Peekskill Candidate Profile: McKenzie For Common Council

PEEKSKILL, NY — Westchester County will have several contested races in this fall's election, including in Peekskill. Peekskill-Cortlandt Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles until election day.

Vivian McKenzie is running for re-election to the Common Council. She is part of a slate with Mayor Andre Rainey, Deputy Mayor Kathleen Talbot and council member Patricia Riley, running for re-election on the Democratic Party line.

They are being challenged by a slate headed by Vincent A. Vesce for Mayor and including Lauren Brady, Marlon Mahon and Luis A Segarra for Common Council. They are running on the bipartisan Peekskill Together ticket, which was endorsed by Conservative, Independence and Republican parties.

McKenzie, 56, has spent 25 years in the insurance industry and been a business owner for nine years.

The single most pressing issue facing our community, and what I intend to do about it.

Our City is growing everyday. We are in great financial shape and people want to live, build, work and visit here. As we grow we need to do so in a way that benefits and includes everyone. Our development efforts have and will continue to focus on ensuring there is housing that meets everyone's income level.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Experience and vision. Each member on the Democratic Slate for Peekskill have served on the council for at least 4 years or more. We have experience with keeping taxes low, bringing in development, partnering with key players at the local, county and state levels. Our vision is to build a 21st Century City that is inclusive and affordable for all.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Reducing our carbon footprint and moving our city in a green direction is important to our residents and our environment. We are currently working on a project to reduce our energy consumption in all of our buildings and educate our residents on moving green. We are building a Peekskill where it doesn't matter who you love, what you look like, or where you were born. We are building a community who has input on what happens in their city. This is evidenced by the $10 million DRI grant the city was recently awarded from the state. How this grant is spent will be determined by our residents. Meetings are open to the public and input from all is encouraged.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Kept taxes below the tax cap, increased the city's reserves to over $3.4 million, helped to create a system where all qualified job applicants are reviewed for employment opportunities, worked to streamline the process for individuals who want to build in Peekskill.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am a sensible, straight- talking no- nonsense type of person who cuts through the politics to do what is right for our city and its residents. I respect everyone's opinion and feel that we can accomplish the most when we work together as a community.

Are you running for office in Peekskill? Contact Lanning Taliaferro at lanning.taliaferro@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and posting campaign announcements on Patch.

Previously on Patch:

• Peekskill Candidate Profile: Riley For Common Council
• Peekskill Candidate Profile: Brady For City Council
• Peekskill Candidate Profile: Talbot For Common Council
• Westchester Candidate Profile: Outhouse For County Legislature
• 2019 Candidate Profile: Colin D. Smith For County Legislature
• 2019 Candidate Profile: Frank Catalina For County Legislature
• Peekskill Candidate Profile: Segarra For Common Council
• Peekskill Candidate Profile: Mahon For Common Council