The fighting between Mount Vernon council members, the mayor and city offices prompted candidates for office to take a stand Saturday on the steps of City Hall.

They called for a change in politics from the inside out and a deeper level of transparency.

"Our horizon of clouds is filled with cynicism and false promise – tapping into anger, creating confusion and leaving us void of dignity and discourse,” said Janice Duarte, a candidate for City Council.

The most recent outburst came at a press conference where the City Council attacked the Mount Vernon Police Department – calling on the FBI to investigate what they call “top to bottom corruption.”

Candidates say they are committed to changing the perception of transparency and corruption at City Hall.

"Distrust will be the only thing that will be manifested if we have no transparency," said Delia Farquharson, a City Council candidate.

Current City Council member Marcus Griffith, who is running for re-election, says the council is not corrupt and it will take time to change residents’ perception of city leaders.

"We are really going to do a good job of transforming the council into something that it has never been before because the constituents are begging for us to do that," said Griffith .

Democratic candidate for Westchester County Executive George Latimer was also at the event. He is a Mount Vernon native and says, if elected, he would make sure Mount Vernon receives needed county assistance.