GovernmentThe Northern Westchester Examiner

Common Council to Further Discuss Fernandez Ethics Case  

Rick Pezzullo
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The Peekskill Board of Ethics may have dismissed a case against Councilman Ramon Fernandez for alleged violations involving a ticket-fixing request for a friend, but the Common Council apparently isn’t done with the matter.

During the closing moments of last week’s council meeting, Mayor Vivian McKenzie publicly addressed the Dec. 23 decision by the Ethics Board that it was unable to investigate Fernandez since the six-year Code of Ethics limitations had lapsed.

McKenzie maintained just because the case was dismissed doesn’t mean Fernandez wasn’t guilty of the alleged violation, but that the board was prohibited from investigating it.

“We have heard many things about this matter from Councilman Fernandez, such as people were trying to play dirty politics, this is racial, this is political,” McKenzie said, with Fernandez looking on from her left side. “But what we have not heard from Councilman Fernandez is any accountability for his actions or an apology, and the constituents of the City of Peekskill deserve better than that.”

McKenzie asked that the city manager place the issue on the council’s next Committee of the Whole agenda, which is Jan. 21, so the council can decide what the “next steps” may be.

Fernandez, who has strongly hinted at running for mayor in November, did not respond to McKenzie’s remarks at the meeting.

However, Fernandez, who has been on the council since 2018, reacted to the Ethics Board’s determination earlier in an email, stating, “Thank you to my family, friends, district leaders, community leaders, the Hispanic Democrats of Westchester and the many residents of our City of Peekskill, who with their prayers, with their support and words like: ‘Resist, Don’t Give Up, Keep Fighting, Don’t Stop Fighting for the Most Vulnerable.’ Thanks to this you all have helped me resist and have the strength to move forward.”

Reginald Johnson, the first Black judge in Peekskill’s history, turned in his gavel on Sept. 30, 2024, following a probe from the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

It is alleged Johnson dismissed 11 traffic tickets between March 2018 and November 2022 based on personal relationships with the defendants or persons close to the defendants and not on the merits.

According to the stipulation between Johnson and the commission, on Mar. 9, 2018, Mateo Piragua was charged with operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license and using a cell phone. On June 15, 2018, Piragua was charged again with driving without a license and failing to stop at a stop sign.

Piragua is a family friend of Fernandez, having been involved together in local soccer activities.

The commission stated Fernandez met with Johnson about the tickets in June or July 2018, “expressing his view that the tickets were unjust, and that Mr. Piragua was a good person.” He also allegedly understood from Johnson’s response that the tickets would be dismissed.

On July 27, 2018, Johnson dismissed the tickets without notice or consent from either Peekskill City Prosecutor Ingrid O’Sullivan or the Peekskill Police Department.

Based on that “sworn testimony,” a press release was issued Sept. 24 from McKenzie’s office stating, “Regarding the unfortunate matter in the Peekskill City Court involving Councilman Fernandez, the Common Council reviewed the sworn testimony. Upon review of the testimony, the majority believes it is in the best interest of the City of Peekskill that he resigns from his position.”

“The Common Council and I take this matter very seriously and will continue to work for our constituents with integrity,” the release concluded. Fernandez declined to resign.

On Sept. 25, the city’s former corporation counsel, on behalf of the council, requested the Board of Ethics conduct a “full and complete” investigation into Fernandez’s alleged favor request, citing a city code that states, “(n)o City official or employee shall use or attempt to use his or her official position to give or secure privileges or exemptions for himself/herself or others not available to others.”

 

 

 

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