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Criticism Is Not “Chaos”: A Dangerous Mindset in Mount Vernon Politics

The dysfunction came first. The criticism followed. Officials have the order reversed.

When elected officials reframe civic criticism as an attack on the city, the goal isn't to answer residents. It's to delegitimize them.
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A 4/20 “Takeover” in Fleetwood — and No One Seems to Be in Charge

Residents are asking basic questions about a weekend 'cannabis takeover' in Fleetwood. City Hall isn't answering.

Residents are asking basic questions about a multi-day cannabis takeover in Fleetwood this weekend. No permit, no council vote, no response from City Hall.
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Sewage Is Flowing Into Hunt’s Woods. And No One Has Fixed It.

Testing Shows Fecal Bacteria at 45 Times the Safe Level. The City's Response: Set Up Signs Blaming Dog Owners.

Sewage Is Flowing Into Hunt’s Woods. And No One Has Fixed It.
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The Commuter Tax Proposal: Legally Suspect, Politically Dead, and Missing the Point

Mayor Patterson-Howard's latest revenue idea has a problem. Several, actually.

Mount Vernon's proposed commuter tax is dead on arrival in Albany and unconstitutional under existing precedent. So why is the mayor pushing it anyway?
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City Hall’s Private Charities

How Mount Vernon Officials Built Two Nonprofits to Fund Themselves with Your Money

Two city-employee-run nonprofits operate out of the same room in Mount Vernon City Hall. The Comptroller leads both — and approved $60,000 in federal funds to one of them. Public records reveal deep conflicts of interest and zero public oversight.
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We Met With Assemblyman Pretlow About Mount Vernon’s Fiscal Emergency

He supports state financial oversight — if the city council asks for it.

MVCIP met with Assemblyman Pretlow to discuss Mount Vernon's fiscal crisis. He supports state financial oversight — but the City Council must request it first.
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The Austerity Budget That Wasn’t

Mount Vernon is operating under what City officials describe as “austerity budget protocols.”

Mount Vernon officials approved $20,800 in conference travel, a Las Vegas junket for a Building Commissioner whose department is in shambles, and a portrait ceremony — all while claiming austerity.
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If It’s Administrative, Why Create It?

City Hall Ignores Austerity Budget and Lowers the Bar for Civil Service

Mount Vernon’s new infrastructure chief raises questions about executive power, consultant costs, and long-term fiscal risk. Who really pays?
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Why “Nothing Works” in Mount Vernon

How Dysfunction, Incompetence, and Corruption Became the Operating System

When dysfunction, incompetence, and corruption overlap, nothing works. Mount Vernon's government trifecta explained — and why reform can't wait.
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New York: The State of “There’s Nothing We Can Do.”

Mount Vernonites deserve more than Press Releases

New York State claims oversight over Mount Vernon — but never enforces it. When every agency passes the buck, residents have one option: fix it ourselves.
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