MOUNT VERNON, NY — André Wallace officially announces his candidacy for Mount Vernon City Council on the People Before Politics Show, Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015.
There has been some speculation about whether the building contractor and developer would be making a run for one of the City Council seats in play in the upcoming election. With 15 minutes left in the show, Wallace, who dropped by the weekly internet talk radio show to give a recap of Saturday’s community forum that took place in his building, made the official announcement that he is, in fact, running for the Mount Vernon Council.
At about 7:45 PM, PBP Radio co-host Cynthia Turnquest-Jones leans over to Wallace and says, “You’re running, aren’t you?” Wallace leans into the microphone and replies, “You figured it out?” The studio erupts in laughter, and Wallace then officially announces his candidacy for City Council and explains why he is running (see video below).
“I truly believe Mount Vernon’s greatest days are just ahead, but we have to work together to get there,” Wallace tells BW, Monday morning via phone. “We must understand the honor, responsibility, and extraordinary privilege it is to participate in the transformation of our city that will impact the lives of so many. The opportunity to make a difference should never be taken lightly, nor shall it be forsaken for one’s own agenda. We must be committed to conducting ourselves from the fundamental values that are at the heart of who we truly are, such as truth, integrity, and responsibility. As your City Councilman, I promise to be true to these values, principles, and commitment to changing Mount Vernon for the better.”
At midnight, Wallace officially launched his website as well as his Facebook and Twitter pages for the campaign.
BW previously interviewed Wallace at the groundbreaking ceremony for the long-awaited construction of the 159-unit Luxury Workforce Rental Apartment Building on Gramatan Avenue.
It was Wallace, who is the President of Creative Direction Construction & Design and The National Builders Association, who negotiated the contract with the developers that a large portion of the workforce for the project be Mount Vernon residents. Wallace is also responsible for training and preparing Mount Vernon residents in the construction skills, i.e., plumbing, electrical, masonry, OSHA certification, etc., needed to do the job.
“We refer to ourselves as “the city that believes” and the residents of Mount Vernon have wanted to believe for some time now that eventually, things in this city will change for the better,” Wallace continues. “But how can we believe anything will be different when our actions continue to be the same? It’s time for a new direction.”
