Who's The Real Mayor Of Mount Vernon? Judge Delays Ruling Amid Rival Claims
MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - The ongoing political saga played out today in a Westchester County courtroom as disgraced mayor Richard Thomas fought to keep his job.
A judge hearing over the "mayoral mess" said Friday more time is needed to review all the fact of the matter, even as both men made their claims to the town's top official position.
Former mayor Thomas is seeking a court order order to block Andre Wallace from continuing to serve as acting mayor of Mount Vernon.
"The people of Mount Vernon know that I'm their mayor," said Thomas.
"As mayor of Mount Vernon, I'm going to continue to do my job," said Wallace.
The city council unanimously voted Thomas out of office earlier this month after he pleaded guilty to grand larceny charges.
The council says Thomas is now a private citizen and has no right to intervene in government affairs. Wallace was sworn in as mayor on July 10.
"The city council is simply trying to facilitate what we believe to be an illegal coup d'etat," said Thomas.
"We are facing an unusual situation, where two individuals, both present in the courtroom are simultaneously claiming to be mayor of Mount Vernon," said Jeff Buss, Thomas' lawyer.
The attorneys for Thomas and Wallace both said they were representing "the mayor."
At one point the judge asked, "By the way, who's representing the city of Mount Vernon?"
The telling answer in the midst of all the turmoil? Silence.
Thomas argues the attorney general gave him a September resignation deadline to ensure a smooth transition of power.
Despite the Mount Vernon's city charter stating that a deposed mayor has 24 hours to leave office, Thomas has refused to clear out and claims he will stay as a lame-duck until Sept. 30.
That date was worked into the outgoing mayor's plea deal with authorities, saving Thomas from facing felony charges and jail time.
"This whole thing that he needs another two and a half months to explain to me what's going on and I'm already in the trenches and know whats going on is ridiculous," said Wallace.
The disgruntled politician has already caused more trouble for the city since his resignation, having the new police commissioner arrested for trespassing after taking his oath of office.
Both parties will be back in court again next week for the judge's final decision.
