THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR

Good afternoon. Thank you for being here.

For more than a decade as a public servant – first as an Assemblyman and then as Mayor – I have endeavored to always make decisions based on what was best for the people I represent and for the city of White Plains. Through good times and bad, in Albany and in City Hall, I maintained a singular focus on doing what was right for the people I served.

It is no secret that, recently, the sad storms in my personal life have sometimes dominated news headlines and distracted attention away from what I believe are the most pressing policy issues facing our city.

I have given my life to public service. I am old-fashioned in that I truly believe a person’s highest calling in life is to serve other people – to give voice to those without…to stand up for my deeply held beliefs…and to advocate for principles that reflect the specific needs of the general welfare.

It is for these reasons that I first ran to become Mayor. It is for these reasons that I was victorious in my campaign with overwhelming support. And it is out of utmost respect to the office I hold that I announce that today is my last day as Mayor of White Plains.

After much personal deliberation, and in consultation with many colleagues, family members, and close friends, I have concluded that I can no longer dedicate the necessary time and effort required to serve as Mayor in a way that I believe the people of White Plains deserve.

I have consulted at length with Tom Roach, the president of the Common Council, who will now assume this office. I will work closely with Tom in order to ensure a seamless transition and to make sure that all pending city issues are attended to.

It was my sincere belief that my personal matters would have been resolved within the space of one year. Unfortunately, it has become clear that a greater period of time will be needed for me to resolve those matters. As a result, I can no longer allow the circumstances of my personal life to be a distraction to the press, and others, from the goals and achievements, both realized and to be realized, by this great city during the coming year.

It is my hope that at the end of this judicial process, the truth will come out.

In the days and years ahead, when I consider this chapter in my life, I will not view my resignation as my greatest shortcoming in life – far from it. Rather, I will reflect on the dissolution of my marriage and the impact on my two wonderful daughters. Divorce is a terrible and unfortunate situation that impacts many families every day. No one enters into a marriage hoping for or expecting failure. However, unfortunately, reality occasionally intervenes.

Given these realities, now is the time for me to pass the baton of authority, with the comfort of knowing that capable hands will receive it.

Let me say a few words about our incoming Mayor. Tom Roach is a friend and colleague of many years, and a fine public servant. We’ve had some differences along the way – but for many years and more often than not we have worked together to do what is best for the people we represent.

I think we may be equally responsible for giving each other a few more gray hairs, and yet even in the midst of our disagreements, I have always known Tom as a dedicated public official whose focus has always been doing what is best for White Plains.

I am confident that he will serve our city admirably and with great distinction, and I offer my full support and encouragement. In the coming days, I will share with Tom the insights and perspective that I have gained during my time in this role, and I will always make myself available to offer any guidance I can provide.

To leave at this juncture provides for two critical things to occur in the best interests of our citizens.

First, it provides an opportunity for the incoming Mayor to take full charge during a crucial moment to oversee and manage our city’s upcoming budget process – a difficult undertaking that requires unyielding focus to do what is best for our city’s long-term fiscal interests.

This is the destiny that the good people of White Plains deserve, and it properly aligns with the customs and lessons of my upbringing and life in public service.

When I became Mayor of White Plains last year, many businesses were boarded up and abandoned, more people were losing jobs than finding them, and our city was on the edge of fiscal abyss. Now, I am proud to say, the opposite is true.

My administration took immediate and aggressive action to rectify the situation we inherited, and we did a lot in a short period of time – from replenishing the city’s severely depleted reserve fund to reducing what would have been a substantial tax increase for our citizens.

We are now doing more with less, meeting the demands of prudence required in our current economic environment; for instance, we have reduced our workforce to its lowest level in 30 years without impacting the scope of services provided to protect and serve our citizens.

We also dealt with the fire that destroyed an entire city block along East Post Road in July. When the fire had been extinguished, my Administration took immediate steps to ensure that the City would prevent another hole in the ground from occurring in downtown White Plains.

Even in the middle of recession, economic development projects launched under my watch are taking hold, and other businesses and restaurants are on the way. I am confident that the City of White Plains has found its footing once again, while nearby communities continue to struggle.

We recently witnessed the grand opening of the new ShopRite at City Center, which, after months of hard work and negotiations by my Administration, will create more than 400 new jobs for local residents.

Additionally, the Common Council recently approved the site plan for Metropolitan Plaza that will feature new retail shops, restaurants and office space.

And although there is disagreement on what should or should not be done on Ridgeway Country Club, my Administration sought to protect the land and prevent a sealed bidding process from occurring by coming up with a plan to provide an opportunity to benefit all citizens of White Plains.

We’ve accomplished a lot in a very short amount of time. The fiscal and economic development situation in White Plains is vastly different and much improved under my Administration. I am proud of my record as Mayor, and I will always stand by it.

No one person should claim credit for the collective efforts of the unseen force behind city government, and so I want to thank the hard working civil servants at City Hall for their dedication and efforts in the many tasks we faced.

I also want to thank my commissioners and department heads and their teams, and the members of the Common Council who spent countless hours working to navigate our city through calamites of snow and fire, budget shortages and the challenges associated with putting our city on the path to fiscal health.

Despite any differences of policy, they should know that I always considered their viewpoints and insights as a guiding force, as we all hold dear the best interests of our city.

I want to personally thank John Callahan who has served as Chief of Staff and Corporation Counsel and has done a tremendous job representing this city. He is a truly dedicated public servant, and it is my hope that he will continue to help guide this city going forward.

On a personal note, I want to thank the many friends and residents in White Plains who put aside political and personal considerations to stand by me during a very difficult time in my personal life. Your prayers and support continue to sustain me, and for that I will be eternally grateful. You know who you are – and you know who I am. I hope you know how I value your friendship and what a special place you occupy in my life.

Today marks a new start for White Plains, and while I feel a deep sadness that I will no longer have the privilege of serving you as Mayor, I know that the direction of our city only continues forward.

This city is a special place. White Plains is the birthplace of the State of New York…the seat of Westchester County…the longtime home of my family…and the jewel of my heart.