Mt. Vernon Dem Primary in 30 Days
By Dan Murphy
County Legislator Lyndon Williams is a good and decent public servant. Legislator Williams, who has served for the past 12 years on the County Board representing Mt. Vernon, has been able to stay out of the political soap opera that is Mt. Vernon democratic politics, maybe because Williams has a life outside of politics, as a practicing attorney husband and father.
Williams sadly pointed to a 10-year anniversary at Memorial Field, the legendary county track and ballfield where county playoff football games, and a Coke commercial with Mean Joe Greene was filmed. It has been 10 years since anyone has played or walked on Memorial Field, despite the efforts of Williams and others.
And there is no end in sight, because according to Williams, the City has missed a deadline that required it to clean up 55 Tons, not a misprint, 55 TONS, of illegally dumped debris. That dumping took place under former Mayor Ernie David, but nobody knows who did it or where it came from.
If the City removes the debris, then Westchester County government, led by County Executive George Latimer, will help pay for and fund a rehabilitation of Memorial Field. Who is responsible in Mt. Vernon City government for missing the deadline?
That’s where the political drama comes in and it becomes difficult to point the blame. The current Mayor, Richard Thomas, will point the finger at the City Council and Comptroller Deborah Reynolds for the dysfunction, not only with Memorial Field, but in passing a late budget and not paying City bills in a timely manner.
City Council President Andre Wallace is one of the democrats challenging Mayor Thomas in a democratic primary for Mayor June 25. Wallace, who recently received the endorsement from Westchester law enforcement agencies including the National Latino Officers Association, Grand Council of Guardians, Westchester Correction Association, Blacks in Law Enforcement of America, Westchester Hispanic Law Enforcement Association, The New York State Hispanic Court Officers Society and Salsa Legend and Civil Rights Activist Willie Colon.
Former Mt. Vernon Police Commissioner Clyde Isley is the democratic party’s endorsed candidate for Mayor and is the candidate that Chairman Reggie LaFayette hopes will retake City Hall. Shawyn Patterson-Howard is also on the ballot and is the outsider in the race. Former Mayor Ernie Davis was kicked off the ballot for a lack of valid signatures, as was Councilwoman Delia Farqharson.
The backdrop for the Mayor’s primary on June 25 is the financial feuds in the City. The City Council overrode Mayor Thomas and passed a budget earlier this year with the assistance of Comptroller Reynolds. Reynolds was sued by Mayor Thomas in court to give him access to financial records, and Judge Susan Cacace sided with the Mayor, ordering Reynolds to release the records to the Mayor, but she has yet to do so.
In January, Moody’s, one of the country’s major bond rating agencies, withdrew the ratings on Mt. Vernon for insufficient information. Four months later, neither the City, the Mayor, the Comptroller, or the City Council have been able to rectify this matter, which the media has characterized as a “major financial headache’ for the City.
And yes, Memorial Field remains closed for 10 years now and counting.
