In this series, we’re going to try to get to the heart of something I call “Responsible Development” in Mount Vernon. It’s something I’ve been trying to promote as a member of the City Council and one I will implement immediately as Mayor. Responsible Development aims to have Mount Vernon reclaim control over its development agenda – how we build, what we build, and what we are willing to invest in ourselves to see the right things built. Responsible Development above all demands that tax dollars are spent, as the name implies, responsibly. It requires transparency and accountability. Mostly, Responsible Development is part of a larger community conversation about what we want our city

Dear Neighbor, Mount Vernon has been my home for over 30 years. I’ve raised my family here, made friends here, and run a business here. There’s no place I’d rather call home. There’s no place I want to see succeed more. As City Council President, I have consistently served as the people’s voice against corruption and waste. I always vote against irresponsible developments (PILOTs) that are robbing the citizens of Mount Vernon of much needed tax revenue. I have bold and specific plans to make city government more responsive to the people. When I am mayor, my administration will establish an environment conducive to economic opportunity while improving quality of life for all Mount Vernon

I’m going to be outlining this topic in more detail in another 3-part series over the next few weeks, but I wanted to give you a quick preview of a discussion on a very important topic affecting every taxpayer in Mount Vernon. This series will introduce many of you to a concept you may not be familiar with: Payment in Lieu of Taxes (called PILOTs or PILOT programs). These programs are made in conjunction with local “industrial development agencies” which are authorized by State law to provide tax breaks for developers who want to build in a city. Generally speaking, they donate some amount to the local development agency and, in return, they receive huge tax breaks, which can last for dec

I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to the future of Mount Vernon. There’s a lot to accomplish in the present, but as an elected leader, part of my job involves positioning our city for future success. My background is in construction and education, so I’m always thinking about the importance of a solid foundation on which to build. This is no different than how we should approach government. Anything built on shifting sand will crumble and fall. So, the first challenge is to determine whether we are standing on solid ground. How do we measure if our city is moving in the right direction? Is there any particular metric that is more important than others? Some people will point to c

Last week, I came across an interesting CNBC interview with Alan Greenspan, former head of the Federal Reserve, who was discussing some of the economic challenges the country faces in the future. Mr. Greenspan is widely considered a preeminent economic expert and what he says can and often does move markets. In other words, when he talks, people listen. In this interview, he made a pretty shocking prediction about the national economy. He suggested that the burdens associated with financing entitlement programs would completely offset and eventually overwhelm the benefits associated with growth in the United States. Basically, he was saying that the social programs we have created will bank

This is the final part of the debate over legalization of marijuana. Now I will attempt to weigh the evidence for and against the legalization and share some of my conclusions. Obviously, this is going to be my position only. Your position may differ and given the complexities of the issues involved, won’t be surprising if people come to different conclusions. Understandably, people’s positions are most very likely to evolve as the issue works its way through the process. Before getting into my conclusion I wanted to address a few of the stickier issues despite everyone’s persuasive arguments, which still remain undecided or too close to call. They’re important issues that seem to weigh hea

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Last week, we discussed some of the new opportunities presented by a legalized cannabis industry in New York. Obviously, full recreational legalization is still some time away, but the momentum for it is growing. This series is designed to touch on some of the main points both for and against it. This week we’ll tackle the real world challenges that legalization presents, which are ignored or glossed over by advocates for legalization. As voters and elected officials we shouldn’t ignore the costs, which may even outweigh the many benefits we discussed last week. In Part 1 of the series we discussed some exciting opportunities associated with a regulated marijuana industry such as, compelli