Mount Vernon mayor throws wrench into Memorial Field deal

<p>Westchester County was supposed to take over the renovations of Memorial Field, but the City Council says the mayor flipped on the deal.</p>

News 12 Staff

Oct 2, 2018, 10:55 PM

Updated 2,213 days ago

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The county takeover of the renovations at Memorial Field may not be such a done deal.
The City Council passed legislation granting Westchester County the power to take over the renovations as of Sept. 23. 
However, Mayor Richard Thomas has thrown a wrench into the agreement. Thomas sent out a press release saying he signed the agreement, but in fact county officials say what he did was amend the contract and unilaterally added in new language that the county rejected.
County officials released a statement saying in part: - "Any changes the mayor wishes to make cannot be in force until all other parties are in agreement period."
Despite the last-minute drama, engineers who tested the soil underneath the tennis court say it is clean with just small amounts of stag, ash and coal inside the samples. The mayor believed it may have been contaminated.
The county is still planning to move forward with the renovations, but the future of the Kela Tennis Club remains up in the air. The owners say they were driven out of business.