Leg. Borgia Predictably Fails to Defend Her Community
Peter Tripodi, candidate for County Legislator (District 9), challenged Legislator Catherine Borgia to join his condemnation of the Housing Monitor’s determination that Ossining and Croton-On-Hudson have exclusionary zoning that segregates minorities. The Housing Monitor was appointed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to enforce the 2009 Housing Settlement.
“HUD’s monitor drew a line in the sand. Now it’s time for Catherine Borgia to pick a side,” Tripodi said. “As Ossining Town Supervisor, Catherine Borgia voted to pass 6 major pieces of zoning legislation in the Town. According to the Housing Monitor, her own votes created this so-called exclusionary zoning. Legislator Borgia should grow a backbone and condemn the monitor’s reports and determination. Unfortunately, we will not hear a peep from her.”
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Tripodi, as a Councilman for the Town of Ossining, condemned the Housing Monitor’s reports for its inaccuracies and false conclusions, joining a bi-partisan coalition of elected local officials throughout Westchester County.
“First and foremost, the zoning codes in Ossining Town and Croton Village are NOT exclusionary. What we have here are pure bullying tactics from HUD and the monitor, nothing more.” Tripodi said. “If Catherine Borgia fails to stand up for her constituents, we risk a federal dismantling of our local zoning through a lawsuit from the county. As taxpayers, we will foot the bill on both sides of that trial.”
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According to letters from HUD, Westchester County will have to sue Ossining and Croton to dismantle zoning if the communities do not voluntarily comply with the determination of exclusionary zoning.
In June, the “Report Cards” of HUD Housing Monitor James Johnson to 31 Westchester Communities, including Ossining, Croton, Cortlandt, and Briarcliff, were released to the public as well as the response from each of these communities. Despite unanimous opposition to the Monitor’s conclusions, Catherine Borgia defended the Monitor, telling the Journal News, “This is really just smart planning.”
“Catherine Borgia has skirted her responsibilities as a legislator since day one,” Tripodi said. “When it was time to vote on a bi-partisan 0% increase County budget, she walked out. Now, with 2 communities in her district being accused of having ‘exclusionary’ zoning she is once again absent. District 9 needs a legislator who will stand up for the voters against the bullying tactics of HUD, someone who will protect the rights of the communities in this district. We do not need a legislator who calls the monitor’s reports ‘smart planning.’
