The New Rochelle Thimblerig — Part XXIV

The New Rochelle Thimblerig — Part XXIV

This article is part of a series: New Rochelle Thimblerig Table of Contents

DUBLIN, IRELAND (January 26, 2025) — In the olden days, when Chuck Strome and then Kathleen Gill ran the City of New Rochelle, meaning up until 10 months ago, I did not need a spreadsheet to keep track of my FOIL requests pending with the City of New Rochelle. This was, in part, because most of my requests were filled promptly (one glaring exception was Command Discipline Reports in 2021) and, in part, because they put out detailed press releases for things like appointing a judge to the New Rochelle City Court or hiring people into senior positions, so there was no need to request records, and, in part, because if I had questions about something I could just ask and they would answer. Add to that the current leadership are a band of moral bankrupts and criminals, and suddenly, I require a spreadsheet to keep track of the stonewalling of my records requests.

Read more

SMOKING GUN: New Rochelle City Manager’s Shifting Story on Flowers Park Bid Collapses Under Developer’s Own “Return Everything” Letter

SMOKING GUN: New Rochelle City Manager’s Shifting Story on Flowers Park Bid Collapses Under Developer’s Own “Return Everything” Letter

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (December 5, 2025) — A November 20, 2025 letter from the attorney representing the sole bidder on New Rochelle’s withdrawn Flowers Park redevelopment project directly contradicts City Manager Will Melendez’s latest claim that the city never surrendered the original proposal. The letter, obtained through a

lock-1 By Robert Cox
Administrative Appeal of Denial of FOIL Request for Records Related to Bid Number 5820 – Request for Master Redeveloper Proposal Submitted by The Young Companies LLC

Administrative Appeal of Denial of FOIL Request for Records Related to Bid Number 5820 – Request for Master Redeveloper Proposal Submitted by The Young Companies LLC

Dear City Manager Melendez This letter constitutes my administrative appeal, pursuant to Public Officers Law (POL) § 89(4)(a), of the City of New Rochelle’s denial of my Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request dated October 30, 2025, and subsequent renewed and expanded requests dated November 13, 2025, and

By Robert Cox