Power on Peekskill Common Council Up for Grabs

 

Two slates with a trio of candidates will be squaring off November 7 for three open seats on the Peekskill Common Council.

Mayor Frank Catalina, who is running for a third two-year term, has put together a “Peekskill United” team that includes Republican Councilman Joe Torres and registered Democrats Luis Segarra and Robert Sullivan.

Councilman Andre Rainey, who is challenging Catalina, is going to the polls with fellow Democrats Vanessa Agudelo, Ramon Fernandez and Colin Smith, who have dubbed themselves “One Peekskill.”

Two incumbent councilmembers are not seeking reelection. Democrat Drew Claxton is bowing out after 16 years, while Republican Vincent Vesce has served for the last four years. Each council seat carries a four-year term and an annual salary of $8,686.

Peekskill United candidates will appear on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform party lines, while One Peekskill candidates have secured the Democratic, Working Families and Women’s Equality party lines.

Agudelo

Vanessa Agudelo grew up in Peekskill, graduated from Penn State University and works as a district representative for the state Senate’s first female Hispanic legislator. She is chair of the Environmental Climate Justice Committee for Peekskill’s NAACP, has been a key organizer in efforts to Solarize Peekskill, served on the city’s Conservation Advisory Council and is the youngest member of the Peekskill Garden Club.

“Every job I have ever had has been focused on helping people and giving them access to their government, and over the course of the last several months it has become more clear than ever I need to do that right here at home, where I grew up,” she said. “As councilwoman, I will ensure no constituent goes unanswered, no community feels left out, and that we develop this city in a way that keeps it affordable and represents its full diversity.”

Agudelo said she would strive to use “innovative and sustainable strategies” to improve the quality of life for residents, particularly with the environment and community building.

“Peekskill has it all and that’s why I am so proud to be from this city,” she said. “The only way to see direct change in your daily life is through your local government.”

Fernandez

A native of the Dominican Republic, Ramon Fernandez has lived in Peekskill since 2004. He is co-owner of Rio Taxi in Peekskill, co-founded the Peekskill Youth Soccer Club and formed a group called Peekskill Hispanic Community to provide a voice for the city’s Spanish-speaking population. He has also been very involved with Assumption Church.

“Peekskill’s Hispanic community is a substantial driver of our local economy and I have worked over the last decade to ensure their voices are heard and concerns are addressed by our local officials,” he said. “On the council, my goal is to build bridges between the Spanish-speaking community and longer-term residents so that we can enhance the local quality of life for everyone. We have a diverse community and we need to take advantage of that.”

Fernandez would like to provide more recreational opportunities for youth, increase jobs and ensure code enforcement in the city is done fairly.

“I am a community service man. I want to try to be the voice for all,” he said. “I don’t want to represent one piece of Peekskill.”

Segarra

Luis Segarra has lived in Peekskill for the last 23 years and is principal and CFO of The Crescent Companies. He is a member of the National Hispanic Business Group and the African American Chamber of Commerce.

“I know how to manage people and how to manage a budget,” said Segarra, who described himself as a man of faith and integrity. “I invested in the city with my children and my business. I want to be a major player in where Peekskill is going. I will work hard night and day to serve this community.”

Segarra said Peekskill needs diverse housing options to match its population and insisted landlords must be held accountable for providing substandard living conditions.

Through his company, he recently donated a drone to the Peekskill Police Department to assist with search and rescue efforts.

Smith

Colin Smith is a lifelong Peekskill resident and a 1991 Peekskill High School graduate. An attorney, he has served on the Peekskill Board of Education since in 2012.

“I’ve dedicated my life to the city and believe now more than ever we need a city government that is forward-looking, interested in collaboration, partners with our local school district and respects diversity of opinion in the council chambers,” he said. “I’m excited about being part of a new generation of leaders in City Hall.”

Smith said the diversity of Peekskill is one of its best selling points and is the reason his parents settled in the city in the 1970s. He said development in the city in recent years has helped stimulate the economy and make Peekskill a destination city.

“I love this community. I believe in this community,” he said. “I love the people in this city, for the diversity, for the promise of the future that a city like Peekskill offers.”

Sullivan

Robert Sullivan has lived in Peekskill for 29 years. He has been an attorney for 36 years and is a U.S. Navy veteran. For the last 25 years he has been involved in the leadership of the Woods III condominium community.

In October 2016, when the city began its water meter replacement program, Sullivan appeared before the Common Council and argued that the City Code required that the meters must be installed at no cost to homeowners. The Council agreed and new meters were installed at no cost to condominium owners.

Shortly after that, Sullivan and his wife filed a lawsuit in New York Supreme Court over what he perceived as the disregard of the City Charter and the partisan conduct of the Democratic majority in the passage of the 2016 City Budget. As a result, the court ordered that the proposed budget prepared by the city manager and comptroller be enacted.

“As a candidate on a bipartisan cohesion ticket, I will work across party lines to create and promote positive and meaningful progress for Peekskill by keeping taxes low, focusing on quality of life issues, restoring integrity to elected office in the city, expanding and improving parks and recreation, building on education coalition and supporting meaningful commercial development for job creation and expansion of our tax base,” he said.

Torres

Councilman Joe Torres is the lone incumbent councilmember in the race. Owner of Reliable Sewer and Drain Company, Torres said he was looking forward to another term to complete the work that has been started under Catalina.

“There is still much to do. What people should realize is that the total assessed valuation of any city needs to grow by 2-4% every year, just to stay even. 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,” he said.

Torres is the council’s liaison to the Police, Fire and Emergency Services departments. He said all the decisions he has made have been with the best interests of residents at heart.

“I do love this city. I love the people here,” he said. “I think we have the most potential of any city along the Hudson River.”