Castro-Blanco: Budget Delay Threatens to Sink Finances
Candidate Cites Lesnick's Failed Leadership for City Council's Inaction
Yonkers, NY -- Republican city council president candidate Jim Castro-Blanco is blasting incumbent Chuck Lesnick for putting Yonkers in serious financial jeopardy pointing out that the Yonkers City Council is now 11 days beyond its deadline to adopt a budget for the city's municipal operations and school district,
Yonkers' new fiscal year is set to begin in only two-and-a-half weeks on July 1st noted Mr Castro-Blanco. That means there's dangerously little time for the city to adopt a budget, have it approved by the state comptroller as required before it begins running out of money in early July.
By law, the City Council was supposed to have adopted a budget no later than June 1st.
"It's unconscionable that we are nearly two weeks beyond the deadline and the City Council has yet to adopt a budget. Soon the city will run out of money to pay for critical services that the people of Yonkers depend on: money that operates our police department, funds fire houses, pays our sanitation workers and keeps our public schools running. This failure to act falls squarely on the shoulders of Chuck Lesnick who has clearly abdicated his role of leadership on the Council," hammered Castro-Blanco.
The first-time candidate went on to explain that Lesnick's inaction and indecision not only endangered Yonkers' immediate future, but also threatened the city's future.
"Unfortunately, Yonkers' has a recent history of state-imposed financial control boards and the continued failure of the City Council under Chuck Lesnick to adopt a budget threatens to put us right back there again. The people of Yonkers will not tolerate another control board," Castro-Blanco said.
Castro Blanco continued, "Everywhere I go residents tell me how frustrated they are by the same old political scene in Yonkers. We desperately need a change in leadership on the City Council. When I'm council president, Yonkers will move forward because we will have strong leadership and a clearly defined vision for our city's future."
The candidate concluded by calling for immediate action on the budget. "We can't afford any further delay," he said.
Learn more about Jim Castro-Blanco's campaign for Yonkers City Council President at JimCastro-Blanco.com.
Who are you kidding Mr Castro-Blanco since you are in bed with Mr. Amicone nothing will change except more of the same corruption and failed policies that transpire in City Hall. Mr Amicone has you right where he wants which is right between his legs.
Posted by: anon | June 11, 2009 at 19:56
What an ass!! Blame the clown!!!
Posted by: Fed up | June 11, 2009 at 20:30
You are part of the probem! We need a FCB YOU people have wasted tens of millions of our hard earned money!
Posted by: Fed up | June 11, 2009 at 20:54
Mr. Castro-Blanco, do you pay property taxes, do you own a house?
Posted by: homeowner | June 11, 2009 at 23:13
So Castro-Blanco would rubber stamp the Amicone tax increases without trimming the fat at all.
Posted by: Castro will loose | June 11, 2009 at 23:19
Bring in the Control Board. At least our hard earned dollars will not be wasted on patronage jobs and take home cars.
Posted by: Anonymoose | June 11, 2009 at 23:43
Is this guy talking?
Posted by: None of the above | June 11, 2009 at 23:48
the mouthpiece for amicone, should first ask his boss to cut WASTE and lower taxes..
Posted by: anon | June 12, 2009 at 00:36
I thought it was hysterical on News 12 vyesterday when Lesnick admitted that he was looking for the public's imput on what changes to make in the budget. Lesnick critisized Castro-Blanco for not "weighing in" at public hearings on the budget.
What an embarrassment. What is this guy doing in this important seat if he's not willing, or capable, of making a decision, and shirks his responsibilty to the public? We need change here folks.
Posted by: YoungGun | June 12, 2009 at 06:55
Wow. The Lesnick spin machine was working last night. No Republicans to respond bc they wewe all at the gop dinner. Now for a FACT.
The law requires the council to approve a budget by June 1st, not sometime "in the first couple weeks" like Lesnick says.
Castro-Blanco is right but you Lesnick workers and Amicone haters refuse to open your eyes and see that the council has not done its job.
Look at the mess in Albany. Do you want a control board from the foloks in Albany telling us what to do?
Posted by: real deal | June 12, 2009 at 07:00
What was Steve Levy doing at John Rubbo's house Monday night, the day before petitioning started? My friend is a republican who is carrying petitions for Mr. Rubbo and recognized him as he was leaving. What's going on here? Who's backing who? I'm confused.
Posted by: confused republican | June 12, 2009 at 08:05
I'm sorry but the 8:05 post is a new low even for Yonkers. We are all so paranoid and full of suspicion that we are reporting who is going to and from someone house? Is it really your (or our) business? Last I heard there was freedom of association in this country. I dont care if the most liberal person in the world goes to the home of the most conservative. That is their business, NOT yours, and certainly not mine.
I mean Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Antonin Scalia are best friends despite being polar opposites on the court. So if they visit each other that is anyones business? Of course not.
I have a used copy of 1984 if you would like to buy it.
Posted by: Big Brother is Watching YOU | June 12, 2009 at 08:35
Wheres your budget cuts? Shut up if you're just another mouthpiece for City Hall.
Posted by: voter | June 12, 2009 at 09:20
thats the problem with the blog...people are
looking to villify by innuendo and by association..its like they are voyeurs anonymously..no one signs their names..so you never know who is making the accusation
these should be places to discuss issues
but people can't help themselves..they take
their frustration out on others secretly
kind of like in stalin's russia
Posted by: just the facts | June 12, 2009 at 09:30
THE ENTIRE STATE OF NY IS IN SHAMBLE BECAUSE OF THE BOZOS IN ALBANY AND YOU WANT ANOTHER CONTROLL BOARD THE ENTIRE STATE NEEDS A CONTROLL BOARD IF PEOPLE OF THIS STATE WANT CHANGE THAN THEY NEED TO CLEAN HOUSE AND GET RID OF EVERYONE IN ALBANY
AND THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF YONKERS WHO SUPPORT AMICONE STOP KISSING HIS ASS BECAUSE HE HAS DONE NOTHING BUT TALK HE ANOTHER CROOK
Posted by: John Doe | June 12, 2009 at 09:47
Welcome to the Third World.
Posted by: anonymous | June 12, 2009 at 11:25
Most everyone knows Lesnick has been a lousy Council president. He isn't called Chuckles the Clown and other derisive nicknames for no reason.
Let's see what this sad sack City Council does with the budget. Knowing the history, and the pattern, don't expect much.
Where are the pay cuts, the furloughs, and other steps that can make a real difference for taxpayers? Oh, that's right. They don't care about the taxpayers.
Don't count on the Council to do what's right. Instead, look for token items and maybe a one percent reduction in Amicone's proposal. No one will confront the unions, or Amicone's patronage mill either, and so, as usual, taxpayers will continue to be ripped off.
As for Albany, let's see if lower Westchester residents will get rid of the likes of Stewart-Cousins, Mike Spano, Pretlow and Brodsky. If they don't, they deserve what they get.
What is really needed for Albany is term limits. The voters can't be relied on to do the right thing. Past elections have proved that, with almost all incumbents winning re-election over and over, even if they are the pits. And the great majority of them ARE the pits.
Posted by: Anon E. Mous | June 12, 2009 at 12:06
oh no... not that "vision" crap again.
Posted by: anon | June 12, 2009 at 12:10
Maybe this guy needs a new pair of glasses.
Posted by: anonymous | June 12, 2009 at 12:49
castro blanco is a far better choice
for council president than lesnick..
he has no ties to existing back room
wheeling and dealing..just because the mayor
recognizes that he would make a better council president, doesn;t mean that the
mayor expects him to do the mayor;s bidding
in fact the opposite is true as a former
US attorney he will do what is right...and
this budget fight is a perfect example.the
council cannot skate on the theory that
the budget is the mayors and that they have no affirmative obligation to propose solutions..what the hell were they elected
for..to simply sit there and criticize
without coming up with alternatives...
lesnick won't because he doesn't want to
offend any of the unions of any constituents
groups that he will need in the general
election..so all he can do is throw it
back to the mayor..that is not the kind
of pro active leadership that the city needs
right now...chuck needs to step up to the
plate..
Posted by: just the facts | June 12, 2009 at 13:04
Yes, We need a control board at the very least!!!!
Posted by: FED UP | June 12, 2009 at 13:49
What Yonkers needs is new politics. Maybe a cleaner version with some real business minded people who are for the whole not the few, a couple of people with real world experience in a Major Corporation or entrapaneurs who under stand Risk Managment but are ethical. A clean house to begin with, no deals to get a deal to make a deal of getting elected...If a society cannot base its codes on true merrit and hard work, than it crumbles underneath it own foundation of patronage and "faith" based dreams of the future.
Posted by: blah | June 12, 2009 at 13:54
Mr Just facts continues his rants but the fact of the matter that Castro-Blanco has not .offered or tendered any viable solutions concerning the current fiscal morass that confronts Yonkers-nothing but the typical mud slinging and blame game
Posted by: anon | June 12, 2009 at 15:05
In today's JN:
Yonkers cited for poor record keeping in federal loan program
BY ERNIE GARCIA • ELGARCIA@LOHUD.COM • JUNE 12, 2009
YONKERS - An audit of a city-administered job-creation loan program found that inadequate oversight produced few jobs for low-income residents.
The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development cited Yonkers for "significant weaknesses" in its controls of the Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program, which resulted in the creation of just 209 verifiable jobs out of the 1,915 that were supposed to be created by loan recipients between 1997 and 2007.
The city's problems included inadequate monitoring of the use of the loans, failure to notify HUD of loan defaults, poorly maintained loan-repayment accounts and little data on job creation.
The March 6 audit blamed staff in the city's planning and economic development offices, which suffered from staff turnover.
In some cases the low-interest loans didn't produce a single verified job.
A $3.4 million loan in 2000 to acquire property promised 520 jobs but only created one after the loan was repaid.
A 2007 loan for $950,000 was for developing a restaurant and ferry landing on the waterfront. That project is up and running, but city records could not verify that any jobs were created, even though people currently work there.
Planning and Development Commissioner Lou Kirven called the city's loan program a success despite the poor record-keeping, which he said the city will improve.
He added that the low number of jobs reported does not reflect the true numbers.
"The Ridge Hill project has a very low number (of jobs reported), but if you go up there you see hundreds of people working," said Kirven, who in February wrote to HUD detailing all the corrective actions the city will take.
Yonkers residents Valerie Pearson and Annette Arthur, members of Community Voices Heard, brought the audit to The Journal News' attention. The women said it casts doubt on city officials' job-creation claims regarding downtown redevelopment.
Kirven said that even if loan recipients failed to create the projected jobs, the city must continue lending.
Councilwoman Sandy Annabi, D-2nd District, sits on the Section 108 Loan Committee and said that, in the two year's she's been on it, it only met once. She criticized the selection of loan recipients.
Kirven said the loan committee only met when there was a need to take action and that loan recipients are chosen based on their ability to repay the loans, which the city must make whole if there is a default.
_____________________________
Holy smokes, Batman! I'm sure SFC is there with their hands out as well. 520 jobs promised and only one created. Nice work!
Posted by: LL | June 12, 2009 at 15:28
Rubbo, Shepand, Degiongio, Lesnick and Winnicici all waiting for Indepandence Party Leaders to regain sanity and make endorsements. This and the Westchester Consenative Tea Party at YonkersRising.com - Rising Times Blog.
Posted by: chris | June 12, 2009 at 16:00