Catalina to Seek Third Term as Mayor on Bipartisan Ticket
Republican Peekskill Mayor Frank Catalina has served his first four years in office with a Democratic- majority Common Council, and if he is reelected in November to a third term, that technically won’t change.
The Peekskill Republican Committee unveiled its slate of candidates for the November election over the weekend, led by Catalina and incumbent Councilman Joe Torres, who is seeking a second four-year term. Somewhat surprisingly, the other two council hopefuls are registered Democrats, businessman Luis Segarra and attorney Bob Sullivan.
The other Republican currently on the seven-member council, Vinnie “Boo” Vesce, is not running again due to increased professional responsibilities.
“Elections in general and local elections in particular should never be about the political party you are registered in,” said Peekskill Republican Chairman and former Mayor Vincent C. Vesce, father of the councilman. “Our theme for this election is ‘Peekskill United’ and the reason why is because this group of candidates reflects a true fusion ticket…registered Republicans and Democrats coming together for the betterment of Peekskill.”
“Elections should always be about the person…their integrity, their qualifications, their positions on the key issues that affect our citizens and their view of the future for our wonderful city,” Vesce added. “I am very proud that our Republican district leaders looked beyond party labels and endorsed these great people to run with Frank and Joe as they continue their great work moving Peekskill in the right direction.”
Catalina, an attorney with an office across from the Paramount who is being challenged by Democratic Councilman Andre Rainey, echoed Vesce’s comments on being part of a bipartisan ticket.
“In Peekskill, there is no Republican or Democrat garbage or snow; people just want it picked up,” he said. “There is no Republican or Democrat fire or emergency; people just want qualified professionals responding quickly with adequate equipment. National issues and challenges cannot be solved by local governments. While important, our primary focus must be Peekskill First and we all are much better off when negative political discourse is left outside of the City Council Chamber. I am proud that Luis and Robert share this view of ‘local politics’ and are eager to work with us.”
The mayor touted his leadership in turning the city’s finances around by “opening the city up to new smart development,” stressing almost half a billion dollars in private investment had been made in Peekskill, including more than 500 new residential units being planned.
“Our finances were a wreck and we were very close to having a financial monitor appointed by the state comptroller,” Catalina said. “People see the difference and feel the positive vibe in the city.”
Torres, liaison to the police, fire and emergency services departments, said he was looking forward to continuing all the good work that has been started in Peekskill.
“There is still much to do. What people should realize is that the total assessed valuation of any city needs to grow by two to four percent every year, just to stay even,” he said. “Peekskill had seen an erosion of its tax base and total assessed valuation for seven straight years prior to our administration, which means there was no new growth and everyone pays more just to stay even.”
Segarra has been a resident of Peekskill for 23 years and is principal and CFO of The Crescent Companies, a consortium of businesses operating out of Peekskill for the last 15 years that consult large construction firms. He is a member of the National Hispanic Business Group, the African American Chamber of Commerce and the Peekskill Yacht Club.
“I feel my experience in business and the working relationships that I have developed over the years will help me to bring a fresh and invigorated approach to governing,” Segarra said. “Those who live here are all in this together and the only way we can truly succeed is if we work as one for Peekskill, not for any one group or any one political party.”
Sullivan, an attorney and president of the Woods III Home Owners Association, took the four Democrats on the council to court over their vote on the 2016 city budget, and recently went to bat for residents of condominiums and co-ops, successfully arguing they should not be forced to bear the cost of installing new water meters.
“I have disregarded party labels and have decided to cross party lines and run with a team of candidates who share the same vision of how to make Peekskill a great place to live, a great place to work and a great place to invest in,” he said. “A transparent government that does things in a lawful manner while making wise decisions is what our citizens deserve and what I and my running mates believe in.”
The Republican Committee also endorsed Westchester County Legislator John Testa for reelection in District 1 and Bob Outhouse to challenge Legislator Catherine Borgia (D/Ossining) in District 9.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/