Board of Estimate & Contract:
RESOLVED, that an ordinance adopted by the City Council on May 22, 2024, and signed by the Mayor on May 23, 2024, authorizing the Mount Vernon Police Department to Collect Fees for “Good Conduct Certificates” - (revenue received from the issuance of “Good Conduct Certificates” shall be transferred to Budget Line A1520.5, Police Administrative Fees), be and the same is hereby approved.
City Council;
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MOUNT
VERNON POLICE DEPARTMENT TO COLLECT
FEES FOR “GOOD CONDUCT CERTIFICATES”
Whereas, by letter dated May 9, 2024, the Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety has requested legislation authorizing the Mount Vernon Police Department to collect fees for issuing “Good Conduct Certificates” or “Letters of Conduct”; and
Whereas, the Department of Public Safety has identified a need for the Mount Vernon Police Department (MVPD) to collect fees in exchange for issuing “Good Conduct Certificates,” also known as “Letters of Conduct”; and
Whereas, a “Good Conduct Certificate” is a written document issued by the MVPD to its former and/or current residents certifying that the resident has been vetted within department records for any outstanding offenses and has been cleared; and
Whereas, currently, the MVPD provides this service free of charge; and
Whereas, the MVPD requests authorization to establish a twenty-five dollar ($25.00) fee for residents and a fifty-dollar ($50.00) fee for former residents for this service; and
Whereas, a comparison with neighboring municipalities shows that other cities in Westchester County charge fees for this service, including:
• White Plains - ($25.00 for residents),
• Yonkers ($30.00 for residents and $60.00 for non-residents), and
• Rye ($75.00 for residents), and
Whereas, the issuance of “Good Conduct Certificates” by the Department of Public Safety from January 2020 to the present has averaged approximately one hundred (100) letters per year; and
Whereas, at a nominal fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00), this would generate an estimated revenue of approximately twenty-five hundred dollars ($2,500) per year; and
Whereas, all revenue received from this service would be transferred to Budget Line A1520.5 (Police Administrative Fees); Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved That
The City of Mount Vernon, in City Council convened, does hereby ordain, and enact:
Section 1. Authorization. The City Council hereby authorizes the Mount Vernon Police Department to collect fees for issuing “Good Conduct Certificates” or “Letters of Conduct.”
Section 2. Fee Structure. The fee for a “Good Conduct Certificate” shall be twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for residents and fifty dollars ($50.00) for former residents.
Section 3. Revenue Allocation. All revenue received from the issuance of “Good Conduct Certificates” shall be transferred to Budget Line A1520.5 (Police Administrative Fees).
Section 4. Effective Date. This ordinance shall take effect upon its approval by the Board of Estimate & Contract.