Vinnie Restiano: “Phil Amicone Simply Doesn’t Tell the Truth”

Describing Mayor Philip Amicone as “A bureaucrat who was unable to morph into a leader,” Vinnie
Restiano, for many years president of the Yonkers City Council, who is challenging him in the upcoming
Republican Primary, told the Westchester Guardian that Amicone’s claims have been “all about
smoke and mirrors.” Declaring, “ the reality is, crime is up in Yonkers over the last three and a half years, and so are taxes, by more than 30 percent,” Restiano said, “Amicone has had a stagnant administration.”

She pointed to a “scandalous” decline in tax ratables coupled with tax abatements and “sweetheart deals to developers,” as primary causes of sharply increasing property taxes.

Turning to Yonkers Public Schools, she pointed out that of the five largest cities in New York State,
Yonkers was the only one whose math and English scores were worse than the year before.

Asked how she would remedy the school problems that have dogged the city for several years, should she be elected Mayor, she quickly responded, “I would replace the Superintendent of Schools, for starters.” She
went on to state, “Four years ago, Amicone and I were both in favor of a Department of Education. My
four kids went to Yonkers Public Schools. Unfortunately, Phil has eliminated many of the former advanced education incentives once offered our teachers.

It appears the Mayor is loyal only to the developers and Nick Spano’s people. e residents of Yonkers are paying an enormous price for Nicky’s endorsement. More than $1.3 million taxpayer dollars are funding ‘no-show’ and ‘do-nothing’ jobs for more than 30 of Nick’s relatives and former staff.”

Questioned about police brutality, Restiano said, “I will have to have my own Police Commissioner. The Police need at least one more precinct and satellite precincts. ere are more than 36 gangs in our city, and I intend
to be a hands-on mayor, working to resolve the critical issues that Phil Amicone has neglected.”

Asked how she will achieve victory in the Republican Primary over the incumbent Mayor, she remarked, “Phil has a communication problem. You just can’t take a man out of the bureaucracy and make him a mayor. I’m going to win the Primary because voters understand it’s a matter of our records.

When elected Mayor, I intend to work closely with the City Council and community leaders, most of whom I have worked with before, to resolve the issues confronting our great city.”