SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE'S DARCY MILLER AND OMAR MCDOWELL TIED TO CORRUPTION PROBE

Darcy Miller, Omar McDowell, and Edward Poteat, 

tied to Corruption Probe

Corrupt School Board Candidates Make deals with Developers to Rob Children of an Education and Taxpayers of Their Money

City Council President Roberta Apuzzo, who is under investigations for her dealings with crooked developers, announced that she will not seek re-election. Corruption is also linked to School Board Trustees Darcy Miller, Omar McDowell and their developer running mate, Edward Poteat. Like Roberta Apuzzo, the trio made deals with developers to sell out Mount Vernon.

 Developers plan to bring 4000 new children to the school district, and force homeowners to pay to educate them. Mount Vernon’s current students will soon be forced to compete for classroom space, and programs.

Mount Vernon’s School District has a pending Lawsuit against the City of Mount Vernon, to enact a moratorium on tax reduced, low-income housing. This lawsuit is saving Mount Vernon from destruction. If these developments are built, homeowners will be on the hook for over $100 million extra per year to educate the new students who will flood the school district. Property taxes will double, due to a rise in education, police, and sanitation cost.

The La Porte developers, who are building on Gramatan Ave, convinced the City Council that only 6-8 kids from their building would enter the school district. They received a 40-year PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) and will pay $60,000 per year in property taxes, for 40 years. In a recent Journal News report, La Porte officials now admit that 50 students will enter the school district. At a minimum of $30,000 per year to educate a student, The La Porte will cost Taxpayers $1.5 Million per year to educate children from their building. Others project 75 kids will enter the school system. City Officials hosed the taxpayers for 40 years. This is just one building. Thanks to our crooked politicians, there are 40 more low income developments coming to Mount Vernon, with the same (tax break) deal. Mount Vernon will go bankrupt, while crooked politicians line their pockets.

In order to assure that the other 40 buildings are erected, developers are scrabbling to dismiss the school district lawsuit, and are pouring money into the re- election of Darcy Miller, Omar McDowell. and Edward Poteat. Mr. Poteat, a low-income slum developer was hand-picked by Kenneth Plummer and former City Councilman Steve Horton, who is under federal investigation with Kenneth Plummer for shady deals they made while the Heritage Homes low-income project was developed in New Rochelle. Mr. Plummer is the key low-income lobbyist in Mount Vernon. On any given day, you will find Kenneth Plummer handing out literature and pumping money into the campaign of Miller, McDowell, and Poteat.

The proposed development will add an additional 25,000 new people to an already overcrowded Mount Vernon. Darcy Miller voted for the district lawsuit, and Omar McDowell voted against the Lawsuit. They are now both in bed with the same people our school district are suing. This is a gross conflict of interest.  

CORRUPT AND SHADY LOBBYIST
KENNETH PLUMMER

Lobbyist, Kenneth Plummer, and City Councilman Marcus Griffith are spearheading the election campaign of Miller, McDowell, and Poteat. For years, corrupt City Councilman Marcus Griffith took money from Plummer and developers in exchange for approval of their projects. Griffith has gone on a lavish spending spree, including buying homes for cash. Griffith, who needs to keep his gravy train rolling, cut deals with Darcy Miller, Omar McDowell, and Edward Poteat to roll back the moratorium.  Mr. Poteat, a slum developer, will stand to pocket millions from taxpayers.

Councilwoman Apuzzo has not filed campaign reports for years. Sunday’s Journal News investigative series exposed the widespread corruption in Mount Vernon. Apuzzo received large donations from developers who had applications before the City Council. Money was passed, and developers received approvals for their applications. Against campaign finance law, Roberta Apuzzo did not file reports showing her donors. The heat is on to see her contributions, and now she suspends her campaign. Marcus Griffith should resign from the City Council. He received hundreds of thousands from groups who had applications before the City Council.

COPY OF COUNCILMAN MARCUS GRIFFITH'S DEED OF PROPERTY
HE OWNS IN MARTHA'S VINEYARD THAT HE BROUGHT WITH DIRTY CASH

Make no doubt about it, Mount Vernon is overrun with dirty politicians. Kenneth Plummer and Marcus Griffith are at the center of a government investigation. Darcy Miller, Omar McDowell, and Edward Poteat have sold out our children and taxpayers. The Miller, McDowell, and Poreat campaign has been marred with violence, and corruption.  They made deals with corrupt individuals, and are now the faces of what is wrong with Mount Vernon.

COUNCILMAN YUHANNA EDWARDS' DESTRUCTIVE POLICIES HAVE DESTROYED THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON

EMBATTLED CITY COUNCILMAN YUHANNA EDWARDS

Every year, the City Council tries to bring the budget down, but they end up adopting huge tax increases. The same City Council, voted to bring in more affordable housing, with tax abatements (pilot programs) for developers. Low income, tax abated projects, are the worst thing any City Official can burden their citizens with, especially Mount Vernon, a city on life support. Mount Vernon, which is already overcrowded, will be busting at the seams with more residents. Since the developers of these buildings do not pay their fair share of taxes, the already struggling Mount Vernon Taxpayer will have to pay the extra cost to educate the children living in these developments, at a cost of $29,000 per student.

The same struggling taxpayer will also have to pay the bill for the vital services for the new residents, such as police, fire, water, and sewer, and Mount Vernon’s property taxes could double. Instead of these destructive policies, the City Council should bring in retail, and other tax generating businesses. City Councilman Yuhanna Edwards complains about City Councilwoman Debra Reynolds, but she is the only current Councilperson, who voted against these low-income developments.  Councilman Yuhanna Edwards and some of his colleagues have sold away Mount Vernon. What they have done is tantamount to crimes against the people of Mount Vernon. City Council members are elected to protect the interest of the citizens of Mount Vernon, however, they have pulled out the life support plug, which will surely lead to the destruction of our city.

When Mount Vernon Exposed interview Councilman Yuhanna Edwards, he stressed that Mount Vernon has total black leadership, yet we are a messed up city. He then defends Judith Johnson, the Superintendent of the worst school district in the state. Ms. Johnson heads a school system that does not educate anyone, especially children of color. Make no mistake about it, Math and English scores have gone down since Judith Johnson has been Superintendent.  Furthermore, Councilman Yuhanna Edwards was a strong backer of former Superintendent Welton Sawyer, who was without question, the worst Superintendent in United States history. He destroyed the district.  Councilman Yuhanna Edward’s also supports the churches that have meddled in Mount Vernon Schools for the past 20 years. Councilman Edwards’s policies have caused a tremendous amount of stress on Mount Vernon’s school system, by flooding it with students from all over the county.

What exactly has Councilman Yuhanna Edwards done as a Councilman to better the lives of the people of Mount Vernon? What has he done as a black Politician, to eliminate the misery and suffering his “brothers” and “sisters”have to go through on a daily basis in Mount Vernon? What plans does he have to make things better? Councilman Yuhanna Edwards is part of the problem, because he votes on legislation that hurts Mount Vernon. His policies raise taxes, and are responsible for Mount Vernon having the highest foreclosure rate in the state. Those foreclosures, overwhelmingly affect people of color, and the elderly.

Now the City Council wants to go into homes looking for basement apartments. What they do not understand is that the tax increases homeowners have been hit with in the last 20 years, have forced homeowners to look for extra income, just to stay afloat. As much as 40% of Mount Vernon homes will go into foreclosure without the income homeowners are collecting from these “basement” apartments, collapsing the housing market, and plunging Mount Vernon into financial Armageddon. Our City Council needs to understand what is really happening in this city. City Council members should be working to find ways to give homeowners tax relief, so that the housing issue can be resolved. The City and School District punished people by raising their taxes to obscene levels and now the City should find ways to help reduce high taxes, which have backed so many homeowners into a corner.

Yes, Councilman Yuhanna Edwards, black Politicians have failed the people of Mount Vernon.  You said that you are concerned with your legacy. You can start by taking responsibility for the damage you have caused.

Next, has Maureen Walker turned her back on the citizens of Mount Vernon?