MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — The City of Mount Vernon has declared a state of emergency over financial problems that have resulted in garbage trucks and some police cars being taken out of service.
Mount Vernon owes $500,000 to several vendors who supply and maintain its fleet of vehicles, including garbage trucks that have been seen sliding out of control into intersections.
"We saw trucks not being able to stop, going down hills and sliding into intersections," Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said. "Our fleet of 14 sanitation trucks have just not been safe. We had to make a very hard and a very unpopular, but a very responsible decision to suspend garbage yesterday and today."
Police cars also can't be serviced because of the debt. Nineteen of them are now off the road.
Mount Vernon has had to call on Yonkers and New York City for more garbage trucks, which are on the way. The state is also helping out.
"The state of emergency allowed us to kind of really reach out to some of our surrounding governmental partners," Patterson-Howard said.
Patterson Howard is accusing Comptroller Deborah Reynolds of failing to pay the bill for the critical maintenance of the city's vehicles.
"She is not only holding the money hostage, but she is holding the services and the residents of Mount Vernon hostage," Patterson-Howard said. "I believe this is criminal negligence on the highest level. It has impacted the public safety and health of our community."
Patterson-Howard said it's the comptroller's job to pay the bills.
The mayor claims she is blind to the finances of the city.
"We have no access to the city's financial data management system, we have no access to the balances and the bank accounts, we have had to subpoena her for these records," Patterson-Howard said.
Reynolds said it's the mayor's responsibility to pay the bills and bring them to her for approval.
In a Facebook post, Reynolds wrote, "Mayor Patterson is the elected official who pays the city's bills when she brings them to the Comptroller's staff for review which allows us to cut a check for vendors. When she holds them in her office and LIES on the NEWS blaming others, it shows Mt. Vernon needs a responsible Mayor who can do the job."