Politics on the Hudson

The County Board of Elections got petitions from 24 people for Yonkers mayoral and City Council races.

The deadline was July 14, but candidates can also mail in their petitions, so more could arrive next week. Here’s a list of the filers so far:

Mayoral petition filers:

Assemblyman Mike Spano

City Council President Chuck Lesnick

Councilman John Murtagh

former City Council President Richard Martinelli

Carlo Calvi

Robert Flower

Shirley Thompson

City Council First District petition filers:

Mark Hynes

Lawrence Sykes

Christopher Johnson

Brian A. Carter

Ivy Reeves

City Council Third District petition filers:

former Councilman Dennis Robertson

Michael J. Sweeney

Lamont Badru

Michael Rotanelli

Michael Sabatino

John R. Bryant

Michael Francis Meyer

City Council Fifth District petition filers:

Katherine Brezler

Kathleen Thomas

Joseph Crotty

Michael Breen

Stephen Cerrato

Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone vetoed a law today adopted by the City Council on May 31 limiting city workers’ overtime to $20,000 annually unless their superiors give special permission for it.

Here’s Amicone’s letter to the City Council released to the media:

Yonkers Mayor’s Overtime Veto

The Civil Service Employees Association union representing non-teaching staff in the Yonkers Public Schools issued a press release today blaming city officials for failing to reach a budget deal to prevent the layoffs of 368 of its members.

The city’s proposed 2011-12 budget included more than 700 school layoffs to close a school funding gap of $42 million. The new fiscal year begins on July 1, and that’s when the layoffs take effect.

Here’s what the union local president Bobbie DiBattista had to say:

On behalf of the members of the CSEA Yonkers School District Unit, I would like the public to know we have made every effort to work with the administration of the Yonkers Public Schools to avoid the layoff of 368 of our members,” said CSEA Yonkers School District President Bobbie DiBattista. “We attempted to resolve the layoff issue through meaningful discussion. However, no matter what we did, the issue of layoffs was fraught from the beginning with anti-union rhetoric and was stuck in the quicksand of Yonkers politics. It is truly unfortunate that the individuals on both political sides, including Mayor Amicone and members of the City Council, were more concerned with their own political futures than the proper education of the children of Yonkers. It’s a shame that supposed grownup individuals decided to play politics and preferred to bash working people who live in Yonkers instead of resolving the issue. The layoff of 368 dedicated CSEA members shall forever be an example of their incompetence.

Here is the full text of the union’s press release: (more…)

Former Yonkers Councilman Dennis Robertson told The Journal News today that he’s pulling out of the race to return to his former seat in the City Council.

Robertson, who left the council four years ago, said he decided not to mount a campaign for personal reasons. The city’s Democratic Party nominated Robertson for the Third District at its May 23 convention for council candidates.

City party chair Symra Brandon could not be reached this afternoon for comment about the status of the party’s Third District nomination.

Robertson said he’s aware of three candidates seeking to replace Councilwoman Joan Gronowski, who has decided not to seek a second term.

On Monday one of those contenders, Michael Sabatino, announced that he has received the Working Families Party’s endorsement. Last month Sabatino received the Independence Party’s nomination.

The Yonkers City Council will hold a last-minute 9:15 meeting tonight to redraw their request asking the state legislature to create a transitional finance authority.

Yonkers officials want the TFA so they can  borrow $20 million to help close a $42 million deficit in the Yonkers Public Schools that threatens more than 700 layoffs on July 1.

Last week city officials said that state officials called their plan unsound, provoking a press conference and finger-pointing.

Although there was no draft resolution on the TFA in the Yonkers City Clerk’s late-Sunday night email announcing the meeting, one significant change in the TFA could be the elimination of a salary freeze.

The previous request sought to freeze Yonkers workers’ salaries, which last week Sen. Jeff Klein’s office likened to a Wisconsin-style attack on public workers.

Last week Assemblyman Mike Spano, who is running for Yonkers mayor, pointed to the state comptroller’s office’s concerns that the TFA proposal is financially unsound. This morning Spano’s office informed that the state comptroller’s office’s concerns were expressed verbally, not in any written form that could be shared with the media.

Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone released a press release this afternoon asking the City Council to hurry up and take action on a financing scheme that could deliver up to $20 million to the Yonkers Public Schools.

Amicone is proposing that the city create a Transitional Finance Authority, something that requires approval by the state legislature. The City Council held a hearing last night on the topic, the latest in a series of meetings about this authority.

The council took no action last night and some council members may travel to Albany next week to discuss the matter with officials from the state Comptrollers Office and with the city’s state delegation. The city charter requires the City Council to adopt a budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year by June 1.

The currently proposed budget includes more than 700 layoffs in the schools to close a $42 million gap.

Meanwhile, the council’s Republicans issued a press release of their own calling for “shared sacrifice,” which means city workers accepting a 5% pay cut, a wage freeze and a freeze in city contributions to union welfare funds.

Here are copies of Amicone’s and the council Republicans’ statements: (more…)

The Yonkers Democratic committee quickly adjourned Monday night after endorsing former Councilman Dennis Robertson for the Third District and Christopher A. Johnson for the First District.

The quick adjournment meant that there were no acceptance statements after the vote tallies were announced, so here is Johnson’s post-convention statement:

Christopher A. Johnson Wins Endorsement of the Yonkers Democratic Party in 1st Council District Race

(YONKERS, NY)—Yesterday evening, the Yonkers Democratic City Committee called district leaders to convention to officially nominate candidates in the 1st and 3rd City Council districts.   With 1,668 votes, Christopher A. Johnson won the convention and the support of the Democratic Party in the City of Yonkers.

“Receiving the endorsement of the Democratic Committee is a great first step for our campaign,” said Christopher A. Johnson, Democratic Nominee for the 1st Council District.  “The residents of southwest Yonkers have very specific concerns that are vital to improving the City as a whole.  This campaign will serve as an opportunity for the people to have access to the government through inclusion and innovation.  I am excited to be able to connect with so many of Yonkers’ residents.”

Symra Brandon, Chairwoman of the Yonkers Democrats said, “Christopher’s personality and work ethic are truly special and will surely allow for him to hit the ground running as a Councilman.  I have had the chance to work directly with Christopher and have seen the results that he achieves on everything that he does.  As a former elected official, colleague and friend, I’m proud of Christopher and I’m even more excited to have him running as the Democratic Nominee for the 1st City Council District.”

“I am grateful to all of the District Leaders who supported me at the convention and look forward to working for the people of the 1st Council District to help improve the quality of life in our community,” concluded Christopher A. Johnson.

Yonkers resident Joe Crotty, a Republican candidate for the City Council’s Fifth District, says he’ll continue his quest for a line on a ballot for the Republican primary on Sept. 13.

Crotty did not receive the city Republicans’ endorsement on Friday night for the Fifth District, which went to Mike Breen. Current, term-limited Councilman John Murtagh is running for mayor.

Crotty and Stephen Cerrato both sought the nomination unsuccessfully. Cerrato said today that he’ll continue his efforts to get on the primary ballot  and on Saturday Crotty released the following statement:

“The Yonkers Republican Party does not belong solely to the small number of people who are members of the party’s official apparatus.  It belongs to the people outside of the organization-the Republican voters-who are looking to support Republican candidates that will bring energy and a fresh approach to representing their values on the City Council.”

Here is the full version of his press release: (more…)

When it comes to assigning blame for Yonkers’ current budget crisis that threatens 700 school staffer layoffs and huge school program cuts, blaming Albany for the city’s lack of money is more of a crowdpleaser than pointing to spending on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

That’s the lesson City Council President Chuck Lesnick learned last night during a rally on the steps of City Hall, where Yonkers public school students, their parents and school staffers protested to urge the Yonkers City Council to cough up more cash to avert the school cuts.

The City Council is currently reviewing the budget and there was a hearing last night on the proposed budget, so Lesnick and Councilman John Murtagh, R- 5th District, both came out of their offices to join schools Superintendent Bernard Pierorazio and parents on the steps.

Lesnick and Murtagh, who are both running for mayor, somehow got handed the megaphone so they could take turns speaking.

When the crowd chanted and demanded where the money is, Lesnick told them that it’s in Afghanistan and Iraq.

That statement provoked a wave of boos and catcalling from the crowd, which began chanting again and essentially drowned out Lesnick’s message for anyone standing in the crowd.

Murtagh, who spoke before Lesnick, sang a familiar and more popular tune of blaming Albany for the city’s predicament, which is partly true since the state cut $6.5 million from the district this spring, on top of the $22 million it cut last year.

The City Council must adopt its 2011-12 municipal-school budget by June 1 and there is another public hearing on the budget set for 7 p.m. on May 23 at Saunders High School. No word yet on whether the protesters will attend.

Former Yonkers City Council President Richard Martinelli will officially launch his campaign for mayor tonight.

Martinelli, a Republican, will hold his 6:30 p.m. launch at the Polish center at 92 Waverly St.

Martinelli, son of former Yonkers Mayor Angelo Martinelli, served one term as City Council president until 2005 when he lost his reelection bid to current City Council President Chuck Lesnick.

His campaign website is www.MartinelliForMayor.com

Prior to serving as City Council president, Martinelli represented the Third District on the city’s west side.

After his public service, Martinelli returned full-time to his family’s business, Gazette Press, located downtown in Larkin Plaza.

Martinelli’s primary Republican challenger is Councilman John Murtagh, R-Fifth District, who also wants to replace outgoing Mayor Phil Amicone.

Amicone is finishing his second term and he is term-limited.

Yonkers voters can expect to get a mailer from Murtagh shortly regarding his campaign. Here is a link to it.