Governor Kathy Hochul stopped in Peekskill to swear in Mayor Vivian McKenzie, Common Council members and Police Chief Adam Renwick on her way to New York City for Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration on Thursday, Jan. 1. Hochul, who has made frequent visits to Peekskill, had nothing but praise for Mayor Vivian McKenzie, who began her third term on New Year’s Day.
“I love the enthusiasm in Peekskill. I’m happy to be here,” said Hochul, New York’s 57th governor and first female elected to the position. “It’s an extraordinary leader you have in your mayor. I’ve been to a lot of cities since I was elected to a town board in 1994 and she stands out. She loves her work, loves her community. She’s forward thinking to the future and she has a common sense approach to problem solving.”
Newly sworn-in Peekskill council member Darren Rigger, whom Hochul referenced as helping her get elected to Congress in 2011, invited Hochul to administer the oath of office to him. He made the request after he won election in November. He said as the inauguration drew nearer, the governor’s office saw that not only could she swear in Rigger but also swear in Vivian McKenzie, of whom she expressed pride. Peekskill was a convenient stop as the governor traveled to New York City for the Mamdani inauguration. Hochul thanked Rigger for helping her get elected to Congress (2011-2013) and welcomed him back to public service. (Rigger was a Peekskill council member from 2012 to 2015.)
Hochul talked about the power that comes from being an elected official and referenced that cities make a real difference because they can move quickly to make decisions. “Don’t take that power for granted,” she cautioned “What will be your legacy at the end of your term, especially to those who are down on their luck, trying to make ends meet? Will they appreciate that they have a government in their lives that helps solve their problems?
She spoke of the inner toughness needed to be in public office and the rough and tumble nature of the public arena, offering advice to McKenzie, “don’t read the comments” on social media. She then relayed a story from her career as a public servant. The Hamburg Sun newspaper that covered her race for elected office referenced her as the ‘housewife from Hamburg.”
“My husband acknowledged that I was many things, but housewife wasn’t one of them. He also took it upon himself to cut out any nasty letters to the editor about me that appeared in the paper,” she relayed. She said she would sit down to read the Hamburg Sun and there would be holes on the letters page.
Hochul swore in Beverley Chang, Charles DiGruccio and Darren Rigger at the same time and then newly-appointed Police Chief Adam Renwick. Hochul spoke of the importance of public safety and then administered the oath of office to Vivian McKenzie.
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Members of the Westchester Women’s Caucus sang the national anthem.
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Governor Kathy Hochul addresses the packed Central Firehouse audience.
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Police Chief Adam Renwick takes the oath of office from Gov. Hochul while his family watches.
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Mayor Vivian McKenzie takes the oath of office from Gov. Kathy Hochul while Erik McKenzie holds the Bible.
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Violinist Daisy Jopling performs what she calls her Peekskill song.
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Dancers from Peekskill’s Just The Place dance studio perform.
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Members of Peekskill’s Common Council pose with the Governor.
McKenzie, in her remarks, thanked people for placing trust in her and vowed to lead with humility and honor. She referenced the action plan undertaken in 2022 when she first took office as mayor and outlined the progress since then, including strengthening city services, cultural institutions, implementation of Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) funding, economic development, veterans services, parking, and growth of development.
McKenzie referenced an example of strengthening City Hall from within with the appointment of Cornell Hammonds as the new Superintendent of the Department of Public Works.
The mayor mentioned that Hammonds, who started working for the city out of high school, was following the path of his father, who was also a city employee.
Other advancements McKenzie cited include implementing a program through the Department of Public Works known as “‘see, click, fix” as just one way, she said, city services have improved.
Other accomplishments cited by the mayor include the addition of a full time code enforcement officer; an outside landscaping contractor; installation of way-finding signage; a grant secured for a new HVAC system for the city-owned Paramount Hudson Valley theater; concentration into a community hub of services for seniors and youth; economic development of a Fresh Market and HQ Racing on Charles Point; a new gym downtown; new requests for proposals for development at the riverfront; and expanded community police beats, along with renovation of parking garages, Monument, Pugsley and Fleischmanns Pier parks, and a quality-of-life committee. Also noted was securing funding for a master plan and a partnership with RMS cruises. The creation of a dedicated structure to receive food scraps, along with Peekskill’s designation as a Tree City and the veterans banners program are all the result of collaboration with citizens’ groups, said McKenzie.
She asked people to get involved.” Peekskill’s future isn’t just city hall, it belongs to all of us.”
Newly sworn-in council members Chang, DiGruccio and Rigger all vowed to listen to citizens and to advocate responsibly.
