Alderwomen causing ‘chaos,’ Democrats say
Kingston Democratic Committee members accuse two alderwomen of creating "confusion and chaos."
KINGSTON, N.Y. » Two alderwomen are being accused by members of the Kingston Democratic Committee of causing “chaos and confusion” by voting against the city budget and delaying the purchase of parking payment kiosks, amongst other measures.
A letter to the editor signed by members of the Kingston Democratic Committee took aim at Minority Leader Deborah Brown, R-Ward 9, and Alderwoman Maryann Mills, D-Ward 7, as being the “Party of No.” The letter was largely written by Alderman Reynolds Scott-Childress, D-Ward 3, but his name does not ap- pear on the document.
Scott-Childress on Friday said he did not sign the letter because the members of the Democratic Committee did not want to cause division amongst the members of the city’s Common Council. He added that, while he wrote the bulk of the letter, the people who signed it offered suggestions.
The letter was signed by former aldermen Brad Will, Tom Hoffay, Charles Landi and Frank Cardinale, as well as Joseph Donaldson, Neil Millens, Karen Markisenis, Harold Goldman, Alanna Henneberry, Pat Finch and Robert Gillon. Donaldson is the current chairman of the city Democratic Committee, while Cardinale is the chairman of the Ulster County Democratic Committee.
“Like our current presidential administration, they (Brown and Mills) cause chaos and confusion no matter how much it hurts our hard-working families, our fixed-income seniors, and our expanding businesses,” the letter said. “They have taken a series of stands that threaten to undermine our recent, tax-reducing, smart-spending city budget.”
The letter goes on to state that Brown and Mills voted against the 2017 city budget, “which lowered homeowners’ taxes and significantly reduced commercial property tax rates.” It added that the alderwoman tried to raise city tax rates by forcing the fire department to spend $300,000 the fire chief did not request, as well as delayed two Common Council votes “to reduce the parking tax through the purchase of parking kiosks.” The letter said the delays have cost taxpayers $28,000 and could “blow a $200,000 hole in the city’s budget.”
The Common Council has twice tried to vote to borrow $125,000 to purchase parking payment kiosks to begin charging motorists for use of the city’s currently free municipal parking lots. The first attempt in January failed by a vote of 5-3 since bonding requests require at least six “yes” votes from amongst the council’s nine members. A second attempt in February was derailed after Mills called the council’s rules of order into question.
“If we are the ‘no party,’ you are the ‘yes party,’” Brown said Friday in response to the letter. “As in, ‘Yes, please, let’s continue the irresponsible spending and bonding that has plagued the city.’” She declined further comment.
Mills did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
The letter said the “Party of No” is sabotaging the city budget.
“We can’t know whether this is a November election ploy,” the letter said. “But we do urge the responsible aldermen on the Kingston Common Council to continue fighting to keep our taxes as low as possible.”