A lawsuit filed today against Mount Vernon's Board of Water Supply seeks to lower water bills.

The petition was filed Thursday at the Westchester County Court in White Plains. It seeks to stop the Water Department from using its funding to pay for other areas of city government.

Mount Vernon Councilman Andre Wallace filed the lawsuit against the city's Board of Water Supply, the department's commissioner and superintendent.

Wallace wants the Water Department to reduce its rates and turn over financial records and unused funding to the city comptroller's office. He alleges that Mayor Richard Thomas is using the Water Department's money as a slush fund to pay for other areas of city government.

Wallace says dozens of residents have reached out to him complaining of the price of their water bills doubling in the past few years.

In September, Mount Vernon Water Commissioner John Arena said rates only went up because New York City, where the Mount Vernon buys from, raised its rates.