Mount Vernon burns, bleeds, and buckles, while City Hall posts selfies and slogans.
Mount Vernon has had one of its darkest weeks in recent memory. Multiple murders. A devastating fire that displaced nearly 100 families.
Neighborhoods shaken. Residents terrified. A city crying out for leadership, information, and a plan.
And what does the Mayor choose to publish as the official “Weekly Report”?Not emergency updates.Not resources for the displaced.Not crime briefings, that include murders.Not public meeting notices.Not budget explanations.
Not even a single acknowledgment of what residents are living through.Instead, we get glossy photos, feel good filler, and a carefully curated snapshot of an administration that seems determined to pretend nothing is wrong.
This would be laughable if it weren’t so dangerous.
A City in Crisis Led by People in DenialWhile families sift through the ashes of their homes, and loved ones grieve lives taken in violence, the administration is busy congratulating itself and pushing out promotional content. No urgency. No seriousness. No information that a functioning government would consider basic.Meanwhile:
The administration is trying to ram through a developer orchestrated Comprehensive Plan that will reshape Mount Vernon forever
It eliminates single family zoning, opening the door to unchecked development, and accelerating displacement without a fiscal impact study, without a full environmental review, and without holding legally noticed public meetings.It is planning by ambush.
• The city has presented a 2026 budget that raises property taxes another 6.09%on top of the 40% increases already piled onto residents in recent years with no structural reforms, no spending cuts, and no transparency. They are burdening homeowners with huge inspection fees and additional refuse fees.
• The Board of Estimate and Contract voted to have a public hearing on the budget for December 1and then did absolutely nothing to inform the public.It appears nowhere: not on the city website, not on any department page, not on social media, not in the Mayor’s report.Zero notice. Zero outreach. Zero accountability.Residents cannot participate in public hearings they do not know exist. And this city’s leadership knows that.
All of this is happening while Mount Vernon spirals.Services are breaking down.Streets are unsafe.Families are displaced.Budgets are collapsing.Taxes keep rising.City Hall is out of compliance with state law on multiple fronts.And the administration’s official communication channel reads like lifestyle marketing.This is avoidance, not governance.
Mount Vernon deserves a government that at least acknowledges reality.It should tell the truth, not sell a narrative.It should serve residents, not protect politicians.Right now, Mount Vernon is a disaster.And pretending it isn’t is making it worse. |
