Politics on the Hudson

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano announced today that the city’s projected budget shortfall for the 2012-13 fiscal year is at least $72.6 million just to keep the city at the status quo with no increases in services or salaries.

Spano, a Democrat who took office three weeks ago, said in his statement that the numbers are based in part on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed state budget. Spano also warned that the shortfall is expected to grow.

“This number is a current projection across the board,” Spano said in a press release issued this afternoon. “We are beginning the process of working with our State Legislative representatives in Albany. We will continue to partner with our labor unions and City Council to ensure we can maintain our budget to protect our work force and taxpayers. Additionally, our Education Redesign Team will further examine our budget to look for efficiencies needed to bridge the gap for our students.”

The city’s new fiscal year begins July 1 and Yonkers mayors traditionally unveil their proposed budgets in April because the state is supposed to adopt its budget on April 1.

The full text of the release is on the jump

Former Yonkers Councilman Fernando Fuentes called on Mayor Mike Spano to appoint more Hispanics to high-level positions in City Hall.

Fuentes, who served on the council in the 1990s, noted U.S. Census figures from 2010 finding that almost a third of the city’s population is Hispanic.

Here’s his email:

January 11, 2012 (Yonkers, New York).   Former Yonkers City Councilman Fernando Fuentes (D- 2^nd District) is calling on Mayor Mike Spano to include Latinos to top level positions within his administration.

“Our Latino community has come a long way and for Mr. Spano to consider appointing someone as ‘Liaison to the Hispanic community’ is insulting,” said Mr. Fuentes.

According to the 2010 Census the City of Yonkers Latino population stands at 65,044 or 32.47% of the total population.  Under Mayor Terence Zaleski, a Democrat, the City of Yonkers had a Deputy Mayor of Hispanic descent and there were a number of Latino appointed to director positions.  Mayor Mike Spano has not appointed a Latino to any director, commissioner or deputy mayor positions.

“The City of Yonkers used to published a yearly Equal Employment Opportunity Report that gave an accurate picture of the number of Latinos that where employed by the city, now they won’t even make it available,” continued former councilman Fuentes.

In May 2012, the Mayor also has an opportunity to make appoints to the Yonkers Board of Education.

“So far you can see a large number of Latinos at night, when a private company is hired to clean city hall, you won’t see that many of us during business hours holding major positions that impact our daily lives,” added Mr. Fuentes.

“The City of Yonkers receives millions of dollars from the federal, state, and county government based on our Latino population and right now Mayor Spano is willing to receive the money, but not have us adequately represented,” ended former Counciman Fernando Fuentes.

Here’s a glance at today’s opinion content:

Astorino and the election: Editorial
In our Westchester-Putnam edition, we carried an editorial that analyzed the still-unclear results of Tuesday’s election. The Democratic “supermajority” on Westchester County Board of Legislators is in play and we look at the implications for Republican County Executive Rob Astorino.

Rockland’s vote
The day after Tuesday’s election in Rockland, in which voters selected a sheriff, town and village officials and members of the County Legislature, it’s clear that the regional trend toward Republican leadership is waning. Democrats scored key victories.

Election: Reisman
Phil Reisman weighs in on Westchester’s election results, focusing on the county board of legislators races, Mike Spano’s mayoral win in Yonkers and the return of Ernest Davis in Mount Vernon.

Rockland legislature: Baird
Bob Baird examines the results and implications of the Rockland County Legislature elections in today’s column.

Hugh Fox, chairman of the Westchester County Conservative Party, issued a “Dear Fellow Conservatives” letter today denouncing Yonkers mayoral candidate Mike Spano, who to the chagrin of party leaders has the party’s ballot line in Tuesday’s election. Fox wrote that Spano does not share the party’s ideals and principles, and called even an attempt for Spano to gain the party’s line the “absolute pinnacle of hypocrisy and calculated political opportunism.” Here’s his letter for more:

The $685 million Westchester’s Ridge Hill officially opened yesterday with speeches and ribbon cuttings, yet the debates over the 81-acre retail-residential complex continue in Yonkers’ politics and in the current city elections.

At a candidates forum on Monday at Sarah Lawrence College, Republican mayoral candidate and Councilman John Murtagh, who voted against Ridge Hill in the City Council, told voters that he was part of a group of residents that filed a lawsuit seeking to block Ridge Hill.

Meanwhile, Murtagh said, Democratic mayoral candidate and Assemblyman Mike Spano worked for a high-profile lobbying firm promoting Ridge Hill while Spano took a break from elected office.

At the same forum, City Council Fifth District Republican cnadidate Mike Breen also voiced his long-standing opposition to Ridge Hill and he blamed the complex for worsening flooding after Tropical Storm Irene.

Breen promised voters that he will continue to monitor unresolved Ridge Hill issues over policing and over the construction of a new firehouse to serve the complex.

The city has not yet obtained property for the firehouse.

Mayoral candidate Robert Flower offered his congratulations today to Assemblyman Mike Spano for his apparent win in the Democratic mayoral primary last night.

Here’s part of the statement Flower issued:

Democratic Mayoral candidate Bob Flower has personally spoken with his opponents, Mike Spano and Chuck Lesnick, to congratulate them on their honorable campaigns and to wish Spano success as the party’s candidate in the November election.

“I wish Mike and Chuck good luck in all their political endeavors,” Dr. Flower said.  “And I thank my staff and the community leaders who assisted my campaign for their hard work.

“While my vote numbers fell well below my projections, our two other campaign objectives seem to be falling in place and promising a better Yonkers,” he added.

These objectives are recognition and potential adaptation of innovative fiscal and economic programs, as well as the replacement of the current system of governance in Yonkers with a “mission first and people first” model rather than “career first” focusing.

Symra Brandon, chair of the Yonkers Democratic Committee, said today that last night’s returns showing three of the party’s four endorsed candidates behind the top vote-getters is not a reversal for the committee.

Party-endorsed candidates Christopher Johnson and Dennis Robertson for the City Council’s First and Third Districts and county Legislator Jose Alvarado in the 17th legislative district were all in second place in last night’s initial returns, which varied from 62 to 79 percent of election districts reporting.

“I wouldn’t use the word embarrassing. We have one strong candidate and the numbers are still out,” said Brandon, noting party-endorsed Assemblyman Mike Spano’s clear numerical advantage in the Democratic mayoral primary.

Brandon said that even if her committee’s endorsed candidates don’t pull ahead, the party will welcome the candidates that prevail.

“You challenge the establishment, you win it and the establishment works with you,” said Brandon, adding that voter turnout in her party’s races was very low. “We coalesce around those people who come out of the primary. We’ll just move ahead and continue our job to win. It’s part of the democratic process.”

Assemblyman Mike Spano, D-Yonkers, announced today that he will receive a mayoral endorsement at 12:30 p.m. from the Black Democrats of Westchester and the Hispanic Democrats of Westchester at the steps of Yonkers City Hall.

Spano, the Democratic-backed candidate, faces a challenge in the Sept. 13 primary election from Robert Flower and City Council President Chuck Lesnick.

“We are excited to join Mike Spano here today to endorse his candidacy for mayor,” said David Ford, Chairman of the Black Democrats of Westchester. “Mike’s commitment to protecting and improving our communities is exactly what is needed in Yonkers.”

Jose Roman, Vice Chair of the Hispanic Democrats of Westchester said, “Mike represents a new way of addressing the issues facing Yonkers. We believe his approach to providing for quality education, fiscal stability and local job creation will lay a new foundation for growth in Yonkers.”

In addition to their endorsement of Mike Spano for Mayor, the two organizations also announced their endorsement of Jose Alvarado for County Legislator in the 17th Legislative District. Both the Black and Hispanic Democrats of Westchester expressed their support for Alvarado’s continued advocacy on behalf of the residents in his district, Spano’s press release stated.

Yonkers mayoral candidate Robert Flower criticized the Westchester County Board of Legislators’ hiring of Conservative Party insider Gail Burns.

Here is what Flower, who is challenging Democratic-party backed candidate Mike Spano and City Council President Chuck Lesnick in the Sept. 13 primary, said in his press statement released yesterday.

The recent hiring of long-time conservative activist Gail Burns as a County Board of Legislators administrative aide and the expectation that this will lead to write-in votes on the Conservative line for Mike Spano as Mayor of Yonkers  is one more example of the backroom politics that has hindered  progress in the city, said Democratic Mayoral candidate Bob Flower today.

“It’s a commitment to the same-old, same-old  politics that keeps those responsible for Yonkers’ problems in positions of executive and legislative responsibility,” Flower declared.  “How can residents of Yonkers break free of this bondage if the same people who brought the city to its current state of disrepute continue to shape its future.”

The lifelong resident of Yonkers is basing his campaign on an “after all the politicians, it’s time for competence” theme and is calling for someone with executive, rather than legislative, experience to head City Hall.

“The city needs new ideas and executive skills, not the failed policies and leadership of the past,” he said.

Yonkers Assemblyman Mike Spano got a mayoral endorsement today from three of the Yonkers City Council’s Democrats.

Spano, the Democratic party’s endorsed candidate, faces a Sept. 13 Democratic primary challenge from City Council President Chuck Lesnick and Robert Flower.

“Mike is the only candidate who can bring the strong leadership our city needs to protect education and provide new opportunity in Yonkers,” said Councilwoman Patricia McDow, 1st District. “He’s been an effective advocate for Yonkers as an Assemblyman and will be the effective Mayor our city needs now more than ever.”

“It’s time to bring change to the Mayor’s office and implement the reforms that are important to us all, such as improving our schools so our kids get the support they need,” said Councilman Wilson Terrero, 2nd District. “Mike Spano is the clear choice to get that done. He has the vision to continue what is right and fix what is wrong.”

“Our city cannot afford to continue to be run by crisis year after year while spending more than our revenues allow,” said Councilwoman Joan Gronowski, 3rd District. “Yonkers voters have a real opportunity this year to elect a Mayor who has the ability to make real progress for our city.”