City Council Meeting Recap 5/5/2026: Historic Homes in 3 Videos; Unexpected Dissolving of Greenway Trail Committee; Parking Requirement Reduction

These videos were first published at ALBB’s Instagram channel, and are all related to the proposed historic home designation. The original captions are provided below each video.

Tonight’s City Council Meeting was heavy in proposed Zoning changes. But first:

- Property Tax Exemption created by New York State for Fully Disabled Veterans. Local municipalities no longer need to pass a law for it. Qualifying Veterans can apply directly to the state.

- Historic Homes: Continued discussion on the homes that Mayor Kyriacou and City Planner Natalie have proposed to peg historic, giving the City more control over aspects of those homes. Including how ADA enhancements are made (hiding them in the back, for example, to prioritize a historic vibe). Tonight, City Planner Natalie answered the big question of “Why? Why is this happening to my home?”

- Parking Space Requirements: As people park further out in the backroads of Beacon, a parking garage was not discussed as a viable option to answer the increasing tourism, or the new apartments being built. Instead, there was discussion of how to persuade people who move to Beacon not to have cars. Not sure any of the City Council Members ride the bus to Fishkill or Poughkeepsie - or even around Beacon on the Free G Loop Bus - regularly.

Regarding the giveback for designating a home historic: the “what’s in it for me the homeowner?” question that these homeowners are asking as they vocalize objecting to the designation: a proposal.

More on Historic House Designation:

City should pay for historic requirements they are identifying and requiring, and open it up to ALL homes in Beacon to fill out a form to apply for Historic Designation that the City then pays for their requirements to be made.

Reader Review: "ALBB Is The Paper Of Record."

Thank you Colleen Van Tassell for your Testimonial for A Little Beacon Blog. She typed it in a Facebook comment reaction to ALBB’s coverage of this week’s City Council Meeting, where the City Planner Natalie answered Councilperson Carolyn’s question of how ADA would be addressed if some select houses were to be dubbed “Historic” by Mayor Lee Kyriacou, to which City Planner Natalie said that the ramps and such could go in the back, not to block the historic front porch aesthetic vibe Mayor Lee seems to be going for as he pushes for unexpecting homeowners to say yes to his possible mandate of ruling thier homes “Historic.”

Have been covering City Council Meetings for years, and writing blurbs about them. But you all seem to like them in video form best. Can’t tell you how frightening the concept was of coming onto video to deliver these recap reports. My friend and ALBB podcasting partner Brandon Lillard first suggested it, and I shut him down flat at first.

I majored in Communication in Media Studies in college, and was one class shy of completing my Creating Writing minor. Always wanted to work in magazines, but there is no pay in that to make a comfortable living, especially with children. Then blogging came along. As a person who finds comfort in both visual and written storytelling, and as a person who took to digital early, blogging was a natural fit.

Looking around me now, I find myself in the pages of a magazine that I always wanted to start and grow. It is indeed A Little Beacon Blog.

Financial support from readers is accepted at all times in any amount. Consider your Friday donation to come ALBB’s way :)

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City of Beacon Fires Highway Department Employee One Day After He Files Harassment Complaint

On January 7th, 2026, the City of Beacon fired Highway Department employee James (aka Jimmy or Jim) Cottrell one day after he submitted a formal Discriminatory Harassment Complaint to the City of Beacon, received by the City’s Human Resource Director, Sara Morris on January 6th, 2026.

Jimmy was hired by the City of Beacon on December 19th 2022 as a Motor Equipment Operator, according to the Resolution appointing him. This date is also on his Letter of Recommendation that his supervisor and Highway Department Superintendent of Streets, Michael (Mickey) Manzi wrote when hiring James. In that letter, the hiring of James was due to a “recent resignation,” though the name of the person who resigned was not given.

One Highway Department resignation that year was from Edward (Eddie) McNair from the same position of Motor Equipment Operator, who resigned effective April 25, 2022 due to unresolved “racial issues” and “forms of retaliation,” according to Eddie’s resignation letter submitted to the City of Beacon’s HR Director Sara Morris that A Little Beacon Blog has seen. Eddie is also known in the community as a coach for Beacon Hoops and the middle school boys basketball team, among other involvements.

James Cottrell’s Termination Letter Packet from the City of Beacon dated January 6, 2026.

James’ Discriminatory Harassment Complaint form was submitted to Beacon’s HR Director Sara through the window at Town Hall, and hand-stamped to have been received on 1/6/2025. However, James submitted it on 1/6/2026, the day before he was terminated. He received a text from Sara saying that she received the complaint, but wondered if the hand-written typo was an error or on purpose. That was the last he heard from the City of Beacon about his complaint.

The next correspondence James received was his Termination Letter the following day 1/7/2026, attached to a thick stack of charges of Misconduct and/or Incompetence against him. A picture of that letter has been published here.

James’ First Days On THe JOb In The Highway Department

The complaint James made was for “workplace harassment and retaliation” that occurred throughout his employment, he alleges. Six examples were listed in his complaint. These are listed in short here, and expanded upon for detail further down in this article:

• Radio Harassment

• Continued Targeting

• Unequal Enforcement of Rules

• Green Street Park Incident (involved tree stump removal and best practice)

• Misuse of City Equipment

• Unequal Treatment in Timekeeping Policy Enforcement

In his first days on the job, Jimmy told ALBB that his boss, the Superintendent of Streets, Mickey Manzi, approached him in person to say hello. “He came over to welcome me aboard and everything, saying ‘Good to have you here, and just watch out for the guy Reuben Simmons, when you meet him.’” James thought that welcome message was odd.

“I just looked at him,” James told ALBB, “and I said ‘What?’ And I was just thinking that you would think that the boss would want me to get along with all the coworkers there. That’s not something a boss should say to a new employee.”

ALBB has written about Reuben Simmons before, who faced his own combinations of harassment of retaliation by employees in the City of Beacon, including attempted termination, being put on administrative leave without pay during Overtime Season (snow plowing) in January 2021, and ongoing filings of disciplinary charges: “Black Highway Department Employee & Community Organizer Put On 30-Day Unpaid Leave Since January 2021” This period was during the first new days of City Administrator Chris White’s first days on the job, who just recently unexpectedly retired.

After working in the Highway Department for a bit, James did meet Reuben and they did become friends. As did another co-worker, Chris Servedio, who told ALBB that he was told the same thing by his boss Mickey when he was hired. The friendship between these employees, and another co-worker, Kyle Sacket, became, in James’ opinion, a point of tension for their boss Mickey and other employees in not only the Highway Department, but with an employee in the Water Department as well.

Where James Alleges The Targeting and Harassment Stems From

James alleges that the retaliation he says he experienced is rooted in crosshairs with friendships, which caused a combination of an unequal application of employment rules, “bashing” on the department radio and in meetings, and an overall uncomfortable work environment.

“It's all a baby stuff to me,” James told ALBB. “And I don't want to be a part of it. I even told Mickey that in a meeting. So basically, Employee A started not liking me because I became friends with Kyle, and Mickey didn't like me because Employee A doesn't like me now because I became friends with Kyle, and that's kindergarten stuff. I told Mickey, 'I don't want to be a part of it.’ So basically, this is where it all started, and then they were just bashing me.'"

Over the course of his employment, Jimmy served through what he said was a “toxic work environment.” On his formal complaint outlined below, four co-workers signed on to be witnesses and speak publicly about this situation: Chris Servedio, Ruben Simmons, Zach Ross, and Kyle Sacket.

Before we get into the Charges of Misconduct And/Or Incompetence, some context must be presented:

The City of Beacon’s Pattern Of Termination By Numerous Alleged Misconduct and/Or Incompetence Charges

The pattern of attempted termination by stack of Misconduct and Incompetence charges was first noticed by ALBB when longtime Highway Department employee Reuben Simmons was put on unpaid leave in January 2021, two years after his position of Highway Superintendent was dissolved in part with efforts from current Superintendent of Streets Michael Manzi who replaced him. This was revealed in Reuben’s arbitration hearings when he was disputing his termination. Charges against Reuben at that time were later dropped. But new charges would be made, followed by new disciplinary actions.

In January 2021, Reuben declined to sign a statement from City Administrator Chris White that he would resign, or agree to let the City of Beacon terminate him for any reason, according to documents that ALBB has seen and reported on that year. Reuben went on to advocate for himself through arbitration hearings. He eventually won, in that he did not get fired and is still currently employed, though continues to face employment challenges.

During that time, ALBB reported on cited tensions in the Highway Department here: “Beacon’s New HR Director (Gina Basile) Hears From City Employees About Discrimination, Inequality, Growing Tensions; Suggests Solutions; Begins With Highway Department.”

Gina then left her position within the year without the issues she brought up being resolved, according to employees in the Highway Department. Gina was replaced by Sara Morris, who is Beacon’s HR Director today.

During Reuben’s unpaid leave, City Administrator Chris banned Reuben from speaking to any Highway Department employees or touching any property of the City of Beacon during work hours.

After the City of Beacon extended his unpaid leave by another 30 days (but had to pay him for those, as per CSEA Union rules) Chris put Reuben on a second unpaid leave later that June 2021, while Reuben fought in arbitration hearings to keep his job. Reuben was placed back into employment, but was isolated in the Street Sweeper truck, where he is only connected to other employees via walkie-talkies.

A suspected $111,000 of City of Beacon’s budget was allocated to pay the City’s legal efforts to terminate Reuben during that process under Chris White’s recommendation. Reuben’s efforts to keep his job continue as new actions by City Administrator Chris continue.

ALBB ITSELF WAS ALSO Banned By City Administrator Chris For Saying “Hot Mess” In Headline Of Article in 2021

After ALBB published that article series, which included “During Hot Mess Of Water Department Hires, Beacon Passes Diversity and Inclusion Statement,” Beacon’s City Administrator Chris scolded Katie at ALBB via email, and declined to answer any more of her questions unless he could have editorial control over her word-choice in articles (see his letter to her at the bottom of this article here).

Chris went so far as to ban every City Department head from answering Katie’s questions for other reporting (not even to answer a summer paving schedule when Katie served as the Spirit of Beacon Chair), according to several department heads, including Mark Price (Parks and Recreation Director), former Chief of Police Sands Frost, and then Lt. Tom Figlia who is now the Chief of Police.

Who Is James (Jimmy) Cottrell?

According to his resume attached to the Resolution hiring him in 2022, James is a “self-starter, physically fit and strong.” His specialty and passion is climbing trees and evaluating them before trimming or removing them and grinding the stumps. He owns Cottrell’s Tree Service, where he ran a crew of workers when not serving in municipal Highway Departments.

James was a Tree Trimmer for Yorktown Highway Department, and assumed the position as foreman in their absence. He operated and taught coworkers, how to operate excavators, skid, steers, brush hogs skidder buckets. This, while he served as a main climber and taught crews how to operate equipment like bucket trucks, and how to climb trees safely and properly.

He got his start at Lewis Tree Service in Westchester County from 2004-2016, where he developed operational knowledge of using stump grinders, a stump router, forklift and bobcat.

James had since been terminated by the time the Highway Department took down the fallen tree during a violent storm last month, so ALBB does not know his impression on if proper safety measures were taken, or if a professional tree removal crew should have been hired.

When Did The Alleged Harassment and Targeting Of James Start?

James said it started early when one Employee A began not liking him. Then James became friends with Kyle, which James said caused tension between him and his new boss Mickey. James told ALBB: “So basically, Employee A started not liking me because I became friends with Kyle, and Mickey didn't like me because Employee A doesn't like me now because I became friends with Kyle, and that's kindergarten. I told Mickey, ‘I don't want to be a part of it,’ you know? So basically, this is where it all started.”

After several incidents, James filed complaints with his union representative, Jordan Rider. One impressionable time for James was when he was driving the truck during snowplowing. The Highway Department came in during a storm and were plowing at 10pm through the night. “The next morning,” James told ALBB and Jordan for her union paperwork: “everybody's out getting breakfast at 9 o'clock in the morning, and I was one of them. I have to eat too. So Employee A drives by and he sees me at Bob's. Employee A gets on the radio. He's like, ‘Oh, I see Jim getting a breakfast sandwich at Bob's, 9 o'clock in the morning.‘ Meanwhile, we're supposed to be plowing. Meanwhile, we've been out since 10 o'clock at night.”

Before continuing, there are two things to know about snowplowing:

1. “Areas” Highway Department employees are assigned to “areas” of town that they are responsible for. These are unofficial grids that even former Mayor Randy Casale enforced when he was Highway Superintendent for 16 years (Randy is who appointed Rueben to the Superintendent Role role after Zep Thomesalli retired, and before Mickey Manzi’s involvement to kick Reuben out of that department head position). Randy confirmed to ALBB that these invisible grids are not formed or regulated by the union or any other entity. Just neat and tidy attempts to organize the crew. These “areas” have since been used against employees like James and Reuben when collecting charges of Misconduct and/or Incompetence, if they are to venture out of the area. Like to Bob’s Corner Store instead of Mr. V’s, if Mr. V’s is in the “area” of that employee.

2. Radio Walkies: Everyone can hear on the radio, including Reuben when he’s in the Street Sweeper truck being kept away from other employees. Though usually in the winter he is “allowed” to drive the snowplow truck. Dutchess County can also hear dialogue on the radio, which is recorded. Both later commented about how unprofessional this radio interaction about a breakfast sandwich was.

James continued with his story in an interview with ALBB: “I call Employee A on the phone, and he doesn't answer. Then I call him an hour later. I said, ‘Employee A, is this really necessary?’ I was like, ‘This is not kindergarten. I'm not dealing with this. Why would you want to do that?' I'm hungry and I'm getting breakfast.’

“Employee A was like, ‘Well you're out of your area.’

“I was like, ‘My area is a quarter mile down the road and there’s a deli up the road from my plower area. What are you talking about?’

“Employee A said, ‘Well, you know, you shouldn't be going out of your area.’

“I was like, ‘So I should starve. What's this really about?’”

“So this is the stuff like the petty stuff that Mickey was doing. Another example is when Mickey would go over to radio. All the roads would be black. He'd go on the radio purposely to make me look like an ass. He’d be like, ‘Jim, your plow is not down.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, that's because the road is black Mickey, and, uh, you know, it's, it's not snowing right now.’”

What Are The January 7, 2026 Termination Charges Against James?

There are nine charges total, presented in full below, that were in his Termination packet, which was signed by Mayor Lee Kyriacou:

Charges 1: “On [specific date], you called out of work without having enough accrued time resulting in your use of unpaid time without authorization.”

Charges 2, 4, 5 and 6 were more specific: “On August 28, 2025, you were absent from work and disregarded a counseling and/or memo from the Superintendent of Streets, Michael Manzi, without having enough accrued time resulting in your use of unpaid time without authorization.”

Charge 3 had to do with the punching in the timeclock: “On October 24, 2025, you were late to work and failed to follow a directive from the Superintendent of Streets Michael Manzi, when you asked another employee to punch you into work on your time card at 6:59am when you were not at work, engaging in theft of time and/or public money.”

James concedes to ALBB that these instances did happen. He says there are more charges than these examples, which an employee would need to dispute each one with proof and paperwork to absolve them.

When being terminated by the City of Beacon, the employee has the right to object to the notice of termination and statement of charges by filing a grievance within 8 days or exercising their rights under Section 75 and/or 76 of the Civil Service Law. James opted to pursue rejecting the charges.

Elaboration On Charge Of Earned Time Off (ETO) and Approved Time Off

In some situations, the charges of Misconduct are debatable, and are rooted in technicalities that his boss Mickey has discretion to wave or pass charges on. For example, James told ALBB, he gained verbal approval from Mickey on being able to leave for an appointment with his attorney (James was going through a divorce at the time), but James neglected to get a note from the attorney, which then counted as the unapproved leave as a charge of Misconduct or Incompetence, though he had verbal approval of it, but forgot to follow through on the attorney note as evidence.

In another example, James told ALBB that he requested time off for an appointment with the ETO (Earned Time Off) he earned from overtime in snowplowing, but Mickey denied him the privilege of using his ETO for the time off. “He denied me on that ETO,” James told ALBB, “but he granted ETO to a new guy who had been there three months who also accrued the time. I had accrued the time in overtime I completed that year, but Mickey said that in a previous year’s bracket, it was off. I told Mickey I’ve been here 3 years and this guy has been here 3 months and this is a new year. Mickey told me ‘don’t worry about it,’ and did not grant me my ETO for my appointment.”

Elaboration on Time-Card Punch-In or Out

As for the punching in or out on the time-card charge, that issue was in James’ Discriminatory Harassment Complaint, as he alleges that he witnessed this policy be enforced selectively, with other employees punching in and out for each other without getting penalized.

James said that after 2 years of his alleged ongoing discrimination and harassment, one time of having someone else punch him in on the time clock was reported. "There was a notice up there on the time clock that said nobody could punch anybody in or out on the time clock. Sometimes when someone was like 6 minutes late, someone called someone, saying, 'Hey, can you punch me in?' So, I mean, I’m not saying it's right. But everybody was doing it.”

When ALBB asked if the notice had always been up there, James answered that it got put there because so many employees in the department were doing it, including the person who made the initial observation complaint to the boss Mickey. “The notice went up because, Employee P, the mechanic and Union Shop Steward at the Highway Department, went to Mickey to tell him he saw it happening. But Employee P was doing it as well. So that didn’t make sense. After the sign went up, Employee P still did it, as did other employees. In fact, one employee regularly comes in to work 30 minutes late, and nothing is said about that.”

James continued: “Three weeks later, another guy who was doing it before starts doing the same thing already again, having somebody punch him out because he wanted to leave 15 minutes later. I'm like, 'What the heck's going on here?' So, a few weeks later, I had my buddy punch me in because I was running like, I don't know, 4 minutes later or something. I should have just took it on the chin and not even asked him the favor, but I asked him, he's like, yeah, sure, I'll punch you in. Everybody else was still doing it. But then Employee P, the guy who was also doing it and first reported it before the sign went up, reported me after the sign went up. And it seems he reported only me and no one else.”

James got called down to City Hall to have a meeting with Mickey. “I get called down to City Hall, and the other guy did not. I'm said, 'What's this about?' and Mickey said 'Somebody punched you in. We got you on camera.'“

James explained to ALBB that the room with the time clock in it had no camera, but they may have seen him drive in his truck. “I'm like, 'Everybody else was doing it, and you didn't call them out.' He told me it doesn't matter. So I said 'So you're still targeting me.' And Mickey said 'I didn't say that.' So we had another meeting about me being targeted. Nothing got done.”

He told ALBB: “I went to Jordan and I went over all this stuff, dating back for like 2 years of all the bashing that came to me and all the targeting. We went over it and she wrote all the notes of all the bad stuff that happened. But nothing got done about it. We had a meeting with the CSEA representative Jordan and Scott Hughes, our Highway Department employee union president, Beacon’s HR Director Sara, and Mickey Manzi, Beacon’s Highway Superintendent of Streets. In that meeting, I said: ‘You guys are targeting me.’ Mickey said ‘No, no.’ I was like: ‘I'm telling you, in front of Jordan and Scott, that you are, because you know you are, and you're denying it right now in front of me and them. It’s got to stop.”

The First Reporting Of Alleged Employee Recording

James told ALBB of the first time he reported what he says was an employee videoing other employees. "When the Mickey doesn't like somebody,” James said, “he wants you fired and he'll do everything he can in his power to do it. Even though you're out doing your job. So then you gotta do your job and then look over your shoulder. With Mickey, you got Employee A from the Water Department. He's his buddy out there. He also got Employee RK. Foreman. He was actually filming my buddy, Chris Servedio. Employee RK was Mickey's crony for videoing us to make sure we're out not doing anything wrong, which we weren't.

"Finally, I said in the last meeting that I had with Jordan, the union rep, and Scott Hughes, the employee union president, and then Mickey and Sara. I said: 'You guys are aware that Employee RK videoed us, right, for 2.5 years now?'

"Mickey's like, 'No, I'm not aware of that.'

"So I said: 'I'm telling you right now.'

Mikey's like: 'Well, he's not.'

"I'm like: 'No, I'm telling you he is.'

"He's like: 'Oh, you have an example?'

"I was like: 'Yeah, Mickey, I do.' And Sara is there looking at me all wide-eyed, waiting for an answer. I was like: 'Here's the example: 2 weeks ago. Chris was sitting in his dumptruck taking his 10 minute break from 9-9:10am while collecting Bags and Brush over at Forestall School where the little Central Hudson driveway is, not doing anything wrong. Employee RT passes him, comes back, has his phone out and he's videoing Chris taking his break.' And I tell Mickey that, he's like: 'Ah, I'm not aware of that happened.'

"I was like: 'Well, I'm making you aware in this meeting and I'm making all you aware of what's going on.'

"And then Scott was like: 'I didn't know what was going on.' And I said: 'Yeah, you don't even know the half of it.’”

James concluded in his interview with ALBB: “After I said all that in the meeting, he stopped videoing us. But after I brought it up in the meeting, they told me to video him back to get proof. I just left it alone. I was filmed about 20 times and saw him. Filmed me when I was with him and not with him. Pretty crazy environment out there. I tell you, it's very toxic."

James’ Complaint One Month Prior To Being Terminated About Being Recorded by An Employee Wearing Video Glasses

On December 10, 2025, one month before filing his next set of complaints, James filed a formal workplace complaint regarding a different unauthorized recording of him by a second person, Employee RB, thus causing a hostile work environment, he said in his complaint.

His letter read:

To Whom It May Concern,

James Cottrell’s letter of complaint about being recorded without his consent by a fellow employee wearing video recording glasses.

I am submitting this letter as a formal complaint regarding ongoing concerns about potential unauthorized recording in the workplace and the discomfort and distress it has caused me. I was assigned to work with co-worker Employee RB. I observed Employee RB wearing a pair of glasses that I believed may have contained a recording device. While we were completing our tasks, he questioned me about the route I was taking in a manner that made me further suspect I was being recorded.

Previously, Employee RB informed me that his former supervisor in the Water Department, Employee RK, had recorded multiple employees of the Highway Department, including myself. I have already raised this matter with Superintendent Manzi and HR Director Sara Morris.

At the end of the workday, I observed Employee RB in Superintendent Manzi’s office, which further heightened my concerns that I may have been the subject of discussion without my knowledge.

Today, December 10, 2025, when I reported to work, I again saw Employee RB in the time clock hallway wearing the same glasses. I directly asked him if he was recording me and noted that it was very dark day outside (overcast). The incident proceeded into the restroom where he stated to me that “Employee C is wearing glasses” and followed that by saying: “I can do what I want.”

Being recorded without my knowledge or consent makes me extremely uncomfortable and creates a work environment that feels hostile, unsafe, and intimidating. I do not feel this behavior is appropriate or acceptable in the workplace.

I am requesting that this matter be formally investigated and that steps be taken to ensure that no employee is being recorded without explicit consent or a clear, authorized purpose. Additionally, I ask for assurance that I will not be subjected to retaliation for bringing this concern forward.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I am available to provide additional information or a statement as needed.

James’ Second Set Of Complaints

The following complaints were submitted by James to the City of Beacon’s HR Director Sara Morris on January 6, 2026, one day before he was terminated.

In his complaint, James wrote:

“This matter was previously raised with my Labor Relations Specialist in the CSEA Union, Jordan Rider. At that time, I was informed that a meeting would be scheduled with the City of Beacon to address these concerns. As of today, no such meeting has taken place. Since raising these issues, I believe I have experienced retaliation and have frequently felt unconformable and distressed coming to work throughout the year. Below is a summary of the incidents talked about with the Union on April 8th, 2025 forming the basis of my complaint:

• Winter 2023 - Radio Harassment:
  While on the radio, Employee A from the Water Department stated, “Looks like we have another J. P. on our hands,” referring to me. When I asked what that meant, I was told that “J.P.” was viewed as being “slow,” which I took as an insult. Following this, both Employee A and Mickey made fun of me over the radio. This was particularly upsetting as it occurred publicly in front of coworkers and others with access to the radio system.

• Winter 2023 - Continued Targeting:
  During the same winter, Mickey and I exchanged words over the radio regarding plowing operations. I believe this incident escalated the situation and contributed to me being further targeted.

• Spring 2024 - Unequal Enforcement of Rules
  I was counseled for dropping my children off in a City vehicle. However, in early Spring 2023, I personally observed Employee A dropping children off at Sargent School using a Water Department truck. This inconsistent enforcement made me feel singled out.

• Summer 2023 - Green Street Park Incident
  I was asked to assist Employee C with a rotten tree at Green Street Park. When I arrived, Employee SG and Employee C were present. It was clear that the City did not have the proper equipment to safely handle the job, and I expressed concerns about safety.
  Employee C then made a joke along the lines of ‘Yeah, and we’re not going to do that for $29 an hour,’ which I laughed at.
  When I returned to the shop, I was called into a Meeting with Mickey and reprimanded for allegedly refusing the job and joking about pay. I explained that I did not refuse the job, that my concerns were about safety and lack of equipment, and that I did not make the joke, Employee C did. Despite this, Employee C was not spoken to or disciplined. Again, I felt unfairly targeted.

• Winter 2024 - Misuse of City Equipment
  At the beginning of Winter 2024, I observed Employee R plowing his personal driveway with a City truck.

• Timekeeping Policy Enforcement - 2025
  Mickey informed all employees that no one is permitted to punch in or out for another employee, and a notice was posted above the time clock. Since that announcement, I have observed Employee S having other employees punch him in and out when he arrives late or leaves early, without apparent consequence.

Taken together, these incidents demonstrate a pattern of harassment, unequal enforcement of policies, and retaliation after I raised concerns. This has negatively affected my work environment and my comfort and well-being at work. I respectfully request a formal investigation, a meeting to discuss these matters, and appropriate corrective action to ensure a fair, respectful, and non-retaliatory workplace.

Thank you for your time and attention to this serious matter. I am willing to cooperate fully with any investigation.

Sincerely,
James Cottrell - Motor Equipment Operator
City of Beacon

James was fired the next day.

What Happened To James After He Was Terminated?

James was escorted out of the the Highway Department building by City Administrator Chris White and Mickey Manzi. Being called down to meetings throughout his employment "felt like an interrogation," James told ALBB. "Like if you're at a state trooper barracks or something. Pretty crazy stuff. I actually never been involved in this ever in my life, with a job. Never even got fired. This is the 1st time," James told ALBB.

"But I learned a lot. I tell you that, and you know, Ruben schooled me on a lot of things. He used to be the employee union president for the Highway Department years ago. He encouraged me to go to union meetings about harassment and interrogation. There was a certificate you could get, so I got the certificate. I thought I needed to, the way they are here."

James told ALBB that he hung his certificate on his mailbox in the Highway Department, "Just so Mickey could see it too. That I went to one of them classes."

Does James still have the certificate? "I was going to leave it there, but I knew they were just going to throw in the garbage when they terminated me because they walked me out to my truck, you know, like I was some kind of criminal. They sure did escort me out, and they meant business. But I think that's standard procedure anyway."

James thought about it a minute. “I wasn’t even mad or upset when it happened. I knew it was for the better, that I had to get out of there. My time was up.”

To see what “meaning business” could look like, a few years ago, Chris White had a memorable moment putting his hands on a local Beacon activist who was protesting the Palestinian genocide in the Veterans Building, which you can see here and watch video. A complaint was made against Chris by NYCLU for violating the Open Meeting’s Law as Chris called for the arrest of citizens and blocked their sign.

Those familiar with the employment situation in the Highway Department tell ALBB that Chris Servedio has since quit, as he felt he was next to be fired. The City has since posted for the position, but one applicant allegedly never showed, another did not want the position, and the third applicant did not have the required license.

James has since accepted a new position as Laborer for the Village of Sleepy Hollow in Westchester County. “It’s a normal work environment!!” he explained to ALBB.

On March 16th, City Administrator Chris White, age 56, announced his retirement, which Mayor Lee Kyriacou stated in a later meeting was sooner than expected. Chris White’s last day was going to be in this summer in June, but yesterday, it was revealed that he has taken a leave of absence and will not return to his job.

This week, James’ attorney with the CSEA, Bill Burke, informed James that the City of Beacon is willing to drop all of the charges and pay out the 5 personal days and 2 weeks vacation owed to him for “falsely terminating” him.

This is a developing story. Another article will be published soon about a different situation James was involved in that relates to workplace safety.

Recap Of 4/6/2026 City Council Meeting: Chris White's Retirement Addressed; Successor Named; Termination Of Highway Department Reflected On In This Broadcast

This recap of the 4/6/2026 City Council Meeting first published on A Little Beacon Blog’s Instagram, but is 23 minutes, so was cut off, could not include sub titles because of the great length, and was split into two videos. After receiving interest in this video, it is being published here for you to listen to while ALBB works on the articles that coincide with it. The most important thing is for you to have this information.

During this meeting, the successor to City Administrator Chris White was voted on. We don’t know why Chris White retired after 5 years on the job. He said during this meeting that he wanted to “hike the Appalachian Trail,” and that he hoped to make a “cameo appearance” as the person who gets to cut off people speaking Public Comment when they have 15 seconds left.

Employees of the City of Beacon usually try to stay as long as they can. This recap includes analysis of an issue going on in the Highway Department right now that ALBB will publish on.

Topics covered here:

• The Highway Department employee, James Cottrell (aka Jim or Jimmy) who was terminated on January 7, 2026, one day after he filed a complaint for targeted harassment on January 6, 2026. ALBB has the paperwork of this employee’s multiple complaints and experiences, and is working on publishing those. This is a long story, so this video will give you a brief overview.

• The Highway Department employee Reuben Simmons, (aka Coach Yogi) and his job title as Highway Superintendent dissolving, causing his resulting demotion, and the promotion of current Superintendent of Streets Mickey Manzi into that position of being the department head. After Mickey admitted to writing at least one anonymous letter to the City Council during Mickey’s alleged campaign to discredit Reuben to push him out of the City Service job and eventually replace him. Reuben has been relegated to the Street Sweeper ever since. According to several employees of the Highway Department, including James Cottrell, they were instructed by their boss, Mickey, not to speak to Reuben. However, two employees tell ALBB, once they did speak to Reuben, they found him to be a nice person, and then began to feel retaliation from their boss.

• The resignation of Eddie McNair, who identifies as African American and alleged complaints of racist behavior condoned around him in his Letter of Resignation. James Cottrell was hired to replace him.

• The gun that was allegedly brought to work by a co-worker and friend of Mickey, Steve Bechtold, during the campaign to get Reuben out of the position of department head.

• Alleged video recording via Meta-type glasses of Highway Department employees by another employee.

• The complete (yet polite) shredding of an affordable housing survey by the City Council, namely Lastar Gorton, Paloma Wake, Zach Smith and some questions by Carolyn Bennett Glauda.

Am on deadline for client projects, so will circle back with more articles in this series. Meanwhile, please do listen to this broadcast in full for context as this story gets told. It is a difficult one to tell because of disrespect for people, pettiness, and Civil Service rules that can be used to either side’s advantage.

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One Last Thing…

Listening to the City Council Members and Mayor Kyriacou and City Administrator Chris White (with the expectation of new Councilmember Lastar Gorton who sharply questioned process which has been lax on this appointment) explain why the newly created position of Deputy City Administrator for Ben Swanson, who is now being appointed to be City Administrator without a public search for that position.

While ALBB also agrees Deputy City Administrator Ben Swanson is very qualified for the position with a lot of hands-in, boots on the ground experience, from a Civil Service point of view, watching this uncontested, non-public appointment is extremely frustrating in terms of a fairness perspective to how others in other departments have been treated under this City Administrator Chris White (see above).

More to come once meeting is done. As Mayor Kyriacou continues to “beg” for other board appointments without making board appointments very public, if at all public. Hence the last Board of Assessment Review Board non-published appointment (hint: an Epstein Files resignation).

David Ross From The Epstein Files No Longer On City Board; Beacon Was Not Going To Announce That

After being appointed by Mayor Lee Kyriacou in October 2025, David Ross, a citizen of Beacon; husband to former City Council Member Peggy Ross who served with Mayor Lee on Council years prior; widely-known director of contemporary American museums nationwide; who was found with multiple correspondences in the Epstein Files after the January 30th, 2026 drop; is no longer on the Board of Assessment Review for the City of Beacon, the City’s attorney Nick Ward-Willis confirmed after A Little Beacon Blog called in during the second Public Comment opportunity of the evening to ask who resigned from the once full board to create two new vacancies so quickly that the City voted on that night with no prior notification or announcement of vacancy to the public.

Otherwise, the City of Beacon was not going to mention David’s departure from the Board.

Katie of ALBB asked: “Can you tell me, for the Board of Assessment Review, who are the two people who resigned? The last time we had nominations was in October 9th, 2025, which was Michele Rios, a realtor, and David Ross, curator of museums, and a board member here at the Southern Duchess Country Club, who was also recently found in the Epstein Files and resigned his position elsewhere,” referring to David’s resignation of his position as chair of the MFA Art Practice Program at New York’s School of Visual Arts (SVA) after ARTNews broke the story of his relationship and correspondences with Epstein.

“Can you tell us who resigned, when they resigned, and why they resigned, and also, why there was no public announcement of these two vacancies.”

Attorney Nick took over answering. He neither confirmed or denied that David Ross resigned, saying: “So, we don't go into details on personnel matters. The two individuals who served before were Mr. Ross and Mr. Palisi, I believe. That's generally all we provide.”

Mayor Kyriacou began to respond: “Um so…”

Attorney Nick was swift to cut him off, repeating his previous statement: “So that’s generally all that we provide.”

Mayor Kyriacou wanted to continue, but restrained himself, saying: “Okay,” with a pause. “And…Okay. I’ll stop there.”

Attorney Nick concluded: “Yeah.”

City Administrator Chris White picked up the response: “Well, and he didn’t resign. He passed away.” To which Attorney Nick responded “Well…Yes,” without referring to which former board member they were referring to.

City Administrator Chris continued: “So Bobby Palisi, for those...” implying he was going to describe who Bobby Palisi was for those who did not know. “Very involved in softball. Life member of Mase [Hook and Ladder]. We had the Memorial Bunting on the firehouse for his fire service.” Bobby was also a brother-in-law of Michele Rios, his wife’s sister, who is also on the Board of Assessment Review.

Mayor Kyriacou picked up the description: "That's the dark bunting when you were, if you were passing by and you're wondering what that was. That was Bobby."

Mayor Kyriacou wanted to continue again, but held back. "Um...So...And then...Um...Yeah. Okay." And the meeting ended.

VIDEO: City Council Meeting Recap 3/2/2026: Resignation, Death, and Resulting Appointments to Board of Assessment Review

Editorial Note: Video recap is posted below. Scroll down after you read.

Quick meeting recap of tonight’s City Council meeting, which included the - once again - un-publicized appointments of 2 new board members to the Board of Assessment Review to an already full board.

This would have meant that 2 board members were no longer on the board for some reason. David Ross, who was appointed on October 9, 2025 but was found in the Epstein Files after the January 30th 2026 dump by ARTNews and later Hyperallergic , was one of the appointees. After his multiple emails were revealed, which included travel, David resigned from his position as chair of the MFA Art Practice Program at New York’s School of Visual Arts (SVA). The school made a statement of this.

The City of Beacon did not make a statement about his resignation from the Board of Assessment Review. Not last week when it was hinted by a citizen during Public Comment that there was a possibility of a vacancy, and not this evening when 2 new appointees were presented and voted upon.

Not hearing who resigned, ALBB called in to the second round of Public Comment to ask who was no longer on the board. City Attorney Nick Ward-Willis quickly took over to answer, stating that David Ross did resign. The Mayor shifted in his seat a few times and added no additional words. City Administrator Chris White said the the second person who was no longer on the board due to their death was Robert Palisi, who served on the board for 10 years and passed away this February.

Had the question not been asked during the second opportunity for Public Comment, the resignation of David Ross presumably because of his correspondence in the Epstein Files, would so far, have gone unspoken on public record.

VIDEO: City Council Meeting Recap 2/17/2026: David Ross Board of Assessment Speculation; Tioronda Attack Public Comment

Tonight’s City Council Meeting has ended. It was in the new format that combined the regular City Council Meeting with Public Comment, with the Workshop which is discussion about topics or proposed legislation. This report covers a few Gold Nugget items that transpired during the meeting.

During Public Comment, one citizen speculated on the replacement of David Ross on the Board Of Assessment Review, after the discovery of his years long email and friendship with disgraced pedophile and sex trafficer Jeffrey Epstein from the Epstein Files, and his subsequent resignation from his position as chair of the MFA art practice program at New York’s School of Visual Arts (SVA), as reported by ARTNews after they broke the story.

Another citizen made a Public Comment demanding safety measures such as street lighting be put into place after the attack of the woman on Tioronda Avenue in January. An attack which remains unsolved.

Mayor Lee Kyriacou Proposes To Aid Beacon's SNAP Recipients With Gift Cards To Local Grocers Via 2025 Budget Amendment

On Wednesday evening, as Saturday’s upcoming stoppage of federal funding of the SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) grows nearer, Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou proposed providing gift cards from local grocers to Beacon residents who are currently receiving SNAP benefits.

In a statement on Mayor Lee’s Facebook page, that was first announced on the City of Beacon’s page, he said: “Today I announced that I will propose to amend the 2025 Budget at the next City Council meeting to authorize funding for emergency food assistance to Beacon residents who are losing federal benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“I directed City staff to quickly develop a program in cooperation with local grocers to provide gift cards to Beacon residents who currently receive SNAP benefits. If approved by the City Council, the program would be rolled out in the days following the approval, and further details and updates will be provided.”

The next City Council Meeting on Monday is public, where the general public can make Public Comment and the City Council can vote on proposed resolutions. This marks an uncommon move to add a proposed resolution to the official voting agenda within the week of the agenda being created, and then voted on by City Council to adopt or not that evening. Hence, the emergency funding.

The City Council is currently discussing and debating the proposed budget for 2026, as they do every October for a vote by December.

Video Recaps Of Gold Nuggets From City Council Meeting 10/14/2025: Budget 2026, Commnity Fridge Removal, Etc.

Tuesday Night’s City Council Workshop Meeting for 10/14/2025 covered:

• Budget Presentations from Police and Fire Chiefs, and Parks and Rec Director Mark Price. Overview of South Avenue Park improvement to Loopers Basketball Court in time for Beacon Hoops kids community basketball program. The price reduction of the summer pool from $100/household to $20. The Skate Park upgrade. More.

• Finance Director Susan Tucker’s note about the 3 largest areas of the budget that are fixed.

• Housing discussed. Intricacies brought up as to why it’s so hard to afford Beacon, like FICO scores. Mayor open to face making Short Terms illegal to increase housing stock for long term rentals.

• Community Refrigerator discussion led by Heidi Harrison and Mark Price, illustrating their 5 years of being involved with the one at the Parks and Rec building that is not owned by the City, even though people accessing the fridge often think it is. Heidi maintained that people who use the fridge are like family to them, but that the current management system is not working. Well intentioned, but something else is needed with management. She stressed how quickly the fridge can degrade in quality and dignity even within a few hours of a drop off of donated food. City Administrator Chris White stressed how the food labels and health regulations that restaurants follow were not applied to the fridge. He proposed buying people WIC and suggested the organizations should fundraise (they fundraise a lot as it is). This is an ongoing discussion.

Special Portion Dedicated To The City of Beacon’s Abrupt, Unannounced Removal Of The Community Refrigerator At The Park and Recreation Building

This is a clip of the video recap of Tuesday’s City Council Workshop Meeting that recaps the discussion the City Council had with Parks and Recs Director Mark Price and Assistant Recreation Director Heidi Harrison.

They delivered a presentation with photos of the refrigerator at the Park’s and Recreation Department Building over the past 5 years, at the request of City Administrator Chris White, who ordered the removal of the refrigerator, citing zoning code violations and liability issues for the City of Beacon.

The full presentation is available in the City’s YouTube or Vimeo, so one should watch that for all points covered. Assistant Director Heidi stressed that this was not a criticism of organizations involved with filling and managing the fridges, but that the 24/7 access was too difficult to monitor.

City Administrator Chris had other choice words like that the food was not preferred, that his own mother would have rejected it, and that the food spoils. Both were concerned about marking the food with ingredients for allergens, and Heidi and Mark provided examples of half eaten pizza slices or sandwiches that well-intentioned people placed into the fridge thinking someone might eat. Mark mentioned a pie that someone took a bite of, that might be delivered nicely wrapped, but was a scoop-n-go for someone else.

City Administrator Chris said that a refrigerator on private property would need to be in an enclosed shed. He pointed out that there were many distribution sites available, and that maybe they should be consolidated.

As a person who has both used and contributed to these locations, ALBB can say:

• Each location is its own community and vibe. Which is a pleasant thing to mix community feeling. Consolidating locations would be a loss to nurturing corners of the community.

• Hours of operation are limited. Picking up from Wednesday Distribution requires that a person be available with a car in the morning on select days. Some people are at work. Or on a bus to work. ALBB worked remotely from her car with laptop while waiting in that line.

Everyone agreed that more communication and coordination was needed.

Assessment Review Board Vacancy Not Promoted; Discussion of Ethics Complaints; Both Appointees Confirmed

Beacon’s City Council reviewing the two appointments to the Board of Assessment Review, where they confirmed that the appointment opportunities were not promoted to the public, and discussed the Ethics Complaints process of Board Members, or lack there of.

The Beacon City Council has appointed two people to the five person Board of Assessment Review: David Ross, a new appointee to the Board who replaces Ron Donofrio, a realtor. David is the former director of the San Fransisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), the Whitney Museum, and others. Michele Rios is a reappointment for a third term to the Board. Michele is a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway. This board is one of three boards that is statutory, meaning it is required by law to be filled.

Upon being questioned by A Little Beacon Blog on the uncontested nature of Michele’s third reappointment, and a general question of if the Board of Assessment Review should be stacked with three of the five seats being realtors, Michele publicly replied to this reporter by insulting, threatening and shaming this reporter: “I am not sure who you are or why you have it in for me but this is exactly why the professionals are on these committees and not people who pretend to be real. You are going to hear from my attorney and I will ADVERTISE IT in the Beacon Blog and see how you like it. You are a horrible unstable individual who needs helps. There are places for you to go to get help. This is now harassment for no reason and I you are put on notice. For the City of Beacon to allow you to use their name is an injustice. This coming from a woman who lives in a garage most of the time. I am pressing harassment charges on you, maybe then you'll stay away.”

To clarify clarify Michele’s comment on the garage before reporting what the City Council discussed prior to voting on these appointments, this reporter does not have a garage, but does have a shed, which has been decorated into a studio. This reporter works in that studio shed, and enjoys spending time there as part of the back yard to the rest of her property that includes a house, front and back yard, and shared driveway.

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Deep Dive Into October 2025’s Appointment Discussion

The City Council’s complete discussion about these appointments and the process has been made available as a transcript below so that all details and considerations can be seen.

Appointments to most boards in Beacon are sleepers, but especially so with the Assessment Review Board, being that the concept of property assessments is myriad in complexities. However, this Board is one of the most personal, as it can impact people’s property assessments, which is connected to how much property tax they pay.

The discussion below brought to light new information:

• Beacon’s Board of Ethics: That Beacon has no Board of Ethics anymore, should anyone have a complaint about a Board Member on a committee.

• Dutchess County Board of Ethics: It was recommended by the Mayor for complaints to be made to the Dutchess County Board of Ethics. However, Beacon’s Assessor, Kathy (Kathleen) Martin, who Beacon’s Board of Assessment Review answers to, is a Board Member on Dutchess County’s Board of Ethics.

• The two types of qualities Mayor Lee looks for in an appointee: real estate experience, and experience with financial numbers.

• That Mayor Lee approached David Ross to fill the financial numbers role, but a Councilmember wanted to know more about his finance background beyond art curation, despite David being the Director of several art museums.

Mayor Lee started the conversation with an overall explanation of what this board does: "So, [Councilperson] Pam and [Councilperson] George, I just have a comment, which is, the Board of Assessment Review. There's two skill sets that are relevant for a Board Member. Just so you know what they do: they only review grievances in May, and that's their kind of only job.”

He went further into detail: "The two skill set areas, which you know I know from having run the Property Tax Agency, is either: you know something about real estate and real estate assessments; or you know something about numbers.

"The first person I'm appointing is in the real estate business. You want that expertise. It has no effect on assessments. The person doesn't get referrals. The person doesn't selling anything. But the person does know something about the market, and what assessments might be.

"The second person I'm appointing actually knows about numbers. And Amber, you will recall, when we added people to the the… (City Administrator Chris fills in: “Data Committee,”) the the Fjord Trail Committee, you know, I needed people who actually understood numbers because there were people on the other side who had no idea, and were just making stuff up. So that's the basic skill set.

"The alternative, which I used to see years ago, is you just appoint, you know, some people who don't know much, and one of two things happens: either they do whatever the Assessor tells them, or they favor their friends. Neither which I wanted as a response. So I just want you to know that. Any comments on the first one which is Michele?"

The Conversation Moved To the Concept Of Beacon’s Ethics Committee

Councilperson Paloma Wake paused the discussion on anyone in particular, to focus on what people should do if they have a complaint about person serving on a Committee for the City of Beacon. Mayor Lee provided a circular answer.

Councilperson Paloma asked "I don't have a comment on Michele or David in particular. But on if there is an ethics complaint about any of our Committee Members, where does that go? I know we don't have an Ethics Committee anymore. I believe it disbanded several years ago. So I want to understand where complaints or concerns should go."

Maybe Lee answered: "Yeah, we almost never have had one," meaning a complaint. "If we ever do [have a complaint about a Board Member],” he continued, “we can form one [an Ethics Committee]. But I think the alternative would be to ask [Dutchess] County to do it because the County has an Ethics Committee. In fact, one of our citizens is on that now. So that might be another approach."

Mayor Lee did not name which citizen of Beacon is on Dutchess County’s Ethics Committee, but as of this publishing, Hon. Peter Forman is on the Dutchess County Ethics Committee. Peter served as a Judge in Dutchess County in Family Court, County Court, and Acting Justice of the Supreme Court for 20 years until his retirement in 2020, where he went on as counsel at the law firm of Cuddy and Fedder, who often goes up against the City of Beacon when representing commercial property developers.

Kathleen (Kathy) Martin is also listed as a Board Member of the Dutchess County Ethics Committee. Kathleen, who goes by Kathy on Beacon’s Assessor page, is the longtime Assessor for the City of Beacon who recommended Michele Rios to Beacon's Assessment Review Board, the Board Member of this evening's reappointment vote. Kathleen also serves at the Mayor of the Village of Fishkill since 2021, and was appointed as the Assessor to Pleasant Valley in 1995. In 2006, she was appointed Assessor to the Town of East Fishkill and the City of Beacon, where each municipality shares in paying her fee for that service.

The City's Attorney Nick Ward-Willis of the law firm Keane & Beane contributed to the Mayor’s instruction on point of contact for ethics complaints: "Our office would also get involved and try to facilitate a resolution, provide advice and guidance. But you're right, there are other resources available."

Mayor Lee finalized to close the topic: "Yeah. But thank you for asking that,"

However, Councilperson Paloma persisted: "So, someone, if they had a concern, they should go to the [Dutchess] County Ethics Board."

Mayor Lee responded: "Well, they can come here and then I think I would refer them to Nick and Nick might suggest that or offer something else."

Attorney Nick answered: "Correct."

Councilperson Pam Weatherbee raised another question: "Is it ethics for the position that they're volunteering for? Or is it for their personal life or business?"

Mayor Lee answered: "Well, so it would have to be that somehow there's some conflict with respect to their position, right? And the Board of Assessment Review again, I don't think has any, you know, conflict. But that's that's how you go about it. Okay?"

Councilperson Pam wanted to understand the board meeting process a little more: "And the Board meets as a group? It's not just whoever shows up that day? It's a group."

Mayor Lee answered: "It's 5 [people]. And it's done in May during Grievance Period and then they review grievances, with attorney advice and the Assessor." Mayor Lee looked to Attorney Nick for clarification, to which Attorney Nick responded: "Right. And they receive training as well. There's state mandatory training."

Councilperson Paloma continued: "And is there sort of a standard in particular with the Board of Assessment Review? Is there a standard Conflict of Interest Disclosure or process that they have to go through?"

Attorney Nick answered: "I can't speak to it, but…I can't speak to their process."

Mayor Lee continued: "Now, again, unless you're the Assessor of Beacon, I don't think there's any conflicts at all because the role is to if someone has a grievance, you - the Assessor - provides data of adjacent homes or like homes [aka "comps"] and you look at those relative to the assessment of the particular home that's being grieved. I don't see what there could possibly..."

City Administrator Chris White chimed in: "Well, if it was if it was your property, you'd have to recuse yourself."

Attorney Nick brought up occurrences "in other communities where someone has grieved their own assessment." Mayor Lee agreed, and elaborated: "Yes. Right. So, you know, if somebody, you know, say somebody owned a bunch of properties, and were on it [the Assessment Review Board], that that might create a conflict for your particular one, but only your particular one." Attorney Nick confirmed: "Correct."

Mayor Lee continued with the reappointment: "I'll also point out this candidate's been on the Board of Assessment Review for 15 years -" to which Administrator Chris corrected him: "I think ten." Mayor Lee continued: "Oh, this is the third 5 year term...And um you know, our Assessor [Kathy Martin] actually says person [Michele Rios] does a really good job and would be happy to have her do it again."

The Mayor then brought it to a vote, and all Councilmembers voted in favor of appointing Michele Rios to the Board of Assessment Review.

The First Time Appointment Of David Ross

The second appointment was to fill a vacancy on the Board of Assessment with a new appointee, David Ross, who Mayor Lee hand-picked to bring to the City Council. For this appointment, Mayor Lee indicated that this selection was based on filling the "numbers" seat, where he wanted a person very familiar with numbers, as he explained at the beginning of the meeting. During this point in the meeting, the Council also pressed about how the vacancy and term ending were promoted, if at all. It was discovered that these vacancies were not promoted at all by anyone in the City of Beacon administration.

"I think many of you know who David Ross is," Mayor Lee began. "He actually has a good numerical background and he was very gracious enough to say he would do it. We always struggle to fill this one. So. Any other comments on David?" He is the former director of the San Fransisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), the Whitney Museum, and other art museums.

Councilperson Molly Rhodes asked for explanation on vacancy promotion: "Yeah, not on David, but just on the point you just said about struggling to fill this particular position. Can you say a little bit more for the community? I know these are 5-year terms, so there might not be a vacancy for this particular one, but just how these are kind of advertised or shared, so community members who might have relevant experience know they can put their name in the hat for things like this."

Mayor Lee did not answer the question, but provided fog around the concept of the Committee, which as he pointed out, is one of the only municipal boards required by law to exist. "Yeah, I think the primary issue is it's an arcane committee, right?" Arcane is defined by Oxford Languages as meaning "understood by few; mysterious or secret."

Mayor Lee continued: "Only a data geek who's interested in property assessments like, you know, your Mayor when he ran the Agency, has some interest in this area. So, it's hard to take on people." This indicates a reluctance to open the vacancy to public awareness in order to preserve personal working relationships.

Mayor Lee continued: "Again, it's helpful to have a background in real estate. You could be an assessor, an appraiser, various other roles. It's uh other otherwise relevant to have a numerical background because you're presented with data that are looking at comps for homes that are being grieved."

He then considered the promotion of the vacancy: "So, we can certainly advertise it. There are only three statutorily [required by law] required committees in the state: the Planning Board, the Zoning Board, and the Board of Assessment Review. It's just important we fill this one quickly. Okay."

Councilperson Paloma pressed on about promotion of the vacancy: "How would you advertise it? You just said that we could advertise it. I guess I'm asking about all of our committees and generally I think we've asked a couple...it comes up every couple of months. You know, how do people know when there are vacancies on the committee, and there's never a full answer. "

One of the most recent examples was the reemergence of Councilperson George Mansfield onto the City Council after he retired and did not seek reelection. After the unanticipated resignation of Councilperson Wren Longo, the Council seat was filled via appointment by Mayor Lee, who approached individuals to consider coming onto council. With pressure, an open call was made, but candidates who put their hats into the ring - if any - were not presented to the public.

Mayor Lee answered: "Well, so we can post, but again, this one...I just figured nobody in their right mind would be interested to solicit."

City Administrator Chris interjected: "But we do accept applications any time. If you go on the website and you have an interest, somebody moves to Beacon, somebody decides they've retired, they want they want to contribute some time, you can go to our website and you can submit an application. The kind of default here is when somebody's term is coming up, if they've done a a good job and they show up at meetings, we reappoint them generally."

City Administrator Chris introduced a new claim: "We had one [Assessment Review Board Member] who did not show up, and we were asked by the Assessor [Kathy Martin] to consider a different candidate who would actually make a commitment to being there." While he did not mention who the Board Member was, the only Board Member to have his name vanish off the website during the publication of this article series was Ron Donofrio, who serves many roles professionally, including being a realtor. His term expiration and reappointment opportunity would have been in October 2025.

City Administrator Chris continued: "We didn't have a lot of time either on this one. This is a little unique from the other, but we went back; we had no expressions of interest; no applications. We didn't go out and publicize it. Ben [Secretary to the Mayor] and I realized a few weeks before this was going to expire, that it was expiring in October rather than December. So we said to Lee, 'Do you...can you figure out somebody to do this?' We also did ask the Assessor and she didn't have any recommendations other than [saying] 'Michele has been great to work with. I'd like to renew her.' So, we did that."

Councilperson Jeff Domanski had a new question about the proposed new candidate, David: "You said a few times, Lee, that Mr. Ross knows numbers, but you look at his resume, it's all art curatorship. Can you speak to that just for a few minutes?"

Mayor Lee responded: "He happens to be the finance person for the Country Club and a few other things." According to the Southern Dutchess Country Club website, David Ross is on the board.

Mayor Lee continued: "Somewhere along the way, he learned numbers probably from running budgets of uh, uh, museums, right? Cuz I talked to him about it, and he was he was comfortable because I had to explain the role. He was more concerned about it being too much time, but once he heard it was a fixed amount of time in the month of May, he was willing to do it."

Councilperson Pam circled back to attendance requirements, which resulted in new information being presented: "Is there attendance requirements for positions...type of positions?"

City Administrator Chris answered: "In this case it's just one meeting a year. So if you don't show up to that for 2 years of your 5 year term, it's a problem."

Councilperson Pam reinforced her agreement: "It's a real problem."

While it was not stated who the Board Member was who did not show up for a meeting, Ron Donofrio was the only name suddenly no longer on the City of Beacon's website as of the publishing of this article series, whose term was up for renewal in October 2025. Ron confirmed with ALBB that he missed one meeting for personal reasons, but not two years of meetings. ALBB has reached out to Assessor Kathy for her comment, but she was out of the office the week of this publishing.

City Administrator Chris concluded: "Again, we don't really have any other attendance standards with any of the other committees. They manage their own committees. If they have an issue, they would relay it to us. And that, again, would be most pertinent to the other two committees that is statutory: the ZBA [Zoning Board] and the Planning Board."

The Mayor then set the vote appointing David Ross to the Board of Assessment Review. All were in favor, and David was appointed. Mayor Lee concluded: "I'll tell David he has to sharpen his mathematical pencil. But he's good at it. Okay. Anyone opposed? Not hearing any. That's done."

2 Vacancies On Beacon's Assessment Review Board; 3 of 5 Members Are Realtors; Mayor Set To Reappoint Realtor Tonight

Update 10/9/2025: “Assessment Review Board Vacancy Not Promoted; Discussion of Ethics Complaints; Both Appointees Confirmed”

Two vacancies have opened on one of the most important boards in the City of Beacon that impacts property owners and their potential property taxes: the Board of Assessment Review. A well publicized open call for those vacancies has not been made by the City of Beacon, and it was not declared who was not returning to the board. A reappointment of a board member whose is a realtor, the profession of which is a debatable conflict of interest and is discussed in guidance provided by New York’s Department of Taxation and Finance, is on the table for an appointment by Mayor Kyriacou at tonight’s City Council Meeting, which will be passed by the Mayor if there is no objection from City Council.

According to the presentation made by Ben Swanson at last week’s Workshop Meeting, there are 2 appointees up, one of whom is on the board already. Ben stated: “Michele Rios [of Berkshire Hathaway] has served 2 terms. This would be her 3rd term. She has been on the board 10 years starting in 2014. She has a long real estate career as a licensed agent and broker spanning 20 years or thereabouts. So, she has a a great background for this board.”

Ben continued with the second appointee, David Ross: “David has a distinguished career in fine arts management. He's worked throughout the country in executive administrative roles with various art institutions. We think he's a very impressive candidate and he's willing to spend the time on this board as well. We're excited to bring his application to your attention as well.”

What Does The Board Of Assessment Review Do?

Mayor Kyriacou explained during last week’s 9/29/2025 City Council Workshop that the Board of Assessment Review “is one of the three statutory required ones [Boards]: The Planning Board, the Zoning Board, and the Board of Assessment Review.”

He continued: “Their job is is mostly focused around May when you have the new assessments come out and there's a grievance process and they will hear grievances. That's the non-litigation process that the City does. And then if it ever goes past that, it goes past it. But their job is primarily in that month of May. And I'm just appreciative that we've got people willing to do it.”

When people challenge their assessments to commercial or residential property and win, the City of Beacon will at times pay them back the difference. Property assessments are based on many factors, including related “comps,” which are the most recent prices of properties sold near the property in question. With the hot market in Beacon, having bidding wars is common, as well as offers of cash coming to disrupt a buying process. Some realtors are more aggressive than others at navigating this phase which can result in driving up property prices.

The Board has 5 positions on it, and 3 of them are realtors.

Who Else Is On The Board?

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According to a screenshot taken by the WayBack Machine, a public database of years of archived screenshots, the realtor Ron Donofrio was the fifth name on the Assessment Review Board that has been removed. Ron was appointed in October 2020 for a 5 year term.

It was announced that there were 2 vacancies on this board. However, it was not disclosed as to who was stepping off the board, or whose term was ending or up for reappointment. Last week, A Little Beacon Blog emailed Mayor Kyriacou, his secretary Ben, and Council Member Molly Rhodes asking who was leaving the board, but none of them responded.

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Ron Donofrio is also listed at the Highlands Current website as a current Assessment Review Board Member with the current City Council as of October 2025.

Checking the Board of Assessment Review page today Monday, there are 4 names listed. Prior, there were 5 names listed. According to the WayBackMachine, as of May 15, 2025, Ron Donofrio was the 5th name that is no longer listed on the City of Beacon’s website as of today. Ron is a realtor in Beacon and was appointed on October 19, 2020 by Mayor Kyriacou.

Other Board Members include:

John Stella, Board Chair
According to a memorandum presented by Ben, Secretary to the Mayor, on December 14, 2022 in favor of John Stella's reappointment, John "retired from IBM and then worked as a Realtor in the area. John spent the past 15 years on the Board of Assessment Review, 12 of which were as Chair. He also served as Chair to the City's Parking and Traffic Safety Committee for 14 years. Additionally, he served as Vice President of the Beacon Board of Education. He also served as an Volunteer Firefighter for 60 years "and is now exempt," according to the memorandum.

John Berry
According to a memorandum presented by Ben, Secretary to the Mayor, on January 3, 2024 in favor of John Berry's reappointment: “Mr. Berry is a resident of the City of Beacon and is currently retired. He has a lengthy background of community service to Beacon, specifically in previously having served as a pack leader for a local Boy Scout Troop, previously having served as Chair of the Beacon Democratic Committee, running for Mayor in 2003, and by currently continuing his long-standing service on Beacon’s Board of Assessment Review.”

Robert Palisi
Robert Palisi’s memorandum for recommendation cannot be found online at this moment, but he was recognized as the Grand Marshall of the Parade of Green in 2023. According to his Grand Marshall recognition, Robert is a lifelong resident of the City of Beacon who started his career at Shaw Motors (then became Healey) with his father. He then worked for Ward's Auto Body, and then Secor Auto Body. In 1979, he started his own family business, Palisi Auto Body & Auto Glass on Main Street in Beacon, which moved to a "newly constructed state-of-the-art auto body shop on West Main Street," in 1984 says the parade flyer.

"Bobby is also a partner in Fulton Avenue Realty Restoration Company, which over the last 28 years, has done a multitude of building renovations and constructed several new houses in and around the City of Beacon."

Michele Rios
Michele Rios is a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway. When this article surfaced, encouraging the City Council to pause her reappointment in order to reconsider having realtors on the board, Michele responded via Facebook Comments with insults and a threat to ALBB.

She also stated that there were 2 realtors on the board. However, there were 3 realtors on the Board, when Ron Donofrio was within his term, which may have ended October 2025.

Comments Of Interest

The Assessment Review Board is one where people in the community must appeal to fellow members of the community for financial matters. Fear of retaliation should not be a factor, but for some is.

To show an example of character, the comments of the language and logic used by this board member up for reappointment are below in the order of their publishing:

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According to the bios presented above, there were 3 realtors on Beacon’s 5-member Board of Assessment Review as of this year: John Stella (Chair), Ron Donofrio, and Michele Rios.

Questions Raised From These Proposed Appointments

• Should realtors be on the Assessment Review Board?

• Should Beacon have a Board to hear grievances about realtors in the buying/selling process in residential or commercial property transactions?

According to Guidance provided by the New York State’s Department of Taxation and Finance, the issue of real estate agents or brokers being on assessment review boards is taken into consideration as a potential conflict of interest. While it does not prohibit it, the guidance does suggest a ratio of 1 to 3.

“Section 1524 specifically requires that persons appointed by the legislative body of a local government to the board of assessment review have a knowledge of property values in the local jurisdiction. In most instances, a real estate broker would certainly meet this requirement. It has been and continues to be the opinion of this office that there is no incompatibility arising from the appointment of 1 real estate broker to a 3 member or assessment review.

“The obvious intent of section 1524 is to provide property owners with an opportunity to obtain an independent review of their assessments by a body which did not participate in the assessment in the first instance and which consists of members knowledgeable in real property values. However, care should be taken with respect to the overall balance in the composition of the board of assessment review.”

How To Voice Your Opinion About A Mayor’s Appointment

While the Mayor makes an appointment, the City Council must support it. If they do not, then more consideration is given. To make sure your voice is heard or seen, email each City Council Member and the Mayor. One should not fear retaliation if they are a commercial or residential property owner.

MOLLY RHODES
Councilmember, Ward One
Pronouns: she, her, hers
mrhodes@beaconny.gov

JEFFREY DOMANSKI
Councilmember, Ward Two
Pronouns: he, him, his
jdomanski@beaconny.gov

PAM WETHERBEE
Councilmember, Ward Three
pwetherbee@beaconny.gov

GEORGE MANSFIELD
Councilmember, Ward Four
gmansfield@beaconny.gov

AMBER GRANT
Councilmember, At-Large
Pronouns: she, her, hers
agrant@beaconny.gov

PALOMA WAKE
Councilmember, At-Large
Pronouns: she, her, hers
pwake@beaconny.gov

Lee Kyriacou, Mayor
mayor@beaconny.gov

Ben Swanson, Secretary to the City Mayor
cityofbeacon@beaconny.gov

City Council Meeting Gold Nuggets Recap: June 2, 2025 (Video)

This was a swift City Council Meeting the night of June 2, 2025, but a few Gold Nuggets emerged. Those are covered in this video recap, highlighted in brief in bullets below:

Gold Nuggets:

• The Department of Homeland Security List that Beacon was on regarding immigration. Read more about that here.

• The Loitering Law and marijuana after New York State de-criminalized it.

• Councilperson Jeff Domanski bringing up Community Choice Aggregation again (the low price green energy deal that did save Beacon customers money that Jeff was connected to but it fell apart the first time after energy prices went up at the start of the war on Ukraine. The program is back for another go).

• The so far undisclosed sale price or bidder for the Mase Hook and Ladder Fire House.

• Speculation of what is in the “Personal” section of the private Executive Session when the agenda said there would only be discussion of “Real Property.” We do know that there were recently at least 2 suspensions in the Highway Department: Reuben Simmons and another person.

No Primary Vote For Beacon June 2025 - City Council Will Run Unopposed Again

A reader wrote in to A Little Beacon Blog asking for details about voting in Tuesday’s primary, but there was no primary election for Beacon, as per the Dutchess County Board of Elections.

There has not been a primary in Beacon for City Councilmembers since at least June 2019, when Dan Aymar-Blair and Kelly Ellenwood ran for the spot as Democrats. Kelly lost but went on to run on the Independent line, but Dan won the general election. This year, Dan left his seat as Councilmember and successfully ran for Dutchess County Comptroller, and was replaced by George Mansfield, who came out of retirement with Mayor Lee’s appointment.

The Mayor and City Council ran unopposed last election. The Beacon Democrats usually put up one person they have selected for each Ward. There may not be an active Republican Party group in Beacon.

In 2023, Lastar Gorton tried to run for Ward 1 as a Democrat, but experienced this issue with a postmark problem that ALBB reported on and you can listen to and read here. At that time, all Councilmembers were running unopposed, as was Mayor Lee Kyriacou. Days before the election, Rueben Simmons, longtime employee of the Highway Department and one time Superintendent of that department, entered the Mayoral race as a write-in candidate, and earned 16% of the vote (usually the write-in line gets 1%).

This year, Lastar is the presented Democratic candidate to replace the current ward representative, Molly Rhodes, who is moving on to run for Dutchess County Legislature District 18. Lastar is running to improve livability in Beacon. “My moment of decision came because there were a lot of issues happening in my apartment complex (Tompkins Terrace) and I felt that the management company was doing nothing about it. Friends and neighbors encouraged me to join City Council to see if there was anything that could be done to help with the issues there, even though it is privately owned.”

Carolyn Bennett Glauda is running for Ward 4 (replacing George Mansfield), Sergei Krasikov is running for Ward 3 (replacing Pam Weatherbee), and Zack Smith is running for Ward 2 (replacing Jeff Domanski).

No Records Found That ICE Has Requested Aiding and Abetting From Beacon's Administrator or Mayor

According to a FOIL request made by A Little Beacon Blog to the City of Beacon asking for any requests made by ICE to the City Administrator Chris White or Mayor Lee Kyriacou about immigration status' or actions taken with regard to immigrants in the City of Beacon, there have been “no records found responsive to this request,” the City of Beacon responded on 6/12/2025.

This request was made after Mayor Lee Kyriacou delivered his statement about the City of Beacon’s response to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) list that targeted cities and counties in New York State, including Dutchess County and Beacon.

In his statement delivered during a City Council Meeting, he said: “While the city has yet to receive any formal communication by the federal government, we remain confident that the City is abiding any all applicable state and federal laws and judicial orders. Our City and our Police Department remain committed to protecting public safety and any statements to the contrary are presumably misleading and inaccurate.”

City Council Agenda For 6/16/2025 Meeting

Tonight’s 6/16/2025 City Council Meeting is a Double Header. The Summer Schedule begins, which means that both the Workshop and the Public Meeting are on the same night. The Workshop starts at 7pm, and the Public Meeting is estimated to start at 7:45pm, but will begin whenever the Workshop is over.

The Workshop Agenda is here.

The Public Meeting Agenda is here.

The City Council Meeting after 7:45pm is open to the public, in that the public can come to speak on any topic for up to 3 minutes at the beginning and end of the meeting.

Public Hearings:

Tonight’s meeting consists of 3 Public Hearings concerning the following. A Public Hearing means that the City Council needs to hear from the public on this specific subject before voting on proposed legislation.

• Public Hearing for a Proposed Local Law to Amend the Zoning Code Concerning Accessory Apartment Requirements in the City of Beacon

• Public Hearing for the Proposed 2026-2030 Capital Program

• Public Hearing for a Proposed Local Law Concerning Vehicles and Traffic

Local Laws and Resolutions:

• 1. Resolution No. 57 - Appointing Dar Sims to the Position of Fire Lieutenant

• 2. Resolution No. 58 - Awarding a Contract to Sun Up Construction Corp. for the Fishkill Avenue Water and Sewer Replacement Project

• 3. Resolution No. 59 - Adopting Local Law No. 6 of 2025 Concerning the Drought Emergency Plan

• 4. Resolution No. 60 - Adopting Local Law No. 7 of 2025 Concerning Loitering

Links To Supporting Documents Are Here:

The Workshop Agenda is here.

The Public Meeting Agenda is here.