03-26-08
Mayor Clinton I.
Young inspires record crowd with his first State of the
City Address
It has been
over twelve years since Mount Vernonites last flocked to
City Hall to attend a State of the City Address
delivered by a new mayor.
On Wednesday night, March 26, nearly 250 people packed
the Council Chambers at Mount Vernon City Hall to hear
Mayor Clinton I. Young deliver his very first State of
the City Address. The ceremony understandably lacked the
fancy electronic gadgetry used by the former mayor, like
a video presentation and the use of a teleprompter, but
nevertheless, Mayor Young hit a home run with his
speech, according to those in attendance.
Before the mayor entered the overflowing Council
Chambers to deliver his speech, there was much chatter
going on, and there was undoubtedly an appearance of
excitement, joy and happiness on the faces of most in
attendance. Throughout the entire room, people could be
overheard saying, "This kind of change has been long
overdue."
The record crowd was comprised of average citizens,
Mount Vernon city officials, commissioners, department
heads, along with county and state officials.
When introduced by the City Council President, Loretta
Hottinger, Mayor Young immediately acknowledge the many
dignitaries in attendance and quickly commenced
delivering his much awaited speech.
The mayor opened by stating: "Thank
you for your presence. It is a privilege to work with
such dedicated individuals at all levels of government.
I sincerely appreciate your belief and support of my
vision of a better future for Mount Vernon. By working
together we will improve services for our young people,
boost economic development, and save tax dollars."
He followed by stating, "On January 1st, I
was sworn in as the 20th Mayor of our great
city. Then, I inherited a city plagued by severe fiscal
crisis, high taxes, mismanagement, federal
investigations, alleged criminal activity and an overall
declining negative image that has filtered throughout
the state. I must admit that we have found that things
were and are worse than expected. However, I have found
people with the willingness to work hard, who have
pledged, like I have, to not give up on this city."
The
following are highlights from the mayor's speech:
"I have made
the youth of Mount Vernon a top priority of my
administration. Our children need our attention and
guidance, and they need a place where they can go to
feel safe, to be productive, explore their interests,
and build upon career goals. In January, I quickly
scrapped the infamous Hip-Hop Museum project that was a
waste of time and endless resources, in lieu of a
building that will be dedicated to young people in our
city. The Youth Empowerment Building will be a place our
young people can call their own. We are working with
focus groups, sponsors and contractors to bring this
building to fruition by next year. This building will
house our Youth Board offices.
"We need to make sure that our resources to battle crime
and corruption are used wisely and efficiently.
Unfortunately, our city has been strangled by
unprofessional conduct, waste, and very little financial
oversight in certain city departments. As a result,
property taxes in Mount Vernon have gone up, while city
revenues have gone down. Consequently, we may face a
substantial budget deficit at the end of this year, due
to mismanagement and union contracts negotiated behind
closed doors in bad faith. These factors -- as well as
proposed cuts on the state and federal levels -- may
take a tremendous toll on our budget and ultimately
taxpayers."
"My
administration is working on a complete overhaul of the
Mount Vernon website and providing E-government
services. Through this new interactive website, that
will be launched on May 1st of this year, you
will have the ability to pay taxes, parking tickets,
water bills and fees online, as well as access and
download many departmental forms 24 hours a day. We’re
making government more accessible to you, on your
schedule -- not ours."
"Right next
to Petrillo Plaza, the MTA has in place, a plan to
replace the Park Avenue bridge beginning next Spring. It
will disturb traffic in the area for a few months, but
will be worth it in the end to have a brand new bridge."
"Finally, on
a more positive note, we are on the verge of breaking
ground on a new state-of-the-art stadium at Memorial
Field. This new stadium is a collaboration with our
government partners in Westchester County Executive Andy
Spano, County Board Chairman Bill Ryan, and County
Legislator Lyndon Williams. My administration inherited
a field that was dilapidated and deteriorating with each
passing day. The new Memorial Field will be the crown
jewel of Westchester County outdoor athletic facilities.
Thanks to our many partners in government, our children
will no longer play on a decrepit field, but a field of
dreams."
"The City has not had a master plan in over forty years.
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 City Hall and each of the
communities in Mount Vernon for our Master Plan to be a
success. That is why I have formed a Master Plan
Committee, which includes Janet Snyder (my former
opponent) who has a wealth of development knowledge. We
all need to have input in this Master Plan to ensure
long term success for Mount Vernon. And, with the help
of our newest City Council member Marcus Griffith, who
has a great interest in moving our Master Plan forward,
I expect to make this city the best city in Westchester
County."
The speech lasted approximately one hour and throughout
the speech the audience listened with great interest,
applauding endless times during the mayor's speech.
At the end of the speech, the large crowd was directed
to the Rotunda, where food and refreshments awaited all.
The entire speech can be read online by going to:
www.mvinquirer.com.
New City Council member, Marcus A. Griffith
A view of the record crowd that attended the speech
