Mt. Vernon City Comptroller Deborah Reynolds spoke to Mt. Vernon Rising about the City’s financial affairs, her difficulties in working with Mayor Richard Thomas, and the upcoming Democratic Primary in Mt. Vernon for Mayor.
We initially spoke to Reynolds based on a story we wrote in the June 14 issue that referred to a lawsuit that the Mt. Vernon School District had filed against the City for a lack of payment of collected taxes. Reynolds reminded us that the lawsuit had been decided in the City’s favor—her favor—and that—The Mount Vernon City School District already received the funds a month before they filed their lawsuit. The Comptroller believes this was an attack on the her Office by the Mount Vernon City School District and Mayor Richard Thomas who used this lawsuit as more ammunition to falsely accuse her of not doing her job, an attempt to further slander her good name.
Our discussion continued into the City’s ongoing troubles and concerns, including the recent loss of the city’s bond rating and garbage going uncollected for 2 or 3 days. This was our first conversation we have had with Comptroller Reynolds, and we found her calm and comfortable in her new position, and not to blame for the City’s drama.
“I am enjoying my new position and have been working to help the taxpayers and the entire city. But I need someone who is willing to work and help me fix the many issues and make sure that the people of Mt. Vernon have a responsible government working for them,” said Reynolds, referring to Mayor Richard Thomas and the troubles with the Mayor departments lack in providing residents with permits, transferring funds in the budget, so the city can repair our streets and broken sidewalks, and the lack of transparency from his administration.
“We lost our bond rating (from Moody’s) because Mayor Richard Thomas who oversees the Urban Renewal Agency did not disclose it’s 2016, 2017, 2018 and now 2019 financial audits disclosing how grant money he received from (HUD) Housing Urban Development was spent for the last 4 years. With no credit rating the Comptroller’s Office states they cannot bond for capital improvements nor borrow money in emergency situations.
Another financial problem that lies at the feet of the Mayor according to Reynolds is in the Water Department is that Mayor Thomas also hasn’t turned over to the City of Mount Vernon any surplus (excess) money he oversees in the last 4 years he’s been in office.Those tax dollars await a transfer so that the City can begin needed infrastructure repairs or other items needed in the city, according to Reynolds. “The residents haven’t gotten the excess from the Water Department because they have been told not to send the funds to the Comptroller’s office.”
For two days earlier this month, Mt. Vernon residents did not have their garbage collected. Reynolds explained that the City’s Department of Public Works Commissioner Mark Ederer decided to personally lease Garbage trucks on his own from a company in Ohio, despite the fact that the City has its own fleet of DPW trucks that are working.
Reynolds doesn’t know why the garbage wasn’t collected when the city’s garbage trucks are repaired, but did point to a continued problem with Mayor Thomas is completing everyday, normal tasks, like sending vendors bills on time to counter-signing vendor’s checks for City business that is returned to the Comptroller’s Office weeks even months behind. Reynolds reminded us that the lawsuit regarding paying the bills Mayor Thomas brought against the Comptroller’s Office had been decided in the Comptroller’s Office favor—her favor “The Mayor always put the blame on the Comptroller or the City Council. He always wants it his way, but he lies about what is really happening. This is a hoax on the people of Mt. Vernon, everyday it’s another hoax,” said Reynolds.
The problems that Reynolds is having with Mayor Thomas are similar to the same problems when it came to not paying the bills that former Comptroller Maureen Walker had with Thomas. “The problem is with Mayor Thomas not doing his job.”
In the upcoming race for Mayor in the democratic primary June 25, Reynolds did not make an endorsement, only saying “I need someone who will work with me to clean up the city.”
We thank Comptroller Reynolds for setting the record straight and giving the people of Mt. Vernon the Truth.
