MOUNT VERNON DEMOCRATIC CITY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN DEVEREAUX CANNICK
MOUNT VERNON DEMOCRATIC CITY COMMITTEE 2ND VICE CHAIRMAN RONALD DETRES
SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE REPORT
MOUNT VERNON DEMOCRATIC CITY COMMITTEE SYSTEMICALLY
DISENFRANCHISES VOTERS PART 1
OFFICERS
Deveraux L. Cannick Reginald Lafayette Ronald Detres
Chair 1st Vice President 2nd Vice President
Treasurer Michael Toone Sandra Melville
Vacant Recording Secretary Corresponding Secretary
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Geeta Morris
Executive Director
Ronald Detres
Edward Dowdy
Bishop C. Nathan Edwers
David Ford
Hannah Gross
Eileen Justino
Reginald Lafayette
Lynn McBride
Jaime Melendez
Henry Miller
Theresa Reid
Michelle Walker
Hon. Lyndon Williams
Hon. Clinton I. Young
POLITICAL ADVISORS
David Ford
Omar Boucher
During our investigation Mount Vernon Exposed has uncovered voter disenfranchisement within the Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee (MVDCC). Elections and candidates are pre-determined and voters are left to select from the hand-picked candidates endorsed by the embattled MVDCC.
This process of voter disenfranchisement is only made possible by appointing district leaders to the most heavily weighted election districts and by political appointments to taxpayer funded jobs. District leaders, fearing loss of their high paying, taxpayer funded jobs, essentially do what they are told to do. These rogue district leaders know no bounderies or limits, for their only loyalty only lies with the person that hired them for their position. Many of these district leaders appointed to these political positions, lack the basic skills and education requirements for these positions.
The investigation uncovered 38 MVDCC district leaders that currently serve as elected officials, appointed commissioners or hold various other appointed positions throughout the City of Mount Vernon. By having district leaders serve as in government in these positions, the quality of life decreases dramatically for all Mount Vernon citizens. Our investigation has discovered that district leaders put the self-serving interests of politicians ahead of public service and the constituants they were elected to represent. Mount Vernon Firefighters even serve as district leaders even though they are forbidden by doing so according to the Mount Vernon City Charter.
Article X-A of the Mount Vernon City Charter
§ 127-h. Political activity prohibited.
No officer or member of the Fire Department shall be a member of or delegate to
any political convention, nor shall he be present at such convention except in the
performance of duty relating to his position as such officer or member. He shall not
solicit any person to vote at any political primary or election, nor challenge, nor in
any manner attempt to influence any voter thereat. He shall not be a member of
any political committee. Any officer or member violating any provision of this
section shall be dismissed from office. (As added by L.L. 1928, No. 1)
During one observation, district leader and former City of Mount Vernon Building Commissioner Ralph Tedesco, routinely issued building permits and reviewed architectural plans 85% quicker for persons and businesses that donated to and were allies of the MVDCC. Persons and businesses that were not part of the status quo, experienced extensive delays which resulted in lost revenue, damaged reputations, and increased carrying costs. It is alleged that the Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee is more than 10 months behind in their $950.00 in rent for occupying some over 2000 square feet of office space at 1 Park Avenue in Mount Vernon. The landlord of this location is assessed $40,000 lower than he is supposed to be paying in property taxes. It is unclear if the relationship between the Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee has anything to do with him receiving preferential treatment.
The current system used by the MVDCC is not democratic at all. It resembles the communistic system used in North Korea and Cuba. One party rule has hurt the political landscape of Mount Vernon. At the present moment all commissioners, elected officials, and appointed officials are registered Democrats. It is essential that a multi party system exist in Mount Vernon.
Utilizing and continuing the current one party system in Mount Vernon will ultimately lead to the demise of this great city. The district leaders that currently enjoy the perks of their appointed positions stroll through life with a sense of entitlement. The party leaders and elected officials operate the City of Mount Vernon as if it were a private corporation.
DISTRICT LEADER | DISTRICT | TAYPAYER FUNDED POSITION |
Clinton I. Young Jr. | 45 | Mayor |
Mary L. Young | 64 | Commissioner Management Services |
Loretta J. Hottinger | 40 | Corporation Counsel |
Jennifer Coker-Wiggins | 43 | Deputy Commissioner Human Resources |
Brian Bochow Jr. | 34 | Commissioner Department of Water |
Henry Miller | 24 | Deputy Chief of Staff |
Raquel Ledesma | 25 | Administrative Assistant |
William Holmes Jr. | 58 | Planning Board |
Jonathan Logan | 72 | 1st Deputy Commissioner Planning |
Deborah M. Norman | 69 | 2nd Deputy Commissioner Planning |
Marcus Griffith | 61 | Planning Board Member |
Karan Watts | 8 | City Council |
Steve Horton | 5 | City Council |
Diane Munro Morris | 54 | City Council |
Micheal Justino | 39 | Planning Board Member |
Yuhanna Edwards | 8 | City Council |
Antoine Lowe | 26 | Director of Civil Defense |
Ruby Lohse | 24 | Executive Secretary |
Kenneth McCallister | 76 | Firefighter |
Maureen Walker | 3 | Comptroller |
Thomas Rajala | 62 | 1st Deputy Comptroller |
Sylvia Reid | 59 | Executive Secretary |
Brian G. Johnson | 49 | 3rd Assistant Corporation Counsel |
Ulyssess Bullock | 42 | Zoning Board of Appeals |
Collie N. Edwars | 35 | Commissioner Civil Service |
Curtis Woods | 35 | Deputy Commissioner DPW |
Theresa Reid | 29 | Empire Zone Coordinator |
Henry G. Thomas | 26 | Firefighter |
Stephanie Vanderpool | 20 | Assistant Commissioner Assessment |
George W. Brown | 18 | City Clerk |
Louis Ellis | 16 | Recreation |
Beretha Elkins | 14 | Copy Coordinator |
Marleen Y. Dandridge | 13 | |
Joan Horton | 5 | Recreation |
Danielle Williams | 2 | Planning |
Melinda Williamson | 25 | |
Bethany Elkins | 11 | Special Assistant to Mayor |
Arnold Keith Jr | 54 | Commissioner Civil Service |
Conflicts of Interests
There are several conflicts of interests that we uncovered during our investigation that would taint the election process in Mount Vernon. The system currently utilized by the MVDCC is designed to evade public scrutiny. All of the members on the Executive Committee at the time of their appointment were in some shape of form affliated to Mayor Young. By appointing these set of members the system was designed not to taken over in a coup and top party bosses could not be voted out. Many members of the Executive Committee have since had a falling out with Mayor Young and the debatched power structure at the MVDCC. However, those members who went against the grain do not have enough votes to overthrow the current leadership.
Stacking/Multiple Family Members are District Leaders
There is a systematic pattern of district leaders to list their entire household as district leaders in order to control more of a weighted vote and to control their family members proxies in their absence. In our opinion this practice is illegal and disenfranchises voters of those election districts (Fleetwood) where this activity is taking place.
· 2nd Vice-Chairman MVDCC-Ronald Detres-Entire Household are district leaders
R Ronald Detres-2nd Vice Chairman-MVDCC-District#47
Loretta Hottinger-Current City of Mount Vernon Corporation Counsel-District #40
Russell A. Detres-District #46
Katherine Detres-District #48
Note: Russell Detres and Katherine Detres did not carry Democratic nominating petitions for the calendar year 2009 and hardly ever attend monthly meeting at MVDCC Headquarters. Mount Vernon Exposed recommends further investigation into the Detres/Hottinger household as we have received intelligence that Detres’ daughter was married and may not be residing at the address anymore. Furthermore, only 2nd Vice-Chairman Ronald Detres resides in the district that he is assigned to.
· The Justino Household
Danielle Justino-District #27
Note: Danielle Justino is hardly ever present at monthly MVDCC meetings and did not carry Democratic nominating petitions in 2009. After her mom, Eileen Justino was dropped from the Democratic Primary, Danielle Justino did carry nomination petitions for the newly created “One Mount Vernon Line”
TO BE CONTINUED...............
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