The River Communities Coalition of Yonkers hosted a City Council President Candidates Forum on May 29 at the Warburton Avenue Community Room. Here’s what the six candidates had to say, each hoping to win the Primary election on June 24, 2025.
Meet the Present Candidates
- Lakisha Collins-Bellamy (D) – Incumbent Lakisha Collins-Bellamy hopes to be re-elected as City Council President of the sixth district. The Democratic Party of Yonkers endorses her. Her main areas of focus consist of public education, safety, and affordable housing.
- Michael Khader (D) – Former City Council President Michael Khader hopes to take back his position in office. He disagrees with what is going on in the city council chambers. He is a firm believer in innovative development and feels that community input is an essential part of democracy.
- Chuck Lesnick (D) – Lesnick served as City Council President from 2006 to 2013. He noted that when the affordable housing ordinance was proposed, he argued it should be 20% rather than 10%. If elected, he will revisit the issue.
- Peter Spano (D) – Spano, no relation to Mayor Mike Spano, is a strong supporter of making a positive impact on the entire city of Yonkers.
- Dean Politopoulus (R) – Former police lieutenant, Politopoulus is endorsed by the Republican Party of Yonkers. It is his first time running for an elected position. His primary goal is to prioritize neighborhoods and communities over government.
- Ron Schutté (R) – Schutté entered politics two years prior after challenging the extension of term limits in his district. He feels that the city council is a “political syndicate.” His main goals are to reinstate term limits and restore integrity.
Where They Stand
The forum began with remarks from Gary Weinberg, president of the Warburton Avenue Building. While introducing the events of the night, he noted that Tasha Diaz would not be in attendance. When the City Council Candidates portion of the night began, Peter Spano had not yet arrived.
The Forum began with one-minute introductions from each of the candidates, followed by two questions, allotting candidates four minutes to answer each.
Issue #1: Noise in the City of Yonkers
The first question directed towards the candidates concerned the vote to raise the daytime noise limit by 800 decibels and double the nighttime limit. Incumbents were asked how they voted, and candidates were asked how they would vote. In addition, the question also surrounded candidates’ perspectives on noise cameras.
Overall, the answers were similar among the majority of candidates, with most indicating that they would have voted against the increase in the noise ordinance. Several candidates, such as Politopoulos and Schutté, were in favor of entirely reversing the ordinance and lowering the legal noise decibel. Collins-Bellamy, however, noted that during her time in office, she had voted in favor of the noise ordinance increase, as a colleague had misled her.
The candidate’s answers also remained similar when discussing noise cameras, as all appeared to be in favor of their installation. Collins-Bellamy made the point that noise cameras would bring revenue to the city, with Khader contradicting her, claiming that the point of the cameras shouldn’t be to increase revenue, but rather to eliminate illegal mufflers. Politopoulos took a different approach, stating that laws should be passed affecting shops that do illicit work on mufflers. Another distinct aspect was noted by Lesnick, who observed that the streets are congested and suggested working with the Board of Education to relocate school bus stops off main streets to better utilize mass transit.
Issue #2: Development
The second question of the night surrounded development and zoning changes. Peter Spano arrived during this portion of the night. The candidates were asked how they would defend zoning protections in Greystone, specifically, where developers have made changes that do not take into consideration the cohesive citywide plan.
Spano noted that developers should be held accountable for significant development and brought up the lack of parking in downtown areas. Lesnick agreed, adding that Yonkers is full. He once again brought up the issue of school buses, noting that they transport children through congested areas to bring them to school.
Schutté brought up senior living. He feels that the fabric of Yonkers is being affected, as many seniors are unable to downsize. He noted that he’s a fan of smart development in the sense that it benefits the community. Politopoulus also stated he was in favor of smart development and pointed out that any development that occurs should be done so with community input.
Collins-Bellamy added to the discussion on senior housing, noting that she had initially proposed that senior housing not subsidized by the federal government should have one parking spot for every unit.
Standout Exchanges
There were several standout exchanges throughout the night, primarily between Collins-Bellamy and Khader.
At the start of the night, Bellamy claimed that she had only voted yes to raise the noise decibel ordinance because a fellow city council candidate, whom she declined to name, had misled the board. Bellamy claimed that the absent candidate was given a large donation and, therefore, pushed for the legislation.
During the second question, Khader commented that the role of city council president is to approve zone changes and vote on the budget; he said other activities are “fluff.” Khader then went on to cite that after his administration, the federal government gave the city of Yonkers a $180 million benefit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He claimed that the residents didn’t receive the benefit due to the City Council President at the time, Lakisha Collins, and contended that the benefit was “wasted.”
Collins-Bellamy responded by stating that people need to look at facts over fabricated stories. She claimed that the $33 million from that benefit was used to restore the schools after the pandemic, including hiring new teachers and social workers. She also noted that she funded arts and music in schools.
Concluding statements
Towards the conclusion of the night, the candidates were each given one minute to express why they believe they should be elected as City Council President. At the end of his time, Lesnick claimed that he was the only candidate to file his campaign finances, which were due the previous Friday. Politopoulos, who followed, went on to clarify he, too, had filed his campaign finances.
In her concluding remarks, Collins-Bellamy accused a fellow candidate of organizing a smear campaign against her to remove diversity from the city council without naming that candidate. She claimed that this candidate was trying to divide the vote between two women of color by working alongside a fellow candidate.
Mark Your Calendar
Primary election day is scheduled for June 24, 2025, with the general election set for November 3, 2025. We encourage all eligible voters to get involved, stay informed, and ensure their voices are heard. Your vote matters.
