Mayor Patterson-Howard passes her First City Budget; Strengthens Public Safety, Code Enforcement and Recreation
Today, February 19, 2020 the City of Mount Vernon passed its 2020 City Budget with a 1.78% tax increase. The budget was adopted by the City Council with a unanimous vote by the members present. The adopted budget includes increased revenues in Sales & Mortgage tax, building permits, and safety inspections. These revenues signal that Mount Vernon’s economy and the housing market continues to show growth.
The 2020 adopted budget includes critical investments in code enforcement, with the hiring of three new enforcement officers to crack down on slumlords and blighted areas of Mount Vernon. Investments in public safety have been made to strengthen fire prevention, code enforcement, and emergency management. With $1.6 million dollars in CDBG funds being allocated for the purchase of three new fire trucks, at no expense to the taxpayer. This budget delivers on the platform Mayor Patterson-Howard campaigned on in 2019.
Additionally, the budget has appropriated resources to support the 2020 Census, where Mount Vernon is estimated to have been undercounted by 33%, funding for the first Comprehensive Plan since 1968 and a grants compliance officer to manage the nearly $10 million dollars in grant funding the city receives annually.
Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said, “Last year today I launched my campaign for Mayor because we didn’t have a budget. After six weeks in office, I’m proud to say we have finally have a budget for the City of Mount Vernon. We delivered a budget that is fiscally responsible and takes steps to move Mount Vernon forward. Together, we worked with City Council and Comptroller to move this along efficiently. The investments in Public Safety, Housing, Youth & Seniors, Communications and Quality of life are important to raising the level of service residents deserve. We now can begin the work of fixing up the decades-long challenges and put Mount Vernon back on track so it can shine once again.”
City Council President Lisa A. Copeland said, “The Council looks forward to working with the administration to ensure that the citizens of Mount Vernon are put first. This budget is a positive step forward in moving the city along. Councilman Marcus Griffith, Derrick Thompson and I are in support of this budget. We are looking ahead to the positive changes we can accomplished together for Mount Vernon.
