Yonkers Rising and Yonkerstimes.com endorse John Rubbo for reelection to the Yonkers City Council representing the 4th District.
Rubbo truly cares about the City he was born and raised in, and is one of Yonkers’ biggest Cheerleaders. Rubbo has served as the City Council’s Majority Leader during the most recent term and has served the people of his District and all of the City with professionalism.
Councilman Rubbo is continually working to learn more about the issues facing the City of Yonkers and its people. He is a thoughtful public servant who strives to move the City forward by working with Mayor Mike Spano and City Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy.
There is no conspiracy about the work of Rubbo, Spano, and Collins-Bellamy. They are all elected officials who, in our view, have served the people of Yonkers well and deserve reelection.
In Rubbo’s 4th District, the biggest issue was the proposed expansion of Empire Casino-MGM at Yonkers Raceway. Rubbo, in our view, balanced the needs of his constituents and helped negotiate a community benefits agreement that would have invested millions to improve the lives of residents in the 4th District.
Rubbo should not be blamed because MGM made a rash decision at the last minute to bail out on its plan to secure a license from the state for full gaming in Yonkers.
The people of the 4th District need a working, effective City Council to continue the progress we see in Yonkers. Rubbo has been able to effectively build consensus on the council, not only with his fellow Democrats but also in a bipartisan way.
He has also worked on quality-of-life issues in his District, and we support his focus on public safety and law enforcement.
We do not agree with Rubbo’s opponent, Tony Solieri, on his views on the MGM expansion, nor on the way he has conducted his campaign. Together with other candidates and former candidates, we see AI-generated cartoons, videos, and caricatures that do not place the City and its leaders in a positive light.
Serving in the leadership of New York State’s third-largest City should not be a game. It is serious business, and Rubbo shows that every day as the Majority Leader of the City Council, local businessman, husband, and father.
We endorse John Rubbo for reelection to the City Council in the Fourth District.
