The Mount Vernon Building Department has become a nightmare under Mayor Shawyn Patterson Howard. Residents wait months, sometimes years for permits. The question is: is this incompetence, or something far more sinister?
Reports point to a disturbing “pay-to-play” scheme. A man who is not even a city employee occupies space inside the department and calls himself an “expediter.” When residents hit a wall trying to secure permits, he offers to “help” for a price. Homeowners are told to pay around $3,000 to move their paperwork forward, while contractors have been charged as much as $30,000.
This expediter allegedly works hand-in-hand with certain department employees to fast track approvals for those willing to pay. He has even been accused of cutting deals on inflated building violations, pocketing the cash, instead of turning it over to the city.
Worse still, it is reported that the Mayor and City Council are fully aware of the expediter and his corrupt scheme. Their silence makes the department’s endless delays look less like incompetence, and more like a deliberate shakedown of hardworking residents and contractors.
Where Is the State?
In August 2023, Mayor Patterson Howard, under fire asked the state to review the Building Department, after mounting complaints of inefficiency, backlogs, understaffing, and outdated procedures. At the time, there were roughly 800 backlogged applications.
By June 2024, the New York State Department of State’s Division of Building Standards & Codes warned the city, it could assume direct control if urgent problems weren’t fixed. Inspectors cited serious failures in permitting, inspections, and compliance with state standards.
City’s Response
Mount Vernon officials claimed they hired staff and contractors, updated processes, improved inspections, and began digitizing records.
The Reality on the Ground
The state has not taken over the building department. Officials boast the city is “in a much better position than a year ago,” but many residents strongly disagree. Residents complain that the pay-to-play scheme remains alive and well, enriching insiders, while the system continues to grind down ordinary residents.
Mount Vernon’s Building Department doesn’t just look broken, it looks rigged.
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