Rainey Looks to Improve on Peekskill’s Successes as Mayor
Peekskill Councilman Andre Rainey promises to bring a different approach to City Hall if he is successful on November 7 in ousting two-term Mayor Frank Catalina.
“In my time on the council I am proud of the successes we have had in recruiting new development and business and that will continue when I am mayor,” Rainey said. “But what I will bring to the mayor’s office that is different is a positive, collaborative approach to government that builds bridges for community engagement, not walls.”
Rainey, 33, was elected to the council in 2015 and is currently one of four Democrats. Owner and President of NOO Moves Entertainment, which he founded in 2010, Rainey said the major contribution he has made on the council is bringing “life to the table.”
“I’m not here to try to change anything. I want to improve,” Rainey said. “I want to do what I think Frank is not capable of doing, to show a different type of leadership. If developers love Frank, they will love Andre Rainey. I don’t think Frank is a bad guy. I would love to be invited to his wedding. I want to continue to make this city grow. I think Frank has done a great job. It’s time for me to step up to the plate.”
About a month ago, Rainey was forced to leave his job at the VA Hospital in Montrose, where he was employed for 17 months, after someone filed a complaint that he was violating a federal law that prohibits federal workers from holding elected office.
Rainey maintained he was able to reach a larger segment of Peekskill’s population than Catalina, who he contended catered to a smaller circle of friends and supporters.
“I have been able to relate to the people in all factions of the city. I have been able to go to Chapel Hill and Bohlman Towers. I can meet with people in all of these places. That’s not his comfort zone,” Rainey said. “Everybody in this city should be his comfort zone. I always look to the future. He only looks to the now. I think he would be a great actor. He should go into show business. Denzel Washington doesn’t act as good as him. I’ll be his agent.”
A 2002 Peekskill High School graduate, Rainey has been heavily involved with youth programs in the city, particularly at the Kiley Youth Center on Main Street. That interest is what led him to run for council two years ago.
“My main focus at the time was working with the kids and providing education and opportunities,” said Rainey, who has a four-year-old son. “That’s just a part of me that I can’t let go. I will always have the kids as one of my priorities.”
Rainey said all of the development and positive vibes in Peekskill is a credit to the entire seven-member council, not Catalina alone.
“You have a system where you have seven people. Seven people help make a decision,” he said. “When something goes in favor of the city, he wants credit. When something goes wrong he wants nothing to do with it. It’s a manipulative strategy. When you start doing things for the wrong reasons, you should stop doing it. Obviously, I think Frank’s time is up. It’s time to go.”
Rainey said he was instrumental in reactivating the city’s Human Relations Commission. If elected, in his first 100 days Rainey said he would like to sit down will all the mayors from Peekskill’s recent past and pick their brains.
“A lot of things we have had have been here for decades. I don’t want to come in and change everything,” he stressed. “Half of these projects were already initiated before his (Catalina) time. I would like to be the person to represent this city. This election is not about party lines. This election is about a transparent government and electing people that will always have the people’s interest at heart. Transparency is very important in government and with him we won’t get that.”
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/