Politics on the Hudson

Despite Liam McLaughlin’s announcement yesterday that he will not challenge James Castro-Blanco for the Republican endorsement for city council president, September primaries are in the cards for both the GOP and Democrats.

McLaughlin, who is in his 10th year as a councilman from the Yonkers 4th District, said Wednesday that he had reversed his plan for a primary battle against Castro-Blanco, who had picked up Republican committee support at a GOP convention last week.

McLaughlin’s withdrawal sets up a battle for the council president’s post between challenger Castro-Blanco and the incumbent Chuck Lesnick.

In an interview today, Castro-Blanco criticized Lesnick for what he said were delays in city council approval of two major developments, Ridge Hill and the $1.6 billion downtown redevelopment plan by Streuver Fidelco Cappelli. If 1 1/2 years could have been shaved off Ridge Hill’s five-year approval process, the development could have been producing revenue in the coming budget year, Castro-Blanco said.

Lesnick said that Castro-Blanco was wrong in criticizing him for Ridge Hill, pointing out that he took over as city council president at the beginning of 2006, near the end of that plan’s review. That development won a crucial zone change in July 2006. Lesnick said the council’s continuing review of SFC development has enabled that project to avoid lawsuits that could have set back the plan further.

Castro-Blanco also criticized Lesnick for the council’s failure to approve the city budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The spending plan was supposed to be approved by June 1, according to the City Charter. Lesnick said the council had sought to work with the mayor in making changes in the budget, but that it was now prepared to make the changes on its own.

McLaughlin said remaining in the race to November would require more of a commitment of time and effort than he had anticipated. McLaughlin cited his law practice and family responsibilities as factors.
In the city’s second council district, Virginia Perez and Jose Roman plan to challenge Wilson Terrero, who won Democratic committee backing at convention in late April, a party primary in September, according to the city’s Democratic chair Ken Jenkins.

In the city’s fourth council district, three Republicans plan to challenge last week’s GOP convention choice of Dennis Shepherd, Running against him are Gerri Esposito, John Rubbo, and Ronald Volino.
Read more on this tomorrow in The Journal News and LoHud.com.

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