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Mount Vernon council candidates emphasize housing, budget balancing and preserving senior center services
Summary
At a League of Women Voters forum, Mount Vernon City Council candidates discussed the city’s $6 million budget gap, housing shortages (‘missing middle’), strategies to stimulate growth, and the need to protect and replace the senior/community center while preserving services.
Candidates for Mount Vernon City Council outlined priorities including housing supply, the municipal budget shortfall and preserving senior‑center services during a League of Women Voters forum.
Anthony DiStefano said the city must ensure no one “disappears” — referring to the houseless, elderly and immigrants — and pressed for affordable, accessible housing and services. DiStefano emphasized collaboration with professionals and outreach to stakeholders including farmers and unions.
Adam Pearson, citing a roughly $6 million city budget gap, said he favors economic growth—particularly higher‑value mixed‑use development—to broaden the tax base rather than relying solely on cuts. Pearson, who served as a mayoral advisor on the comprehensive‑plan housing update, framed housing as economic development: “The more houses that we build, the larger tax base we have.”
Hannah Oliver and other candidates pushed for more multifamily and mixed‑use zoning, duplexes and triplexes, and “missing middle” housing to expand affordable options near existing infrastructure. Several candidates advocated faster permitting for accessory dwelling units and for compiling ready‑to‑use ADU plans.
Candidates discussed the Mount Vernon senior/community center, describing it as a crucial hub that provides meals, social services and programs for people of all ages. Candidates urged coordination between city and county, searching for replacement sites and ensuring services continue during any transition. Several suggested co‑location or combining senior services with housing as possible approaches.
On public engagement, candidates described door‑to‑door outreach, coffee hours and meeting residents where they are as effective ways to involve people who do not attend formal meetings.
No formal municipal actions were taken at the forum; candidates used the time to contrast approaches to housing policy, fiscal strategy and community services preservation.
