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PEEKSKILL, N.Y. -- After beginning the year by swearing in four of its seven members, the Common Council passed several resolutions, which included naming a new deputy mayor.
Long-time council member Drew Claxton will take the role of Peekskill deputy mayor for at least the next year, a position whose main responsibility is running council meetings when the mayor in unable to attend.
Claxton takes over the role from council member Don Bennett, who was re-elected for a third four-year term this fall.
The new order of precedence for the common council to act as mayor in case of emergency in the absence of Mayor Mary Foster is Drew Claxton, Don Bennett, Marybeth McGowan, Andrew Torres, Kathy Talbot, Darren Rigger.
Foster thanked Bennett for his service as deputy mayor.
"I'd like to thank former Deputy Mayor Bennett for four years of really hard work and for picking up the slack when I can't be at meetings [due to] weddings and all sorts of things and being our liaison to numerous boards and commissions," Foster told those gathered in the crowded chamber. "Don has just been great to have as a deputy mayor and I'm sure Deputy Mayor Claxton will have just as much fun in 2012."
Other business addressed by the Common Council:
The Common Council voted to officially give Assistant City Manager Brian Havrenek the title of Acting City Manager, a position he has served in since City Manager Rick Finn resigned in early December.
The council voted to make the Journal News, a daily print newspaper owned by Gannett, the official designated newspaper as well as Pluma Libra, a locally owned Spanish language print newspaper that covers Westchester, Rockland and Western Connecticut.
The council also voted on the official banks for the city, which are as follows: Bank of New York; Hudson Valley National Bank; Chase; Wells Fargo; Citibank; Merrill Lynch; MBIA Municipal Investors Services Corp.; Bank of America; Putnam County Savings Bank; TD Bank; HSBC; Signiture Bank; Hudson City Savings Bank; Webster Bank.
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