Mount Vernon – The 2017 Budget Process has been riddled with misinformation, conflicting and contradictory reports, email blasts and Facebook Live videos, leaving you with more questions than answers, as has been the case with many other issues in 2016 Mount Vernon, New York. It gets to be a bit much when residents are pit against each other and forced to take sides, when our elected officials tell us a different story everyday. Who are Mount Vernonites to believe? BW once again will try to shift through the propaganda from both sides and give the facts as we know them so you can make up your own mind and make informed decisions.
After the mayor released what he refers to as The Thomas Budget, which got voted down by the Board of Estimates and Contracts in the November 2nd meeting, the Comptroller & City Council announced the approval of what they termed a ‘Fiscally Responsible Budget for City of Mount Vernon.’ Emails have come out from both camps, Mayor Thomas called a special meeting and broadcasted it, which visibly show the Comptroller and City Council not present. Then the Comptroller and Council President held a Town Hall to answer questions. The mayor wasn’t present and says he wasn’t invited but Councilman Wallace who hosted the Town Hall, Saturday said the mayor was the first one invited.
Several other emails went out, the mayor says he wasn’t invited and called the new proposed budget as the “Back Room Budget Deal” and referring to the Comptroller and Council President as “Missing Money Maureen” and “Gridlock Griffith.” In the his statement, that included a legal opinion from 1st Corporation Council Brian Johnson, the mayor informs the residents that the budget public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, November 15th at 7pm is not going to happen and is illegal. Councilman Wallace issued a follow-up open letter to inform the public the hearing will proceed as schedule and ask the mayor to come together and stop with the name calling and trying to prevent the public from seeing the new proposed budget.
Well BW just obtained the latest budget proposal that the Comptroller and Council President spoke about at the town hall of Saturday (see below). We are posting it because many have complained they couldn’t find it on the city’s website. I can not tell who what side to believe, you have to make that decisions yourself, but I can encourage you to read the latest proposed budget, check out the ‘Thomas Budget‘ come out to the public hearing Tuesday and then make up your own mind and an informed decision. Stay tuned to BW for more on this developing story.
2017 Proposed 2017 Budget for City of Mount Vernon by Black Westchester Magazine on Scribd
AJ Woodson
AJ Woodson is the Editor-In-Chief of Black Westchester and Co-Owner of Urban Soul Media Group, the parent company, Host & Producer of the People Before Politics Radio Show. AJ is a Father, Brother, An Author, Journalism Fellow (Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism), Hip-Hop Artist - one third of the legendary underground rap group JVC FORCE known for the single Strong Island, Radio Personality, Hip-Hop Historian, Documentarian, Activist, Criminal Justice Advocate and Freelance Journalist whose byline has appeared in several print publications and online sites including The Source, Vibe, the Village Voice, Upscale, Sonicnet.com, Launch.com, Rolling Out Newspaper, Daily Challenge Newspaper, Spiritual Minded Magazine, Word Up! Magazine, On The Go Magazine and several others.
