Message from Councilwoman Vivian McKenzie regarding the position of Deputy Mayor

I was surprised to read that Mayor-elect Frank Catalina has suggested the Council appoint me Deputy Mayor of the City of Peekskill.  He never spoke to me about it, asked my interest in the position, or discussed the matter with the rest of the Council.

While I am flattered by his proposal, I would be very uncomfortable accepting such a position with my limited experience in the day to day operations of our city.  I believe that there are more experienced council members who would better serve the city in this position.  

Further, I called Mr. Catalina to discuss this issue and requested that he consider supporting a council member with more experience.  I also asked why he put in the press announcement before speaking with me about it and he did say that he had come by my place of business twice to do so, but each time it was very busy and he did not want to disturb me. 

Given our discussion, I am looking forward to working with Mr. Catalina as part of a team in a true bipartisan manner. We have the opportunity on Day 1 to show our residents that we can work together and do what is right for our city regardless of our affiliations or personal beliefs.

I believe that the position of Deputy Mayor and the entire order of precedence should be based on experience, seniority and time on the Council.  I hope that the full Council on January 1st will see the wisdom in this approach.  Thank you and I hope everyone has a Happy and Safe New Year.