairwoman is best. It has been an honor to serve as chairwoman.” At her request, Perez also has been removed as a member of the Public Safety Committee.
Boykin said: “I would like to thank Legislator Perez for five years of service as chair of the Legislation Committee and wish her good luck in her future endeavors. I also would like to extend my congratulations to Legislator Covill on her appointment as chair of this important committee.”
Majority Leader Catherine Parker said: “I’d like to express my appreciation for Legislator Perez’s candor in expressing the need to focus on her new business venture and I wish her much success. I look forward to working with Legislator Covill as the board continues to advance important legislation in 2019.”
Two months ago, Perez created Pet Luxury (petluxury.com), which provides pet care products.
“Pet Luxury was founded by Westchester County Legislator Virginia Perez, a proud pet parent who as a lawmaker has been fighting to strengthen animal protection laws,” states the website. “Virginia created Pet Luxury due to her dissatisfaction with the quality of many pet care products on the market.
“Virginia is focused on providing formulas that are especially formulated to be gentle, safe and effective. Pet Luxury provides products that are free of harsh or harmful chemicals, dyes and detergents.
“Due to her great love for animals and desire to put an end to animal cruelty, part of the proceeds of Pet Luxury will be donated to various animal welfare organizations that focus on the health, safety and psychological wellness of animals.
“Pet Luxury products are carefully formulated using popular fragrances and nutritional ingredients that were originally designed for humans. To ensure quality and safety, our products are made in an FDA registered, NASC certified, cGMP and FSMA compliant laboratory.”
Perez has vowed to donate a portion of her profits to animal welfare organizations. Last year, she and County Legislator Margaret Cunzio worked together to strengthen the county’s Animal Abuse Registry Law after hearing about “Pebbles,” an abused pit-bull puppy who was abused by his owner, which was caught on video.
Legislators Perez and Cunzio questioned Captain Mark Busche from the Westchester County Department of Public Safety about why after six years on the books, the Animal Abuser Registry only has two names listed as animal abusers when a far greater number of animal abuse cases have been adjudicated in that time. The Westchester County Animal Abuser Registry was created by the Board of Legislators in 2012 through the passage of a local law.
Perez supported tougher enforcement of laws against animal abusers, saying: “We will make sure that all county entities from courts to the district attorney to the county police are well coordinated and empowered to enforce this important provision. Regardless of what crime they plead guilty to, I want to see mandatory inclusion on the Animal Abuser Registry for anyone charged with animal cruelty. It has been said that the greatness of a society can be judged on how they care for their most vulnerable. We have the tools to help protect these animals and it is time to make sure this registry is being used properly.”
The question that many are asking is: Why did Perez resign her post and will she run for re-election in November? The rumor in Yonkers is that Perez was going to be challenged by City Councilwoman Corazon Pineda-Isaac before she resigned her chair posts on the BOL.
Perez served, with Kaplowitz, as the two democratic votes that provided Westchester republicans with a working majority, and a majority of votes on the County Board for Astorino’s 0 percent property tax increases. Perez’s votes also made Kaplowitz County Board chair, overthrowing then BOL Chair Ken Jenkins. Combined with her challenge to Stewart-Cousins, there is no love for Virginia in democratic circles in what is now deep-blue Westchester.
