Mayor Mike Spano, with City Council Majority Leader Tasha Diaz, left and City Councilwoman Shanae Williams right
The silent majority of residents in Yonkers go to work, raise their kids, and play by the rules. They want the best education they can give their children, and they want safe streets for them to play in. They don’t rant on Facebook, or ridicule others on Social Media.
They also see what is happening in New York City and across the country and watch it on TV. After 12 years they are pleased with the direction of their City, and in the leadership of Mayor Mike Spano, who we endorse for reelection in the democratic Primary June 27 and in early voting starting June 17.
Under Spano’s leadership, Yonkers has:
–Controlled property taxes
–Increased education funding to historic levels
–Been a leader on environmentally friendly initiatives
Increased affordable housing units: Yonkers has the most affordable housing units in Westchester. And while there is a debate over the percentage of affordable housing units that new developers should be required to build, every new development project in Yonkers means more affordable units added. An empty building or vacant lot provides Zero affordable units.
Controlled Crime: Yonkers is one of the safest Big Cities in New York State and across the country, according to FBI statistics.
The issue of term limits is also a part of this election. Spano is seeking a fourth, four-year term after the council made the change last year. When we speak to people in our travels around Yonkers delivering Yonkers Rising, very few put Term Limits at the top of their list. Crime and Education are the two issue we hear most about, with taxes third.
Over Spano’s time as Mayor, there has been very little negativity about New York’s 3rd largest city. The only negative headline came recently, in the form of accusations of nepotism in City government. Most people in Yonkers already knew that the Spano family was large and that many members of the Spano family serve in Civil Service positions in Yonkers. Most of these positions are roles in public safety that required both written and physical exams to ensure the best of the best were hired. That is why Yonkers has such high performing Police and Fire Departments. We applaud and thank anyone, including those with a Spano name, who put themselves in harms way every day to protect others.
The Spano patriarch, Leonard Spano Sr., started a tradition of public service 50 years ago. The Spano’s go to work every day, serve the public, and have proven themselves to be an important part of the city.
When Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins endorsed Mayor Spano last week, we thought that Councilwoman Corazon Pineda-Isaac needed the same type of Big-Name Democrat to come in and endorse her campaign. Perhaps a powerful state senator or county leader. But that didn’t happen.
Pineda-Isaac focused all of her available media attention on nepotism, which is a hard argument to make when you have your mother and your sister serving in similar jobs you are accusing the Spano family of. Pineda-Isaac also holds a county job that is considered a political appointment.
Pineda-Issac also has more than $2,000 in unpaid parking tickets. LOHUD reports that, “When you add up the tab for tickets she incurred on both her BMW and the city-issued vehicle she gets assigned for serving on the City Council, Pineda-Isaac has run up fines and penalties totaling $6,295 since 2014.”
The tickets should have been paid for before Pineda-Issac ran for Mayor. The inability to do so either shows a disregard for the importance of respecting the rules, or a disorganization in her campaign.
Pineda-Isaac also supported many of Spano’s initiatives and budgets while on the city council. Now she is running against Spano claiming that he was wrong on many of the issues that she supported him on. That is a tough sell.
We were impressed by the campaign of Margaret Fountain-Coleman. Fountain-Coleman had served in public office before, in other communities, as a Trustee in Tuckahoe, and in Virginia. We find this experience to be an asset because it shows that she can get elected and serve people. But many voters don’t know her well enough to elect her Mayor of Yonkers. We hope that Fountain-Coleman can continue to serve in the field of education, helping educate the young people of Yonkers.
Voter apathy is also a problem in this election and many smaller, local elections. Whether you support or oppose former President Trump, his presence has made it difficult to focus on other issues. People also seemed to be too busy with their own lives to focus on the race for Mayor of Yonkers, which is a problem for both Pineda-Isaac and Coleman.
We have heard that progressive democrats, and members of Indivisible, are supporting both Pineda-Issac and Coleman. This underscores the view of many politicos that both will split any opposition vote to Spano.
When you are running against a three-time popular incumbent, you need a knockout, and neither Pineda-Isaac or Coleman got close to that. The reason seems to be that overall, the people of Yonkers are satisfied and content with what’s happening in their city, and the leadership that Spano has provided.
We Endorse Mayor Mike Spano for Reelection in the Democratic Primary June 27. Early voting has already begun, at the Will Library, Riverfront Library and the Nodine Hill Community Center.
