-    In Bipartisan Move Early in New Administration, Foster Appointed Hanzlik to Committee to Make Recommendations to City on Council Vacancies -

-  Hanzlik, Himself Appointed to the Council Under Controversy Fails to Take Responsibility Seriously, has Not Held a Single Meeting -

Republican candidate for Mayor Chris Hanzlik, who was appointed in a bipartisan show of unity to a charter review committee on filling council vacancies, has not held a single meeting since that appointment in February 2008.  In over 19 months, Hanzlik has not held a single meeting or made a single recommendation to the Common Council.

“Mayor Foster gave Chris Hanzlik an opportunity to serve the residents of Peekskill early in her term,” said Darren Rigger, Chairman of the Peekskill Democratic City Committee. “Unlike previous administrations, she reached across the aisle and appointed a political adversary in the hopes of forging bipartisan agreement on potential changes to the City Charter with respect to filling council vacancies. Chris Hanzlik has taken absolutely no action in fulfilling his responsibility. This disregard of responsibility on the part of Mr. Hanzlik speaks volumes.”

On January 28, 2008, Chris Hanzlik spoke at the citizens desiring to be heard portion of the Common Council meeting and joined GOP operatives who questioned the filling of a vacancy on the Common Council. Mr. Hanzlik himself was appointed to the Peekskill Common Council in 2003, without screening by the Common Council members, without notification having been sent to the public, and without an item being placed on the agenda until five-minutes before his appointment. Hanzlik, publicly stated that he was willing to help come up with an official process if Mayor Mary Foster wanted his input.

Mayor Foster, in an act of bi-partisanship, took Hanzlik up on the offer and appointed him to serve the city on an advisory committee to recommend changes to the city charter.  On March 10, 2008, the Peekskill Common Council officially appointed Hanzlik (Resolution J7) to lead a commission that would “Examine Charter Section §C34 “Vacancies”. Since that time, Mr. Hanzlik has taken no action.

“Mr. Hanzlik is all talk and no action” said Rigger, “He asked for the chance to serve and the Mayor gave it to him. It’s one thing to want to serve it’s another thing to actually do it. Now Mr. Hanzlik wants to serve as Mayor. If he couldn't fulfill his responsibility to serve the City on an advisory board, what makes us think he could fulfill his responsibilities as mayor?”

 

 
A construction firm with a horrendous track record in Peekskill has thrown its full weight behind the Peekskill Republican slate for office, led by Chris Hanzlik. Fourmen Construction is moving forward with a full-court press in support of Hanzlik and his Republican running mates. The company has  posted lawn signs supporting  the Republican slate at their Main Street headquarters, at the Paramount East-property which they purchased from the City under the Testa administration, and on the Crompond Road property  that  they were  forced to purchase after they destabilized a  private citizen’s home to such an extent that it had to be condemned.  Additionally, the company’s Vice-President of Operations, James Seckler, is a major donor to the campaign committee of Chris Hanzlik.

Fourmen Construction has a notorious development record in the City of Peekskill.  It was the developer who violated zoning laws and disregarded the specifications of the approved plans when it built the Cove Condominium Project  on Simpson and Requa Street.   Out of character and scale for the neighborhood it was built in, the Cove generated widespread opposition from residents. Fourmen was also the  developer that sat on the Gateway Project for over four years and which to this day remains undeveloped.

Chris Hanzlik, the GOP candidate for mayor, serves on the Planning Board and approved both the Cove Project and the Lincoln Terrace project that destabilized a man's home on Crompond Road. Fourmen Construction is also suing the City of Peekskill for stopping work on their out-of-scale project.

“It’s a sad statement that on the very land where Fourmen Construction destroyed a man’s home, a lonely Hanzlik for Mayor lawn sign now stands there,” said Democratic Chairman Darren Rigger.

“The GOP has put up a candidate for mayor who facilitated some of the most damaging development projects in the history of this City,” said Rigger. “And now the same developer  whose projects have decimating neighborhoods is pulling out all the stops to see him defeat Mayor Foster.”

Since taking control of City Hall, Democrats on the council have put in place more stringent construction and zoning ordinances to ensure development projects are not out of character with the neighborhoods they are being proposed in.

“If Chris Hanzlik couldn’t protect the interests of the city while serving on the Planning Commission, why should residents of Peekskill trust him to do so from the mayor’s office?” questioned Rigger. “Let’s just look at the record. Mr. Hanzlik served on the planning when this developer ran unchecked over Peekskill. Now he is receiving campaign contributions and political support from the very same developer who is also suing the City.”

MAYOR FOSTER SEEKS RE- ELECTION

Incumbents point to Televised Work Sessions, Town Hall Meetings,Public Planning Processes, Tackling

Long-Neglected Infrastructure Projects, Bringing in New Commercial Development, Bringing in New Developers for Long-Stalled Development Projects, Tackling Litter, Increasing Police, Adopting New Laws that Protect Property Owners and Cutting Taxes as some of their accomplishments in less than 18 months.


Peekskill Mayor Mary F. Foster and Council members Drew Claxton and Andy Torres announced bids for re-election today. Foster, Claxton and Torres are part of a six-seat Democratic majority that voters swept into office in November 2007. Marybeth McGowan, a 14-year resident of the City, is seeking her first term on the council.

In 2007, Foster and her running mates campaigned on a platform that focused on open government, moving long-stalled projects forward, tackling the city’s long- neglected infrastructure, adopting laws that protect neighborhoods from poor development, combating litter, putting more police on the street, prioritizing commercial development to ease the property tax burden on homeowners and raising Peekskill’s profile in the region for cultural tourism.

“When I ran for mayor in 2007, I laid out an aggressive agenda that I wanted to accomplish,” said Foster. “Now the voters will have an opportunity to assess that record. First and foremost we promised an open government where everyone can see the work of the council and policy boards as the issues were discussed and decisions reached. There has never been this much access to the workings of government Public participation in the planning process has never been higher and the community has benefited from this approach.

I promised more police on the street, cleaning up the city garage, bringing on board an economic development specialist, controlling taxes, combating litter, protecting our homeowners and their quality of life, a development strategy that attracted commercial enterprise, and an emphasis on fixing the city’s long-neglected infrastructure. On each count we have had major success, despite the most difficult economic climate in a generation, and have done so while being fiscally prudent.”

Foster, a retired partner from Deloitte & Touche, LLP, was elected to the common council in November 2005 and was subsequently elected Mayor in 2007. She is seeking a second, two-year term.

The Democrats cite their record in attracting a Holiday Inn Express, a Walgreens, a developer for Main Street Commons, and several new businesses to the downtown and John Walsh Blvd.,  repairing the long-neglected James Street Garage, repairing the stairs and entrances to City Hall,  rehabilitating Main Street, and their ability to deliver the City’s first-ever property tax cut.