Peekskill Mayoral Candidates on the Issues

On Tuesday, Nov. 8 voters will elect the man or woman that they think is best to run the City of Peekskill for the next two years. The contestants in the mayoral race are incumbent Mary Foster, endorsed by the Peekskill Democratic City Committee and Tony Washington, endorsed by the Peekskill Republican City Committee.

The PRCC candidates for City Council are Barbara Kerasiotes, Steve Woods and Joe Brady. The PDCC candidates for City Council include Darren Rigger, Kathleen Talbot and incumbent Deputy Mayor Don Bennett. For more on the PRCC candidates click and for more on the PDCC candidates click .

Patch sat down with both mayoral candidates, separately, to ask them about a few of the issues over which residents have voiced concern. Among those issues are public safety funds, improving Peekskill’s image, the government’s role in schools and with city youth, the central Firehouse, the city’s human resources practices and the plans to build a central firehouse.

Their responses to each issue is organized below.

Foster on her accomplishments as mayor this term:

Foster was elected mayor of Peekskill in 2007 and again in 2009. Here are some of the things she is proud of accomplishing in her most recent term, 2010-2012: the improvements in the downtown and businesses that came into the downtown, Walgreens, the 2^nd Nature skate park, which is the “first of a recreational business coming into the city,” the nightlife and the culture.

“What we are proud of is the people who are attracted to the city to buy buildings, rehab buildings and open stores and restaurants. I think that demonstrates our friendliness to business and how hard we work to bring in grant money and other funding sources that doesn’t put a burden on our tax payers but creates the city as really a destination.”

She also said she is proud that “we did this without increasing the tax burden on our residents… We are managing our finances by cutting out discretionary funding and holding the line on total spending as much as we can.”

Foster said that the she and the council cut taxes in 2009, did not increase taxes in 2010 and increased taxes by one percent in 2011 for the firehouse.

Total spending has gone up 2.6 percent in the last year, “less than the rate of inflation,” Foster said. The mayor explained that the city used some old reserves and were glad they could do that instead of “taxing people out of their houses.” Foster added that the city has cut water, permitting and some planning department fees.

Read more about Foster's campaign here.

Washington on his plans if elected:

Washington’s campaign has focused on things he has opposed in the current administration, so we asked what he plans to do if elected under his own administration.

Washington said that the most important thing he would do is to get the “financial house in order,” and look at the things that have to be done, then what need to be done and then what “is nice” to do.

He gave to examples of how he thinks finances could be better managed: considering a multi-year budget, rather than year-to-year budget; and bringing “discipline” to the budget process by asking department heads to start with a zero-based budget, meaning they would start with nothing and have to justify every dollar they ask for. 

Washington said he does not recommend layoffs but wants to look at ways to improve inefficiencies and efforts.

In terms of development, he said that the “city’s economy needs to be as diverse as the population.”

The candidate explained that there are things the city should do to have sustainability because "no mayor stays forever." He also emphasized a need to focus on public safety and code enforcement, getting the public’s input and making sure the business community feels it has an active partner in City Hall. “We need to declare the city open for business and use any opportunity to bring jobs and commercial money in.”

Read more about Washington's campaign here.

On Public Safety

Both Washington and Foster said that public safety is a top priority. The current would not fill four police positions currently vacant due to retirement and attrition. But, as they assess and change the proposal, Foster says that she and the current City Council are working to find a way to fill two patrol officer positions without cutting other city jobs. The final budget must be adopted in December, before a new term begins for whomever is elected.

Foster said that the Peekskill City Manager “self-imposed” a hiring freeze that was not discussed with the Common Council, which is why positions were left empty for 2011.

“It is not our goal to keep those positions vacant…and we had a heated discussion that the 2011 empty positions were not filled,” Foster said. “We hadn’t been told that the (2011) positions hadn’t been filled.”

Foster said she wants to look at all city positions and see if there is a way to move people around, and possibly fill desk positions in the police department with people in redundant positions outside of the PD in order to get more patrol officers on the streets and to fill the empty positions.

Foster explained: “We need to have a lot more conversation about how many of our uniform personnel are not on the street and why? Can (employees from other departments) be trained to fill some of those (desk) positions?”

Washington said that filling those empty positions would be a priority of his as well and cited issues of prostitution, drug use and overcrowded neighborhoods as indications of a short-staffed police force. He said without seeing the actual, final budget numbers he does not know exactly how he will fill the vacant positions.

 “If elected, one of the first things that I intend to do is go through the budget with a fine tooth comb and interact with various departments to find ways we can save more money.”

He said that there were things he did not know and that “I don’t want to pretend that I know everything or have all the answers.”

Washington said that working with the Chief of Police and City Manager to assess the current situation would be the first step and that they might not be able to address it until the next budget year. (The 2012 budget will be adopted before Washington would take office, if elected).

Washington added that however he deals with public safety he will judge his success on viable results in “neighborhoods that feel they are under siege already.”

On the Firehouse Plans:

Last year Foster said she had hoped that the new firehouse would break ground this past spring. The project has been delayed and, although the city now owns one piece of property needed to build the 30,000 square foot, $16 million central firehouse, it is still negotiating with two people who own the other parcels the city needs. The community has expressed on the project. Some support the $16 million plan while others say it will increase taxes too much during the tough economy.

“We are absolutely moving forward (with the project),” Foster said after discussing how current firehouses are inadequate facilities for the city’s firefighters. “We are trying to do it without too much of a tax burden”

The city is applying for grant money for the project. If they get the money they will be able to lower the transfer tax to two tenth of a percent, Foster explained.

She also said that she hopes the city will own the other two pieces of land needed for the project by the end of this year.

Washington said he knows the firefighters need better facilitates, but that he would need to assess the city’s financial situation and revisit the project in order to make a decision on if it should move forward.

“I think the project needs to be looked at again and that we really need to make some hard choices about exactly what’s required for firefighters to train, live and fight fires, versus the current design,” Washington said.

Washington said that he knows that might not be a popular decision but that he needs to look at the boarder picture and what taxpayers can afford to pay, especially with “uncertain outcomes of things we know are out there on the horizon.”

He was referring to pending litigation, potential increase in cost for the firehouse, a union arbitration decision, union negotiations, and costs for environmental clean up of city-owned land.

City Human Resources

Citizens have been attending Common Council for the last year complaining of unfair treatment by city management. In addition, activist groups have attended almost every meeting and frequently accused city management of not adequately addressing grievances and not implementing the city’s “Zero Tolerance” policy adopted several months ago.

In response, the city hired a customer service training consultant to train management and a human resources consultant to train and survey employees on workplace issues and treatment.

Foster and Washington both said that a human resources function in City Hall is lacking.

Washington called the problem a “lack of process.” He would work to get updated documented policies and procedures in place and “assess the gap between what the city has and what it needs.”

He continued that the city would need to ensure that appropriate behavior was modeled at the manager level, that training opportunities be provided and that everyone be held accountable. Washington lastly emphasized that people must feel they are treated fairly in the hiring process and on the job.

Foster said that she and the council are frustrated with the current lack of structure and current communication issues with the city manager. “The city manager is trying to hold it near and dear to his heart and not share,” Foster said of the information obtained so far from the consultants. She has asked the manager bring the consultants to the next council meeting to update her and council members on what they have learned from city employees.

There is $30,000 budgeted for human resources for 2012, but Foster says she does not know if that is enough. “It is a huge priority for the budget and a huge missing piece,” she said.

The city needs to have more information including which processes need to be improved, how to modernize the hiring process and ensure it is fair, encourage training and how to have a better interface with unions.  

 “We need to figure out what we need to have a real, functioning HR department.”

When asked how she is working with city manager Rick Finn to overcome communication issues reflected in council meetings and which she expressed in our conversation, Foster said she and the council have told him he “needs to be on the same page.”

On the Tattoo Parlor:

Peekskill resident Patrick Conlon has been working with the city for over a year in an attempt to open a tattoo parlor in downtown Peekskill. The council has , but has not yet made a final vote.

Foster said that in downtown Peekskill, a body art shop would be ok, but a “fly by night” tattoo parlor would not. The council is working to define the differences between the two and to avoid “spot zoning.” She said she wants everyone in the downtown to feel comfortable with the outcome.

Washington said his perception of tattoo parlor’s have changed thanks to popular television shows like “L.A. Ink.” He says he would be open minded about exploring the idea, especially after hearing that the potential tattoo shop owner, Patrick Conlon, is very willing to work with the city.

On The City’s Image:

During his presentation to the Common Council in September, the city’s new Economic Development Specialist James Slaughter said that one of the city’s biggest challenges was working to overcome historically negative perceptions about crime and living conditions in Peekskill.

Both Washington and Foster said that while the perception may exist, it is inaccurate. I asked them how they would work to change Peekskill’s perceived negative reputation.

Foster said that the accomplishments and success of the downtown area and number of people that visit for restaurants or shows are helping to change that perception. The city is also working to attract retailers and businesses to challenge that perception, she said.

“We are becoming a cultural destination,” she said.

Foster explained that Peekskill has a skilled, trained workforce that can help attract businesses and that the city has been working to piggy back on industries targeted by the county like biotechnology and agricultural business. Bringing more business to the city is a way to counter the negative image, Foster said. She added that the served as a way to find out what people think is missing and addressing that.

Washington said the first thing you have to accept is “perception is reality to the people that have it, and I think we have done an ineffective job in championing the city.” He explained that, although he feels the perception is erroneous, the city needs to hold the press to task for not doing enough to highlight the city’s positives, like programs for youth, seniors and the educational system.

“I think those are things the mayor can do.”

 “It is up to us to do some proactive work in getting the message out that it is a welcoming city….When you look at the history of Peekskill it was always called ‘Peekskill, a friendly town, ’ and it is.”

He said that he wants to expand on recognizing and honoring groups and individuals that make a difference and said that Foster has done a good job doing some of that recently.

On the role of the government and the city’s youth:

Patch asked the candidates what they feel the role of government is with city schools and city youth in general.

Washington said that the government is separate from the schools, but they should have a symbiotic relationship. “We need to be more closely aligned on where we are headed as a community.”

Washington said that the perception that you can’t get a good education in Peekskill schools is a problem and a myth. He cited scholarships and the success of the city’s students.

The candidate also touted the role of programs like Pop Warner football, the Youth Bureau and other sports groups that provide youth with positive activities.

He said that as mayor he’d like to be a catalyst to team up businesses with youth groups to teach young people about the workplace and importance of having a job.

Mayor Foster also commended the Youth Bureau on its work with city youth, as well as Peekskill Agencies Together, which brings resources within the community together to provide needed services.

Foster explained that the Youth Bureau targets teens at risk of not having access to lot of opportunities that others have. The programs teach leadership, job skills, performance, and matching teens to jobs and internships, she said.

The role of the government with the city’s youth is to “provide a safety net to make sure all kids have opportunities to enrich their lives,” Foster said.

In terms of the city’s role with schools, Foster said that the police department works with the schools, running the DARE program and providing presence when requested. She said that police presence in the schools helps young people see officers as people who can be helpful.

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