Ardsley, NY News

 

Armonk, NY News

 

Bedford, NY News

 

Bedford Hills, NY News

 

Bronxville, NY News

 

Chappaqua, NY News

 

Cortlandt, NY News

 

Eastchester, NY News

 

Greenburgh, NY News

 

Larchmont, NY News

 

Mamaroneck, NY News

 

Mount Kisco, NY News

 

Mount Vernon, NY News

 

New Rochelle, NY News

 

North Salem, NY News

 

Ossining, NY News

 

Peekskill, NY News

 

Pelham, NY News

 

HOUSING RESOURCE: Don't Let Your Family Go Homeless This Winter In Middle Of A Pandemic

 

Mount Vernon City Council Members Criticize Comptroller

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: City council members on recently discusses Comptroller Deborah Reynolds and what they perceive to be her lack of transparency, accountability and professionalism that have left the city in dire financial straits.

PRESS RELEASE: With a looming COVID-19 second-wave compounding other critical financial needs, the city faces a crucial crossroads – the release of more than $12 million being held by the comptroller or drastic austerity measures including a possible 25 percent cut across all agencies or a 10 percent tax increase on already burdened local taxpayers.

MOUNT VERNON: City Councilmen Derrick Thompson and Marcus Griffith and other local stakeholders detailed what they said was the comptroller’s impact on city residents, their demands for transparency and cooperation, and plans for holding Reynolds accountable.

The city officials listed what they said were instances that Reynolds has acted improperly.

* Failure to accept tax payments from residents for months.

* Refused to allow external auditors access to perform testing needed to complete the city’s 2016 audit, which will play a critical role in re-establishing the city’s bond rating.

* Failed to provide financial reports to city officials for 30 months.

* Failed to process transfer taxes, which caused state title companies to send a letter threatening to stop doing business in Mount Vernon.

* Failed to follow legislation passed by city council and Board of Contract & Estimate.

* Failure to disperse HUD/URA money in a timely manner

* Failed to pay reimbursements for paving, holding up $2.3 million in CHIPS money over an unpaid $370,000 bill.

* Failed to sign off the voucher for the State Division of Criminal Justice Services GIVE grant for $220,000.

* Failed to process school taxes, causing the school district to take over the collection of school taxes and costing the City of Mount Vernon more than $600,000 in revenue.

* Failure to pay public safety personnel. Blocked the hiring of 11 firefighters in Oct/Nov 2019 because a family friend was not selected for the force.

* Failure to follow civil service law. Reynolds has refused to produce certified payroll and has been given 33 payroll exception notices that she has ignored. Additionally, she has refused to follow step increases for civil service employees, many of whom are on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic, for the last two years.

* Failure to comply with federal contract requirements related to 666 funds, which is a requirement of the US Department of Justice.

* Failure to process payments and reimbursements has caused the Veterans Service Agency to lose its accreditation. “Our nation’s heroes deserve so much more than to be insulted by the inaction of our Comptroller,” said the mayor.

* Failure to accept funds owed and paid to the city. Turning away hundreds of thousands of dollars from revenue-generating departments, including parking tickets, a $300,000 sewer bill in 2019 from the school district and money from PILOT tax payments ($183,000) and various departmental revenues.

The city council indicated that if Reynolds fails to comply, they will ask State Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to intervene.

The comptroller did not respond to a request for a rebuttal.

The Urban League Launches No-Cost Financial Navigator Program In Mount Vernon to help residents tackle COVID-19 financial challenges.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: In partnership with the national nonprofit Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund), the Urban League of Westchester have launched a Financial Navigator program to help Mount Vernon residents navigate critical financial issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

PRESS RELEASE: Navigators will provide over-the-phone guidance at no cost to help Mount Vernon residents access available programs and services designed to help them manage income disruptions and other financial stressors. 

MOUNT VERNON, NY: Financial Navigators will be available remotely starting immediately to provide guidance over the phone to help residents access available programs and services to manage income disruptions and other financial concerns.

QUOTE: "Urban League of Westchester welcomes the opportunity to bring the Financial Navigator program to Mount Vernon residents who are negatively impacted by COVID-19," said Sorraya Sampson, President and CEO of Urban League of Westchester. 

Financial Navigators help residents one-on-one to triage personal financial issues, identify immediate action steps to manage expenses and maximize income, and make referrals to other services such as eviction prevention, personal loans, small business loans, and food banks. 

Financial Navigators will help residents with one-on-one sessions to help identify immediate action steps needed to manage expenses, maximize income and realize other services available to them. 

The Urban League of Westchester is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically under served urban communities.

Residents can access these remote services by calling 914-222-8615 to sign up.

The financial navigator will then send a short service agreement and call the client to begin their personal session.

Organizations across Mount Vernon can also refer clients directly to a financial navigator. 

The Financial Navigators initiative is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Citi Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and the Wells Fargo Foundation. 

"The Financial Navigators program will help Mount Vernon residents assess and prioritize their financial concerns and get connected with the right resources," said Jonathan Mintz, President and CEO of the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund.

Harrison, NY News