4
Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Mejia resigns from city Democratic Committee
Continued from page 1
Democratic mayoral candidate in 2011, but lost to
Jacobson in a Democratic primary last year.
Jacobson currently serves as the city Democratic
Committee chairman. Prior to this, he served for 22
years as the chair of the Orange County Democratic
Committee. Jacobson was serving as the city committee
chairman at the time he announced he would run against
Kennedy in last year’s Democratic primary, which some
Democrats described as a conflict of interest at the time.
“When Mr. Jacobson, the sitting chair of the city’s
Democratic Committee, abused his position of power last
spring by challenging a fellow Democrat, the incumbent
Mayor Judy Kennedy… Mr. Jacobson proved his disloyalty
to anyone but himself,” Mejia said in her letter.
“That divisive maneuver against a sitting Democrat
has poisoned the local committee, which he now seeks to
fully destroy and reshape in his own image by attempting
to expel loyal Democrats so that he can replace them with
his own cronies.”
Jacobson claims to have temporarily stepped down
from his position as the city committee chairman during
the primary race. He also denies he is trying to stack
the committee with his own supporters. “These people
publicly opposed the election of the nominee of the
party,” said Jacobson, referring to himself Monday.
“They violated the committee rules.”
Jacobson added, “No one is being criticized for who
they endorsed during the primary,” he said. “I firmly
believe you can do what you want in the primary.”
With everything going on in the city at the moment shootings, major infrastructure issues and a scare over
a contaminant in city water - as a city council member,
Mejia said, she does not have the time or energy to deal
with Jacobson’s “nonsense” charges. This is the chief
reason she resigned, the city councilwoman said.
When asked why the charges were being filed now, in
the midst of what some would describe as a crisis in the
city, Jacobson said the charges were originally filed in
January. “It doesn’t mean that those working for the city
do not follow the rules and laws,” he added.
Mejia, who worked as a staffer for longtime Democratic
U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey before being elected
to the city council, is due to receive a “Bluegrass” award
from the county Democratic Committee at its annual
Community First.
100 years of excellence
It's Simple
dinner in June.
Joining Jacobson in filing
the disloyalty charges are
city Democratic Committee
members Sheila Murphy,
Mary Keller and Cindy
Holmes, who sits next to Mejia
on the Newburgh City Council.
Committee
members
appeared before a fact-finding
sub-committee of the county
Democratic Committee in
Karen Mejia
Hamptonburgh last Wednesday.
Members were expected to
provide testimonies in response to the charges, but
instead read a joint statement and walked out.
“We will not participate in a closed deliberation that
violates our most fundamental principles of justice and
of the Democratic Party,” Mark Carnes said, reading
from the statement at the closed meeting, moments
before walking out with the group.
Kippy Boyle, one of the members charged, said she
plans to stick it out as long as possible. “I want to stay
flexible and open,” she said. “We don’t want to see a
fractured party. We want to see a stronger, more inclusive
party.”
A sub-committee of the county Democratic Committee
will present a report stemming from last week’s hearing
at its meeting in Goshen on Tuesday night. The executive
committee is expected to make a decision regarding
the disloyalty charges against Newburgh members and
similar charges leveled against Democratic committee
members in Monroe at the meeting.
VOTE YES! Tues., May 17
Newburgh Library Budget Vote
We get to know our neighbors and help them
get closer to their financial goals.
Like buying a home
of their very own!
Presented as PROPOSITION 2
What’s New for Next Year?
•
•
•
•
•
Streamlined Check Outs
Better Access to Best Sellers
Updated Public Computers
Less Wait Time for the Books You Want
Innovative Programs for all ages
Libraries Transform
Wallkill Valley Federal
Savings & Loan, banking that
puts community first!
Locations in:
Wallkill * Highland Falls * Milton * Maybrook
Visit us at
www.wallkill.com
845-895-2051
Newburgh Free Library 124 Grand St. Newburgh, NY 12550
newburghlibrary.org 845-563-3600
NMLS# 404992
Paid for by the Friends of the Newburgh Library