PASTOR W. FRANKLYN RICHARDSON AND HIS P.I.L.O.T. AGREEMENTS HAVE DESTROYED THE MOUNT VERNON SCHOOL SYSTEM

CORRUPT PASTOR W. FRANKLYN RICHARDSON

CORRUPT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE LEN SARVER

CORRUPT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE ELIAS GOOTZEIT

CORRUPT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE FRANCES WYNN

Federal Investigators seeking answers to the back door deal making and corruption that has destroyed the quality of life in Mount Vernon should focus their attention to Mount Vernon City Councilman Yuhanna Edwards.  Councilman Yuhanna Edwards made a statement incriminating Rev. Franklyn Richardson, as a major player in Mount Vernon politics.  Richardson is the pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon.

“Richardson is making money off this and what not” is what Councilman Edwards told Mount Vernon Exposed Publisher and Community Activist Samuel L. Rivers.  Councilman Edwards must elaborate further and explain exactly what he meant by his statement pertaining to Rev. Richardson. 

Rev. Richardson, considered by many to be a poverty pimp, has long been entrenched in Mount Vernon politics, and is also considered the major force that has destroyed the Mount Vernon public school system.  Richardson, a resident of Scarsdale, supports and endorses candidates from the pulpit every election cycle in the City of Mount Vernon.

Some of Rev. Richardson’s minions that are on the school board that continue to carry out his oppressive and destructive policies are School Board Trustee’s Elias Gootzeit, Len Sarver, and Frances Wynn.  These three candidates always vote lockstep and oppose any resolution that calls for audits or progressive reform of the Mount Vernon City School District.

Richardson, while so called championing for better public education for the children of Mount Vernon, is also contributing to the destruction of the City of Mount Vernon.  About 20 years ago, Rev. Richardson and elected officials in the City of Mount Vernon systematically came up with a plan that would enrich their gang.  Elected officials in Mount Vernon would let the City of Mount Vernon, primarily on the South-Side fall into disrepair and blighted conditions.  Today, many properties on the South-Side of Mount Vernon are abandoned and boarded up.   

Rev. Richardson and his gang would then go into the community and muster up support from residents telling them that the affordable housing supply in the City of Mount Vernon was inadequate and therefore more affordable housing needed to be built.  Rev. Richardson also failed to inform taxpayers that he would be seeking P.I.L.O.T. ‘s (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) for the various affordable housing buildings he was planning to erect all around town. 

A P.I.L.O.T. or payment in lieu of taxes is a program designed to stimulate economic activity in a municipality and is designed to compensate a local government for some or all of the tax revenue because of the nature of the ownership or use of a particular piece of property.  P.I.L.O.T’s relate to the forgone tax revenue.  Every year the City of Mount Vernon loses tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue because of the P.I.L.O.T. agreements dished out by City Officials.  Please also keep in mind that the Mayor and Industrial Development Agency or I.D.A. has all the power in granting out the P.I.L.O.T. agreement to developers looking to do business with the City of Mount Vernon.

For example, a landlord that owns an apartment building that pays its fair share of taxes to the City of Mount Vernon pays approximately $2,500 per year in taxes per apartment, while Rev. Richardson through his abuse of the P.I.L.O.T. program only pays about $500-600 per year in taxes per apartment. 

P.I.L.O.T.’s are designed to create permanent jobs and stimulate economic development.  P.I.L.O.T’s were never intended to be dished out to developers of residential project unless it contained a significant commercial/retail component.  How many permanent jobs will be created after a low-income residential building is complete? 

The City of Mount Vernon Industrial Development Agency or IDA approves P.I.L.O.T. agreements.  The Mayor appoints all of the members of the IDA.  The is nothing no one can do, including the City Council once the IDA grants these P.I.L.O.T agreements. 

Due to the greed of Rev. Richardson and elected officials, Mount Vernon has a failing school system, which makes it unattractive for investors looking to build in Mount Vernon. In fact, only one large-scale project broke ground over the last 10 years that didn’t seek a P.I.L.O.T.  That project, The Horizon in Fleetwood formerly known as the Vista, went belly up and the developer was forced to file bankruptcy on more than $22M in debt.  The project was ultimately sold at a bankruptcy auction for a measly $6M, pennies on the dollar. 

Because of these P.I.L.O.T. agreements, of which Rev. Richardson is a frequent recipient, already cash strapped homeowners must now pick up the costs that the developer doesn’t want to incur because the project will not be  “profitable”. 

To add insult to injury, Rev. Richardson puts together a slate of candidates to run for school board every election cycle.  The Rev. Richardson candidates, every budget cycle then make cuts that are detrimental to the children in Mount Vernon.  If Rev. Richardson’s candidates would simply tell their puppet master to pay his fair share of taxes, homeowners would see immediate tax relief because of the added revenue to the City coffers. 

Rev. Richardson is so entrenched in Mount Vernon politics that he even had a few people appointed to the Superintendent search committee to ensure that the next handpicked Superintendent candidate continues to keep his gravy train running.  Henry Mays, a member of the Superintendent search committee and a parishioner of Grace Baptist, saw to it that his daughter, Donna Jackson, was appointed to a cushy, $75K do-nothing position as the Assistant to embattled Mount Vernon School Superintendent Judith Johnson. 

As we begin to understand Rev. Richardson’s meddling in school affairs and corrupting the election process, we must begin to ask ourselves, why hasn’t  one elected official publicly contested his policies.  Could it be that these same elected officials are then publicly endorsed from the pulpit in violation of Richardson’s I.R.S.  501 (c) (3) status?

Next, the connection between School Board Vice President Len Sarver, architectural firm Fuller and D’Angelo, and Rev. Richardson. 

MOUNT VERNON SCHOOL CHIEF ILLEGALLY CIRCUMVENTS HIRING PROCESS TO BRING IN MAYOR'S DAUGHTER

Mount Vernon Hall Of Shame

If anyone had any doubt that Judith Johnson, Francis Wynn and Lenny Sarver are trying to destroy the lives of the children of Mount Vernon, they can now be rest assured knowing  that they are.

While President Gerald Whiteside was absent, acting board President Lenny Sarver, and Superintendent Judith Johnson, tried to hire Rene Davis as a teacher assistant. Rene Davis is the daughter of Mayor Ernie Davis. It is no secret in Mount Vernon that Rene has had a substance abuse problem for a very long time.  

School board members are supposed to receive information on items they will vote on prior to their meeting. There are even work sessions to discuss the issues to be voted on. Employee hiring’s should be backed up with proper documentation of the applicant, such as resumes.  At the request of Ernie Davis, Judith Johnson and Lenny Sarver bypassed proper protocol, and added Rene Davis’s voting tab to the agenda Wednesday night. It was submitted without any supporting documentation. Lenny Sarver has long been described as being in Ernie Davis’s back pocket.

RENE DAVIS

Mount Vernon Exposed has learned that there were several highly qualified people who applied for this position, but the children’s interest was ignored. Francis Wynn who is the Aunt of Rene Davis, and who should have recused herself from the vote, voted yes, and then walked out of the board meeting when Rene’s employment was voted down by diligent Trustees. Francis Wynn is an embarrassment to Mount Vernon, and will go into the Hall of Shame, which is full of people who have a long history of destroying Mount Vernon. The other Trustees beside Francis Wynn who voted yes to Rene Davis’s employment, were Lenny Sarver, Elias Goodzeit, and Brenda Crump.

Judith Johnson is a horrendous Superintendent. Any Superintendent who makes a decision to insert Rene Davis in the classroom, while putting children’s lives in jeopardy, will go down as being one of the worst Superintendents in American history.

Speaking of The Hall of Shame in the Mount Vernon school district, you can add the following as destroyers of the lives of Mount Vernon children.  Rev Franklin Richardson, Rev Daren Moore, Francis Wynn, Ernie Davis, Carol BenReuben, Lynn McBride, Dr. Wilton Sawyer, The Mount Vernon Democratic Committee, Jeff Yonkers, Timothy Costello, Lenny Sarver and Judith Johnson. All of these Hall of Shame members have blood on their hands for destroying an entire generation of children. A job well done.

Judith Johnson is throwing away taxpayer monies again. Some individuals continue to get rich, by ordering hundreds of thousands of dollars of books that our children cannot use. These boxes of books line the halls and basements of schools throughout the district.  Did Judith Johnson receive a kickback from the vendor that sold the Mount Vernon School District these books?

Books just sitting in the hallway

Where is the promised audit? Judith Johnson, Lenny Sarver, Francis Wynn, Elias Gootzeit, and Timothy Costello, have pushed the promised audit into the background, hoping that it never gets done. They are trying to stay out of jail.

The Superintendent search is a scam. The search committee is full of the same Church officials who have destroyed our school district. One of the search committee members, is Grace Baptist member Henry May. Sources have informed Mount Vernon exposed that Henry May no longer lives in Mount Vernon. I guess the saying is true; Dogs don’t crap where they sleep. Any Superintendent selected from this search committee will be someone the churches and our City Hall Politicians want in office to continue to make them rich.

As we speak, the UBC, and The Mount Vernon Democratic party are preparing to hijack the next school board election. We will be reaching out to residents in Mount Vernon to explain what is really going on in their city.  We will be collecting signatures to send to the IRS, demanding that they revoke the 501 c 3 tax-exempt status of churches that participate in illegal political campaigning. We will also ask concerned members and visitors of these churches to record any discussions, and endorsements of candidates.  We will also expose the Mount Vernon Democratic Committee. Make no mistake, crimes have been committed and people will go to jail. 

To be continued………

BLACK CHURCHES AND THEIR CANDIDATES IN MOUNT VERNON HAVE DESTROYED THE MOUNT VERNON SCHOOL SYSTEM

PASTOR W. FRANKLYN RICHARDSON

Greed of some of the most prominent black church Minister’s in the City of Mount Vernon destroyed our youth by denying them a proper education. Under the influence of the black Churches, Mount Vernon went from having great schools, to having one of the worst school districts in the country. Property taxes have tripled under their leadership. Graduation rates are at an all time low, because children are dropping out at record numbers. Most children in Mount Vernon perform below grade level.

There has been severe mismanagement of public funds for the past two decades due to the influence of the black churches in the City of Mount Vernon. Although taxes have tripled, vocational training has been removed from Mount Vernon schools, further hindering the prospect of children becoming employable. Uneducated youth resort to crime, drugs, gangs, and then become incarcerated. The elderly become squeezed out of their homes while falling home prices have made Mount Vernon an undesirable place to live. How did this happen? How did people who preach the word of God, become such opportunist? Why did they destroy a generation of youth?

CORRUPT SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT 
JUDITH JOHNSON

Prior to 1997 the ICA (Italian Civic Association) controlled the school board. Founded in 1917, the I.C.A. elected its first school board trustee in 1919. Its members, all of who trace their roots to Italy, got out the vote by phoning and making house calls to their voter base. The ICA financed the running of school board candidates, influenced the hiring of the superintendent, teachers, and had complete control of contracts. Schools on the north side had better teachers, more computers, and were just plain better equipped than south side schools. The ICA took care of the north side, and African Americans and black church leaders in Mount Vernon were outraged.

CORRUPT SCHOOL BOARD FRANCES WYNN

Even with the favoritism, the children in Southside schools were being educated. Mount Vernon had blue ribbon, nationally recognized schools, and a high graduation rate. For example, on a state reading exam in 1996, 93.1 percent of Mount Vernon's sixth graders scored above the minimum competency level compared with 89.9 percent of all Westchester sixth graders. Children passed in great numbers in both middle-class and poor sections of the city. The average property tax bill in 1996 was about $3500 per year.

Black Ministers under an organization called SEPA (Coalition for the Empowerment of People of African Ancestry) mounted a campaign to wrestle power away from The ICA. The ringleader of SEPA was Grace Baptist Church pastor, W. Franklyn Richardson. Despite US laws against mixing politics and religion, preachers, in violation of their 501-C3 tax-exempt statuses, preached politics from the pulpit, urging people to come out and vote for their candidates. In May of 1997, with 11,547 voters casting their vote, SEPA took control of the school board. The winning SEPA candidates were, Frances W. Wynn, Carolyn V. Ben Reuben, Lynn C. Frazer-McBride, Gerald M. Coleman and the Rev. David D. Henry.

The 1997-98 budget was $95.9 million. SEPA challenged the budget vote, which was defeated during the 1997 May election. In 1997 spending per pupil in the City of Mount Vernon was $9,383.45.  Today, spending has increased to almost $30,000 per pupil. Immediately following the school board election in 1997, SEPA went to work, hiring “their” people to work in the school system, regardless of qualifications. Contracts were awarded to acquaintances, bonds were taken out and money went missing. People got rich off the backs of our children and taxpayers.

It was long after SEPA put “their” people to work that taxpayers and children in the City of Mount Vernon would begin to feel the effects of SEPA’s high taxing policies. Scores of children began to plummet academically, vocational schools were eliminated, students began to drop out in record numbers, and property taxes skyrocketed. Crime escalated to record numbers and our uneducated and unemployable youth ended up in jail. An entire generation was destroyed mostly African American children, due to the policies of SEPA. 

CORRUPT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE 
ELIAS GOOTZEIT

The school district is the largest employer in the City of Mount Vernon. Church and city officials have used the district to give jobs as favors to their friends and members. The district is loaded with no show jobs, and people who flat out do not work. Our schools are dirty, and falling apart.

Since our black Ministers rescued us from the ICA, over 5000 kids have dropped out of school. Most of our south side school children are well below state standard levels in reading and math. Some schools have much less than 30% of their children at or above grade level. Davis Middle School is an embarrassment, and ranks at the bottom of middle schools in the state, with 25% of 7^th and 8^th graders at or above reading and math levels. The numbers are still dropping. 

The Black Clergy just supported the 2013 budget vote, despite it being well over 200 million dollars. There are far fewer students enrolled in the Mount Vernon School district than there was in 1997. The UBC (United Black Clergy) who have since taken the place of SEPA continue to violate the law and are heavy in school politics. Did they get involved with the school system to help educate children or to line their pockets? One thing is certain; our children have suffered under their control.

In the recent 2012 school board election, the UBC asked the Mount Vernon Democratic Committee to run their campaign, and the Democratic Committee rigged the election to insure their candidates were elected.  The UBC was concerned that they were losing support and needed outside help. The Mount Vernon Democratic Committee members and headquarters were used to run the campaign. SEPA always blamed the ICA of stealing elections to control money and jobs The UBC is now being accused of doing the same. Francis Wynn and Elias Goodzeit are two current board members who were elected in the fraudulent 2012 election and are puppets of the UBC. They are now joined by Lenny Sarver to continue to do the churches dirty work. The Churches continue to meddle in the school district.

School Board Trustee Frances Wynn has long been at the helm during the massive looting of taxpayer dollars, yet Wynn puts on an image that she is the victim.  Wynn is the sister of Bettye Davis, wife of Mayor Ernie Davis.  Wynn and Bettye also have a half-sister that they do not want the public to know about.  Helen Coleman, a secretary employed by DPW, is the half sister of Wynn and Bettye.  Helen was married to Gerald Coleman (deceased) who also served on the school board and was elected in 1997 with Wynn and others. 

CORRUPT SCHOOL TRUSTEE LEN SARVER

Mayor Davis has stated publicly on several occasions that he wanted Mayoral control of the school board. Davis even went so far as to say that City Hall should have two or three seats on the school board.  Sources have told Mount Vernon Exposed that School Trustee Len Sarver can be seen frequenting City Hall join in and out of Mayor Davis' office on a regular basis.  Sarver is the liaison between City Hall and the Mount Vernon School District.

As of today, the UBC and City officials have a stranglehold on the school district. After once scolding Mount Vernon ministers for destroying the school district, Judith Johnson has now aligned herself with them. Lenny Sarver, Elias Goozeit and Francis Wynn to continue to let Church join her and City Officials dictate the direction of The Mount Vernon School District. All decisions have to meet their approval.

Despite the destruction of an entire school district, and an entire generation of children lost, The UBC and City Officials are gearing up steal the next election. Too much money is at stake.

Why was vocational training removed from our schools? Children, who were not great academically, were able to learn electrical, plumbing, cosmetology, or how to fix a car. If any other group destroyed the lives of the black community like the Mount Vernon churches have, the black community would be outraged, and there would be protests in the streets. Why is it ok to have an entire generation of our youth, and elderly destroyed by our Ministers?  Where is the outrage?

Why do we continue to let Mount Vernon be destroyed? To be continued………

SCHOOL OFFICIALS FORCE KIDS TO REMAIN IN SCHOOL WHILE HEAVY CONSTRUCTION GOES ON

After nearly three weeks, interim Superintendent Judith Johnson finally breaks her silence regarding the asbestos cover up scandal in Mount Vernon.  Board Trustees only received the asbestos reports a few days ago.  The asbestos reports were only given to board members after they were made public on this site and Judith Johnson was named in the cover up. 

Construction at Parker Elementary School began about three weeks ago after Mount Vernon community activist Samuel Rivers held a press conference denouncing Judith Johnson’s actions and her role in the asbestos scandal. 

Johnson isn’t being completely honest with the public. Johnson has not disclosed to the public if the deficiencies cited in the report from the New York State Department of Health have been addressed.  Johnson keeps dancing around the issue hoping that it will go away.  Mount Vernon Exposed is here to stay and we will be watching Johnson’s every move.

When allegations first surfaced that work was being done at Parker school, Mount Vernon Exposed immediately put in a call to Judith Johnson’s office.  Johnson was not available but her high paid do nothing secretary Donna Jackson was.  Jackson appeared clueless and kept repeating that a F.O.I.L. request must be filled out to find out if work was indeed being done at Parker school.

Mount Vernon Exposed was informed that Aramark, the company hired to manage construction projects in the Mount Vernon City School District, sent a new sheriff to run the show.  Robert Silkes is the new liaison for Aramark.  Sources have informed Mount Vernon Exposed that Mr. Silkes is trying to clean up the “mess” created by School Board Vice President Len Sarver and former Buildings and Grounds foreman John Zambelli.  Our interactions with Mr. Silkes thus far have been pleasant and productive.  We will continue to monitor Mr. Silkes to ensure that construction projects and repairs are done in a timely and cost efficient manner. 

During a site visit to Parker school, a worker doing the renovations explained that construction did not begin until the asbestos reports were made public.  The worker said the cause of the mold issue was due to a leaky roof.  Taxpayers must demand answers on how Pennington school was allotted $1.3 million to install a brand new roof and the Parker school roof was left to rot away.  Are Parker school students inferior to Pennington school students?

Mount Vernon Exposed then received pictures anonymously of the work being done.  The pictures depicted a bathroom demolished down to the studs, an auditorium undergoing major renovation, and a kindergarten classroom in shambles.  The Johnson administration did not want News 12 to come into the school before construction commenced because of the deplorable conditions the children were subjected to.  They wanted to clean up the mess to reduce their liability.  Parents are urged to contact Mount Vernon Exposed if their children experienced any respiratory issues.  Mount Vernon Exposed has before and after photos of the construction at Cecil H. Parker Elementary School.

School Board members must never forget that they work for the people that elected them.  They have a fiduciary duty to hold the Superintendent accountable for her actions and that public funds are spent wisely.  Board members must be careful and stay focused and not let outside forces manipulate their thinking.  Board members must follow the money and the paper trail.  The road will be long and tiring, but that need not be an excuse to search for the truth.  Board members need an attorney working for the Board and not solely at the beck and call of the Superintendent.  Board members must not forget that they have all the power, not the SUPERITINDENT.

Board trustees 100% of the time rely on legal advice when they make their decisions and voting on tabs or resolutions.  Board members must trust that the person giving them legal advice is doing so in good faith.  Board members must ask their legal advisor what legal options are available to them for recouping the tens of millions of dollars stolen from the school district.  If the legal advisor cannot provide answers to any of the aforementioned questions, then it is time to seek a new legal advisor. 

Mount Vernon Exposed was informed that the construction was going on during school hours while the children were in their respective classrooms.  Johnson’s leadership has been at best disastrous for our children and our taxpayers.  Mount Vernon cannot afford Judith Johnson.