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Mayor Clinton I. Young, Jr. eager and poised to lead Mount Vernon to greater heights

By Joe Parisi
    The recent Mount Vernon mayoral race will undoubtedly go down in Mount Vernon history as the most controversial and bitterly fought race ever, causing much division amongst the populace. But signs of healing are starting to be seen all across the city, and Mount Vernonites appear to be bridging the partisan divide as well. The badly needed respite has finally taken place, and the dark cloud hovering over Mount Vernon is slowly disappearing. 
     On the night he won the Primary, Clinton Young stated, “Together, we have made history. Together, we have redirected our city’s destiny. Together, we will move our city forward, and we must repair our city’s image.” Already there is talk throughout Mount Vernon that Young is working feverishly to keep his campaign promises. Like his predecessor, in the short time he has been mayor, Young's presence is everywhere. He is starting to demonstrate that he plans on being a highly visible mayor. In addition,  citizens, merchants, and others have begun to positively label Young as "the on time mayor," since he is passionate about his promptness.
     There are a couple of serious issues that Young is currently viewing as major obstacles as the newly sworn in mayor of Mount Vernon. The first matter revolves around the $600 million lawsuit filed by the supporters of former mayor Ernest D. Davis against the FBI, DOJ, the US Attorney's office, Young and several others. The plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in spite of the fact that Davis suffered a crushing defeat. A hearing has been scheduled in federal court to determine if the case has any merit.
     The real focus of the lawsuit is to overturn the election Young won by a tremendously large margin, which many doubt will ever be overturned. Nevertheless, the lawsuit has become an unwelcome distraction to Young, as well as an added legal expense to the taxpayers of Mount Vernon.
     The other troubling dilemma facing young has to do with large sums of money owed to the federal government. Young inherited the mess in which the city had billed the government for nearly $2 million in unused or improperly used rental vouchers.
     Early in his mayoralty, Young has already gained the respect and admiration of many Mount Vernon merchants, who are counting on Young's leadership to help take the city to new heights and help them prosper as entrepreneurs in Mount Vernon.
     Young was the guest speaker at a recent Chamber of Commerce/Westchester County Association meeting that attracted a record crowd of nearly 150 Mount Vernon merchants, held at the Wartburg Adult care Facility in Mount Vernon. Before Young was introduced to the large gathering of concerned merchants, the Mount Vernon Chamber President, Gerrie Post, stated: "Mayor Young takes office at a critical time in the renaissance of Mount Vernon. Poised to rise to the next level, our city, with Mayor Young at the helm, faces several significant challenges. Mayor Young is here today to outline his vision for a new and better Mount Vernon." Upon introducing Young, the merchants jumped to their feet and gave him a thunderous ovation.
     The merchants then heard the mayor speak on the following subjects:

• The need for a new Master Plan for Mount Vernon’s zoning and development

• Development options for downtown and the Sandford Boulevard corridor

• The Empire Zone and New York State’s commitment to helping Mount Vernon grow

• His new appointments to his administration

• Taxes and the budget

• Public Safety and Policing

     The following are highlights from his speech:

"My success will not be achieved unless your success is achieved."

"In the short period I have been in office we have already accomplished a lot. It has always been my belief that nobody wants to do business, either as a business person or as a consumer at any level, unless you have a community that has a good image. I have been dealing with the safety and image of this community from day one. I have been listening to people who have talked to me about the improvements needed to help make Mount Vernon a better city. I have also listened to members of your community - the business community. And I have come to the conclusion that DPW is going to be an important part of reshaping and changing the image of this city. So, I want you to know that I have reached out to the business community and have appointed Terrence Horton as the new DPW Commissioner. I will have a successful business man leading DPW."

"I have made City Hall a lot user friendly from day one. You now have more cooperation from each and every department in my administration.

"We are at a juncture where we have an excitement about Mount Vernon in the air. The potential is still there for real long term success. But there must be a special cooperation between your organization and City Hall for our Master Plan to be a success. We all need to have input into my proposed Master Plan. I plan to make this city the best city in Westchester County."

"Since I took office, I have had twenty-five developers knocking on my door about projects they want to bring to Mount Vernon. And they are not talking about small projects either. We are talking about projects similar to the ones taking place in White Plains. They evidently recognize the potential in Mount Vernon. And not one project is under $15 million dollars. And this is from Sandford Boulevard, to Third Street, to Fleetwood. As enticing as this all sounds, I want to make sure that the projects are right for Mount Vernon. But I want you to know that we will not go forward unless we have a good Master Plan in place.

"We are faced with an enormous debt to the federal government. I don't know if the bill is $2 million dollars or $7 million dollars. The point is, I have to pay it. I am hoping that through negotiations and letting them see that Mount Vernon is growing; that there is a new spirit of cooperation; that there is a mandate from this community that we succeed; hopefully there will be some debt reduction."

     After his very informative speech, there was a Q&A session. 
     As Young moves forward to help revitalize and take Mount Vernon to another positive level, many will be watching and hoping crime, teenage gangs, dirty sidewalks and shuttered storefronts will become a thing of the past.

              Marty Rego, Chairman, Mt. Vernon Chamber of Commerce

Guest speaker, John Ravitz, CEO, American Red Cross, Westchester County

 

              Gerrie Post, President, Mt. Vernon Chamber of Commerce

                                             Terrence Horton

              A partial view of the many merchants who attended meeting