Peekskill Candidate Profile: Talbot For Common Council

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

Kathleen Talbot is running for re-election to the Peekskill Common Council. She has been on the city's governing body for eight years, and has served as deputy mayor for two. She is part of the Democratic Party slate with Mayor Andre Rainey and council members Vivian McKenzie and Patricia Riley.

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

A clinical social worker, Talbot holds a Master of Social Work from Fordham University.

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

Reducing carbon emissions in the city is a priority for me. I have been working hard to save energy use in municipal buildings by establishing baselines, applying for grants and other funding mechanisms like the Honeywell initiative and Solarize Peekskill. We are currently talking to a community solar project developer which can be very beneficial to all.

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

I have a proven track record in the city and with our team are making Peekskill into a 21st Century City. We are determined to be inclusive and celebrate the strength we have in our diverse community. Again and again new people in the city I meet always comment how welcomed they feel here and how vital our diversity was to their decision to relocate to Peekskill.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Keeping Peekskill affordable and the taxes low. Keep our parks well maintained. Use the recent $10m grant we won for downtown revitalization in ways to increase our economic development and bring more jobs and clean industry.

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

Before being on the council I was Director of a Women’s Center in a large social services agency in the Bronx. Prior to becoming a social worker, I had my own small business providing corporate communications for major corporations such as Kraft Foods, IBM, Pitney Bowes. On the council I have been working to get a new management team for the Paramount Hudson Valley, initiated numerous environmental initiatives, very involved in expanding and maintaining our parks and improving city services for our residents.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

The important thing is to never give up and quit.

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

I’m a very hard working councilperson and am now the Deputy Mayor. I’m thoughtful, dedicated and care deeply about Peekskill and all our residents. I’m a third generation Peekskillite and regardless of the outcome of the election I am here to stay.

Are you running for office? 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
• Westchester Candidate Profile: Outhouse For County Legislature
• 2019 Candidate Profile: Colin D. Smith For County Legislature
• 2019 Candidate Profile: Frank Catalina For County Legislature

Editor's note: In this profile the deputy mayor shares why she should be re-elected to the Peekskill Common Council. Patch regrets the typing error in the original version of this article.