Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh has tried to hit the ground running in Silk City, injecting life into moribund committees and civic efforts in the arts, environment, street paving and more. Monday, he was at the Boys & Girls Club in the city to announce several federal grants, the process for which began before he took office, but whose awarding falls right on time to be touted as a new mayor getting results.
Joined by congressman and former Paterson mayor Bill Pascrell, Sayegh announced four grants from the federal Housing and Urban Development department, totaling $5.4 million, that will help nonprofits like the Boys & Girls Club, which needs a new outdoor patio renovation, and more.
“We’ve worked on homelessness prevention, public safety, providing shelters, GED training, after-school programs, the Junior Youth Build. The list goes on and on and on,” noted Sayegh.
In this city, where poverty is an all too-common condition, the problem hasn’t always been securing federal funds to help. Paterson’s had its share of HUD and Community Development Block Grants over the years, only to have them mishandled by previous mayors who either didn’t spend the federal money or had their eyes elsewhere. The congressman – who supported this mayor’s election – had a stern warning for him Monday.
“I never want to hear, under your administration, that money comes to the city and either it’s misspent, or it’s not spent,” said Pascrell.”The message is, if you’re going to spend the money, you got to spend it on what you got it for, and you can’t put any money in your pocket or you’re going to the caboose. And thirdly, if you can’t spend it, then you should’ve never applied for it.”
Sayeh agreed.
“We are putting together a game plan so that no money goes unspent,” he said. “We’re going to make sure that whatever it’s earmarked for, it’s going to be used for, because this certainly is a city in need and there are so many areas we have to address.”
Including shoring up public confidence — big in a city which has been let down repeatedly.
