Yonkers Rated as One of the Top U.S. Cities Exhibiting LGBTQ Inclusion in Municipal Law & Policy

YONKERS, NY – October 12, 2018 – The Human Rights Commission Foundation, in partnership with the Equality Federation Institute, this week released its sixth annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the only nationwide rating system of LGBTQ inclusion in municipal law and policy, scoring the City of Yonkers with a perfect 100. Yonkers was one of four cities in New York to receive a perfect score and one of 78 nationally.

“Our administration works tirelessly toward full equality amongst our residents and employees,” said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. “We are once again extremely proud to continually be part of the growing list of communities with a perfect score on the Municipal Equality Index. Our rating reflects diversity as Yonkers’ greatest strength and the respect we have for one another, regardless of who you love.”

Yonkers was specifically recognized for its non-discrimination laws; municipal services; law enforcement and leadership of LGBTQ equality.  June 2018 marked the first time Yonkers hosted a pride festival, attracting hundreds of visitors and residents from the area.

Michael Sabatino, Yonkers City Council Majority Leader stated, “I am proud to know that Yonkers was one of 78 cities nationwide to score a perfect score on the Municipal Equality Index.   We can attribute this to the hard work of Mayor Spano’s administration and the Mayor’s LGBTQ advisory board.   Yonkers is truly a diverse city where our residents are respected and embraced regardless of their ethnicity, religion or their sexual orientation.   We promote a safe environment that allows everyone to co-exist and creates an atmosphere that allows all to contribute to the betterment of the City of Yonkers. Our first pride festival was a huge success having been supported by the community at large.  Congratulations to all.”

The 2018 MEI reveals that cities across the nation are not waiting for their states to extend vital protections to the LGBTQ community, nor are they intimidated by some state elected officials threatening to deny cities the ability to extend fully-inclusive protections to their residents and workers. This year, 78 cities earned perfect scores for advancing fully-inclusive policies and practices — at a time when the nation has been seeing a record number of anti-LGBTQ measures proposed by state elected officials bent on promoting discrimination. 

Ceremony to be held at Gold Star Mother Memorial at Van Der Donck Park Sunday, September 30 at 10AM

The Yonkers Department of Veteran Services will honor the mothers of fallen military service men and women Sunday, September 30 at 10AM at the Gold Star Mothers Memorial at Van Der Donck Park.

The ceremony is an opportunity to recognize the women in Yonkers whose child died in combat while defending the U.S. The mothers honor the memory and sacrifice of their child by supporting their country, assisting veterans and helping fellow Gold Star Mothers. Gold Star Mother’s Day has been nationally recognized since 1936.

 ***Interviews and Photo Opps***

Who:            Mayor Mike Spano

                       Yonkers City Council
Lou Navarro, Director of Department of Veteran Services

                        Hope Hollinsworth-Coaxum, President of Gold Star Mother Yonkers Chapter

What:           Gold Star Mothers Ceremony

 When:         Sunday, September 30

                        10:00 am

Where:        Gold Star Mothers Memorial

                        Van Der Donck Park at Larkin Plaza (Buena Vista Ave)

                        Yonkers, NY

Partnership Will Help Rapidly Electrify Municipal Fleets, Reduce Emissions and Save Money

Yonkers, NY – September 13, 2018 – Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and member of Climate Mayors today announced a partnership with 19 other founding US cities in launching the Climate Mayors EV Purchasing Collaborative —a turnkey, one-stop online portal providing municipalities across the country equal access to competitively bid electric vehicles and accompanying charging infrastructure.

To mark the start of the Collaborative, the 20 founding cities and two counties have publicly committed to the purchase of 391 EVs — a figure that is expected to grow as the program continues to engage cities across the country.

“The City of Yonkers is proud to be part of a coalition of cities across America committed to vehicle electrification and reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Mayor Spano. “The Climate Mayors EV Purchasing Collaborative will help accelerate the conversion of municipal vehicle fleets from gas to electric and demonstrates how cities can work together in taking meaningful action on climate change.”  

Transportation is the largest and fastest-growing source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The new portal is an unprecedented cooperation of cities across the country to leverage their collective buying power and accelerate the conversion of municipal fleets to electric—sending a powerful signal to the global car market and helping America maintain its commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement.

The platform was developed in partnership with the Electrification Coalition (EC), a nonprofit working to accelerate the mass adoption of EVs to reduce U.S. oil dependence. It will centralize expert resources and information — giving cities a roadmap for a more efficient and rapid conversion of city fleets and charging infrastructure. 

In addition to the City of Yonkers, Founding Cities include Aspen, Austin, Berkeley, Burlington, Chula Vista, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Fayetteville, Houston, Jersey City, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Orlando, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Rochester, San Diego, Santa Monica and Washington, DC

The EC and Climate Mayors are also working in coordination with the America’s Pledge initiative, an effort to bring the private and public sectors together to ensure the U.S. delivers on the country’s ambitious goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. “Fulfilling America’s Pledge,” the second bottom-up U.S. climate report, is being formally released at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco today.

For more information on the Collaborative, visit www.DriveEVfleets.org.

About Climate Mayors: Climate Mayors, founded in 2014 by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Houston Mayor Annise Parker, and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, is a bipartisan, peer-to-peer network of 409 U.S. Mayors representing 70 million Americans from 47 states committed to adopting, honoring, and upholding the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Climate Mayors are working together to demonstrate leadership on climate change through meaningful actions in their communities, and to express and build political will for effective federal and global policy. For more information, visit www.ClimateMayors.org.

About the Electrification Coalition: The Electrification Coalition (EC) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit group of business leaders committed to promoting policies and actions that reduce America’s dependence on oil by facilitating the deployment of electric vehicles on a mass scale. The members of the Electrification Coalition are leaders of companies representing the entire value chain of an electrified transportation system.  For more information, visit www.ElectrificationCoalition.org.

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano will join Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Quezada, Board of Education Trustees, parents, students and staff of Thomas Cornell Academy in Yonkers for the 7^th Annual “Backpack to School Drive” Wednesday, August 29^th at 1:00 PM at Thomas Cornell Academy’s St. Mary’s Hall, at 15 St. Mary’s Street, in Yonkers, NY. 

The Mayor will distribute backpacks and school supplies received through the “Backpack to School Drive” to the students and families in attendance.  Backpacks and School Supplies were donated by sponsors Empire City Casino, Heavenly Productions Foundation, Sears, Elite Investigations LTD, Rock & Rod’s Collector Car Club, Castle Royale and Yonkers residents.

***Interviews and Photo Opps** 

Who:           Mayor Mike Spano

                       Yonkers City Council

                       School Superintendent Dr. Edwin Quezada

                       Yonkers Board of Education Trustees

                       Thomas Cornell Academy Principal Dr. Edward Beglane   

                       Thomas Cornell Academy Families & Students

                       Event Sponsors

What:          “Backpack to School” Drive Press Conference & Distribution

Where:       Cornell Academy’s St. Mary’s Hall (adjacent to school entrance) 

                       15 St. Mary’s Street, Yonkers

When:        Wednesday, August 29

                       1:00 PM