PEEKSKILL, N.Y. All this week, The Daily Peekskill will be featuring interviews with the common council candidates running in the Nov. 8 general elections.
Today we profile the candidate for Peekskill Mayor, and the Democratic candidate is two-term incumbent Mary Foster. An Executive Director at Grant Thornton, LLP, Foster is a retired partner from Deloitte & Touche, LLP.
Foster was elected mayor in 2007 and was reelected for a second term in 2009. She said she has championed sustainable commercial and residential development to support the vision of Peekskill as a premier cultural and economic magnet for the region, working to stimulate downtown redevelopment and repair aging infrastructure.
Foster also said she has put more police on the streets, has aggressively attacked the litter problem and has kept property taxes flat. Foster is a member of the Executive Committee of the Westchester Municipal Officers Association and a Board Officer of the Northern Westchester Energy Action Consortium. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, a former chair of the NYS Society of CPAs and the AICPAs technical committees for nonprofit organizations.
She belongs to the Holy Spirit parish and has lived in Peekskill with her husband, Don, and their two adult children for 33 years.
Why am I running for political office?
I am seeking re-election as Mayor to continue the progress that has been made during the past four years. Our decisions to hire an Economic Development Officers and to hold city taxes flat has resulted in downtown revitalization that can be expanded to other parts of Peekskill. We have developed a retail and tourism strategy that will continue to draw businesses to Peekskill and will create new jobs. Our investment in the old industrial district will enable Peekskill to create a commercial district that will attract new businesses that add good paying jobs and retail options needed in the city.
What skills and experience do you/would you bring to the job?
I have a proven track as mayor for the past four years. I possess a business background that enables me to make solid decisions regarding city finances and budget proposals. Balancing strategic investments in economic growth, current budgets and the need to relieve the tax pressure from our residents is something I have been professionally trained to do. And we have done that successfully the past four years.
What issues would you like to address in the City?
Continue to recruit new businesses to Peekskill to expand our tax base and create jobs and expand the revitalization to other mixed use neighborhoods starting with the Monument Park area and continue the Main Street improvements from Broad Street to Tompkins Park. Ensure that a professional Human Resource function is developed in the city to serve our workforce (and our residents) effectively. Establish a job retraining program jointly with the school district, BOCES and the Department of Labor to reduce the unemployment rate in Peekskill. Establish a young adult internship and apprenticeship program through the Youth Bureau to develop more long term employment opportunities for 18 to 24 year olds.
How do you differ from your opponents in your views of what should be done to make Peekskill better?
I am very positive about Peekskills growth prospects and the positive image Peekskill has developed the last four years. I believe in our community and the ability of like-minded individuals to work for the common good of the city with respect, civility and dignity. I oppose name calling, mudslinging, and nasty, mean spirited missives. I believe growth can be achieved without compromising our small city character or leaving any of our residents behind.
What else would you like voters to know about you?
I have lived in Peekskill for over 33 years and my family chose to stay in Peekskill when many fled and to volunteer our time to make Peekskill a great place. Our two adult children were raised here and educated in the Peekskill city schools and we pay taxes here like everyone else and know the importance of providing taxpayer relief. This administration kept taxes flat for the past 4 years without increasing water rates. We also reduced certain permit fees and streamlined planning and building processes to encourage entrepreneurism and small development during these difficult economic times.
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