MEDIA ADVISORY- MOUNT VERNON WE NEED TO CONTACT CONGRESS OR ATTORNEY GENERAL ON THIS!! SERIOUSLY.. This is CRAZY. If you can come out tonight, I know its short notice but they JUST called a special meeting!! (quote by Jacene Thomas) City Council to Pass 19.0% Total Tax Hike for FY 2013; Councilman Thomas says, “Fiscal Mismanagement at its Worst” TOPIC: City Council to Pass 19.0% Total Tax Hike for FY 2013; Councilman Thomas says, “Fiscal Mismanagement at its Worst” DATE: Thursday, September 11, 2014 TIME: 5:45 PM LOCATION: City Council Chambers ADDRESS: City Hall, One Roosevelt Square, Mt. Vernon, NY 10550 WHAT: Mt. Vernon City Council Public Meeting ----------- Mayor, Comptroller requests $6 million to close FY 2013 budget gaps, Vote will be taken at 5:45 PM TONIGHT, Thursday, September 11, 2014 – minutes before 9/11 Ceremony MT. VERNON, NY (September 11, 2014) – After hundreds of residents packed the City Council meeting last night in opposition to a double digit tax hike and lodged demands for transparency on Memorial Field, the Mt. Vernon City Council will hold a special meeting TONIGHT, Thursday, September 11, at 5:45 PM to consider legislation requested by Comptroller Maureen Walker and Mayor Ernest Davis to transfer $6,600,430 in additional monies to cover expenditures beyond the FY 2013 budget limit. It is important to note that the transfer legislation failed at the previous Council meeting last night with one Council member abstaining and the other casting the sole “Nay” vote by Councilman Richard Thomas. “According to the FY 2014 adopted City budget, the tax rate for FY 2013 was 6.5 percent. Should this $6.6 million transfer occur, this translates into an additional tax burden of 12.5 percent for FY 2013, making the total tax hike 19 percent. This is fiscal mismanagement at its worst,” said Councilman Thomas. He added, “The additional $6.6 million will have to come from somewhere and there are no answers from the Mayor or Comptroller on how this happened or the options available to close their deficit – other than raising taxes on homeowners. I will vote no on this measure again and call on my colleagues to stop this double digit retroactive tax so we can craft a responsible plan toward fiscal solvency.” This failed measure is up for a second vote on the heels of Councilman Thomas and hundreds of Mt. Vernon residents call for transparency and accountability to gross fiscal mismanagement by the City of Mt. Vernon. “Mt. Vernon lost millions due to mismanagement in the past, and it appears that another $6.6 million is vanishing, dealing a body blow to the people of Mt. Vernon who are struggling to make ends meet,” said Councilman Thomas. According to the latest fiscal report Mt. Vernon appropriated $96 million for fiscal year 2013; however, the City spent over $102 million during the time period. For the past few years, Councilman Thomas has pursued answers to City spending habits but details are being concealed by an entrenched bureaucracy.In recent weeks, he has submitted Freedom of Information requests to uncover details on millions wasted at Memorial Field and 12 other pet projects of the administration. Summary information is provided below. # # # The City of Mt. Vernon’s 2013 appropriation expense report includes: The City’s appropriated $96,395,000 for 2013, and spent $102,301,605.48. Tax refunds amounted to $3,000,000 in payments for over-taxing property owners. The Fire Department was originally allocated 13,405,877 but the administration subtracted a total $429,506.81 from its budget, cannibalizing an already understaffed department. The document contains little to no information on the amount of money spent on Memorial Field or 12 other pet projects overseen by the administration. # # # To schedule an interview, please call 917-703-4564.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 19:36:04 +0000
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