NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (May 8, 2026) — Kemesha Salmon, a New Rochelle toy store owner, nonprofit founder and self-described longtime personal friend and supporter of Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert, has publicly broken with the mayor in a scathing five-part video series posted to Facebook, accusing “city leadership” (her euphemism for Ramos-Herbert) of lacking integrity, transparency and accountability — and directly questioning the mayor’s character.
Salmon, who owns TP Toys and founded Kemesha’s Kommunity, a nonprofit serving New Rochelle families and youth, said she posted the videos because “false narratives” were forming about her organization and because “leaders lack integrity and accountability.”
“I am questioning your character,” Salmon said, addressing the mayor directly. “In moments like this, people don’t just remember what was said. Right now, I’m remembering what wasn’t.”
The videos represent a dramatic public reversal for Salmon, who said she campaigned for Ramos-Herbert, celebrated her election, helped with logistics at her first State of the City address and described the mayor as a personal friend who had witnessed Salmon’s struggles firsthand — including helping her clean up after flooding at her store.
“I supported you when you ran for mayor,” Salmon said. “I celebrated you. I showed up. I made sure I was there to support you in your transition because I was genuinely happy for you.”
Salmon is not a peripheral figure in New Rochelle civic life. A 2021 Empire Award recipient from State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, she has built relationships across local, county and state government as well as with leading community institutions including the Boys & Girls Club, the New Rochelle school district and parent-teacher organizations. She counts among her public supporters elected officials at multiple levels of government. Losing her as an ally — and gaining her as a public critic — is not a trivial development for a mayor facing re-election in 2027.
Grant Denials at the Center of the Dispute
The break stems primarily from two grant denials Salmon says she experienced at the hands of city administration under City Manager Wilfredo Melendez.
In November 2024, Salmon said she applied for the city’s Vanguard Retail Tenant Improvement Grant after being told by city staff that she qualified. The grant was a matching program — the city covering half of $25,000 in tenant improvement costs — that Salmon said she was counting on to help build out a youth center adjacent to her toy store. She said she received confirmation her application was progressing, signed a lease, began paying rent on the new space and commenced construction before being told on Feb. 19, 2025, that her application folder was empty and that she did not qualify because the work had already started.
“That made no sense to me,” Salmon said. “This was a tenant improvement grant. The work being done was tenant improvement.”
Salmon said she contacted Kevin Jimenez, her city liaison, and offered to bring documents in person, but was told her folder had been removed. She said no one could clearly explain who made the decision or why the process had changed.
The center opened anyway on March 28, 2025, funded entirely through private donors, her board, her business and community supporters. City officials, including the mayor, attended the grand opening, which was covered by WCBS reporter Tony Aiello.
At the opening, Ramos-Herbert delivered remarks praising Salmon in glowing personal terms. “When it comes to giving back, this toy store owner isn’t playing around,” the mayor said. The Mayor said she had been among Salmon’s earliest customers, saying she had “spent countless hours and money in this store.” She praised Salmon’s approach to community and business. “It’s never about competing, it’s about driving together,” the mayor said. “She is amazing. We’re lucky… I’m just honoured to be in her presence. You deserve this more than anyone I know.”
“The city of New Rochelle did not financially support our fund that opened that centre,” Salmon said. “That centre opened because of community support, private donors, my board, my business and the people who believed in the work.”
The second denial came after a separate meeting Salmon had with Melendez over recurring flooding at her store. During that meeting, Melendez encouraged her to apply for an upcoming grant for nonprofits. Salmon said the application process for what she identified as the Thrive grant was vague, with no criteria, no documentation requirements and no explanation of how applications would be evaluated. She applied for funding for her workforce development program.
She said she received no response to multiple follow-up inquiries and was repeatedly told Melendez was unavailable. On April 1, 2025, she received a denial.
“I was furious,” Salmon said. “There was no criteria. No selection process, no follow-up, no request for documentation, nothing.”
The Mayor’s Visit — and Her Silence
That same morning — before the denial email arrived — Ramos-Herbert visited Salmon’s store to pick up a toy she had been waitlisted for. Salmon said she had called the mayor to let her know the item was in. The mayor came in, helped unpack boxes and asked Salmon to pose for a photo with her children. The visit was warm. Hours later, the denial arrived.
“You knew,” Salmon said, addressing the mayor. “You knew I didn’t get funding. You knew you didn’t choose me for funding. And nothing was said to me. Not one word.”
After calling the mayor directly to demand an explanation, Salmon said Ramos-Herbert told her that Melendez had not informed her of his prior meeting with Salmon — a claim Salmon said did not sit right with her.
“She said he did not tell her he met with me,” Salmon said. “And that didn’t sit right with me. Because I sat in that meeting. We had a full conversation.”
Salmon said a trusted source later told her the mayor had been in the room when the Thrive grant decision was made. She acknowledged she does not act on hearsay alone, but said the mayor’s subsequent silence — no call, no message, no follow-up — confirmed her concerns.
“Even if you were not in that room, even if you were not the one making the final decision, even if there was a committee — as a leader, that should have been your biggest concern,” Salmon said. “Leadership doesn’t ignore confusion. Leadership doesn’t ignore patterns. Leadership asks questions.”
False Attribution at 2025 State of the City
Salmon described an incident at the city’s 2025 State of the City address in which a photo from her nonprofit’s grand opening was displayed under language suggesting the city had supported the center financially.
“There was a photo of our grand opening displayed under language suggesting that we were supported by the city of New Rochelle,” Salmon said. “That was not accurate.”
Salmon said she immediately pulled administrators aside and asked why the photo was there. “No one could give me an explanation,” she said.
She had previously corrected a similar misattribution in a press release from the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce, which had connected the grand opening to the city’s Vanguard program. Chamber representative Catherine White responded, said she was unaware of the error and said she would confirm with the city, Salmon said.
“Public praise is not the same as financial support,” Salmon said. “Showing up for a photo is not the same as funding. Being visible at our events is not the same as investing in our programs.”
Praise for Gill, Holstein and Rice — and a Warning to the Mayor
While sharply criticizing Ramos-Herbert, Salmon singled out three public officials for praise — and used each to draw a pointed contrast with the mayor’s conduct.
Salmon credited former City Manager Kathleen Gill with being the first city official to provide meaningful support to Kemesha’s Kommunity. Salmon said Gill met with her, demanded documentation and proof of the nonprofit’s work, and ultimately secured the organization’s first city grant — funding that launched a workforce program placing young people in jobs across New Rochelle.
“She showed leadership,” Salmon said of Gill. “She listened. She told me to set another appointment because she wanted proof. She asked for documentation. She stated she did hear about the work I did but she didn’t go off hearsay. And I said finally the city had some backbone.”
The contrast with Gill’s successor is not incidental. Ramos-Herbert, upon taking office in January 2024, moved to remove Gill as city manager. The ouster became contentious, and the city ultimately paid Gill $444,848 in a separation agreement executed in April 2024 — including 10 months salary of $199,720, four months salary of $79,888, and payouts for 180 days of unused and accrued leave totaling $165,240, all paid in lump sums within 90 days. Talk of the Sound previously reported on the separation agreement. Gill is now village manager of Mamaroneck.
Salmon also credited county Legislator Judah Holstein with being the first county legislator to support Kemesha’s Kommunity with funding, saying Holstein visited her program independently before forming an opinion.
“He didn’t know me personally,” Salmon said. “And instead of forming an opinion, he said, let me come see for myself. And he did. He showed up, he became a part of the work and became the first county legislator to support us with funding.”
The most pointed praise — and the sharpest implicit warning to the mayor — was reserved for then-Councilman Jared Rice, now a judge.
Salmon described Rice as a model of authentic community engagement, saying he not only showed up and donated when she opened TP Toys but connected her to others, publicly championed her work and partnered with her on youth initiatives including Gift for Grades and a mentoring program for first-time female offenders through Kemesha’s Kommunity. Rice also connected Salmon to then-county Legislator Jim Maisano, leading to a toy drive partnership now spanning a decade, and to Maisano’s wife Jean Maisano, whom Salmon describes as her mentor.
“He didn’t just show up and support — we built a friendship,” Salmon said of Rice. “He shopped, he donated, and more importantly he connected me to others in the community. He publicly spoke about the work I was doing and privately supported it. And wherever there was an initiative involving children, he called me.”
Crucially, Salmon said it was she who introduced Ramos-Herbert to Rice — deliberately and personally.
“I intentionally put you two together when you were complaining about the parks,” Salmon said, addressing the mayor directly. “He was a close friend of mine and you both had children around the same age and shared similar values. From there he placed you on committees, advocated for you, campaigned — and look, you won city hall, you won city council.”
What followed, Salmon suggested, was a pattern she now says she should have recognized earlier.
“The way you distance yourself from someone who supported you like that — I shoulda saw that, because it speaks volumes,” Salmon said. “But I’ll leave that there, ‘cause that’s not my story to tell.”
‘I Cannot Say That the Way I Want To’
Salmon repeatedly insisted throughout the video series that she is not motivated by politics.
“I don’t play politics,” she said. “I move with character and integrity.”
Nevertheless, her public break with the mayor carries significant political weight. Ramos-Herbert faces re-election in 2027. In Salmon, she has lost not just a vocal community supporter but someone with demonstrated reach across the civic, nonprofit and political landscape of New Rochelle and Westchester County — a supporter whose public endorsement helped carry her to office and whose public criticism now lands with equivalent force.
“As a constituent, I wanna be proud to say I represent New Rochelle,” Salmon said. “And right now, I cannot say that the way I want to.
She closed the video series with a direct statement: “This is about accountability, this is about character, and I will stand on it.”
Part 1 — 15:38 runtime
• Instagram: 43 likes, 1 send
• Facebook Reels: 22 likes, 2 shares
• Salmon introduces herself and her background with TP Toys and Kemesha’s Kommunity
• Programs described: mentorship, birthday buddy, breakfast club (77 families), workforce development
• Early partnerships with New Rochelle Youth Bureau, Housing Authority and Guidance Council of Westchester
• 2019 40 Under 40 Rising Star recognition from the Business Council of Westchester
• Participation in Judge Judy’s Her Honour mentorship program
• History of flooding at previous store location; inventory losses
• COVID-era funding disputes with then-City Manager Chuck Strome
• First city grant secured through City Manager Kathleen Gill; workforce program outcomes
• Discovery that space next door to TP Toys was available; decision to create youth center
• Application for Vanguard Retail Tenant Improvement Grant; initial encouragement from city staff
Part 2 — 17:18 runtime
• Instagram: 25 likes, 2 shares
• Facebook Reels: 14 likes, 2 shares
• Vanguard grant denial on Feb. 19, 2025; folder removed; told work already started
• Grand opening of youth center, March 28, 2025; city officials attend but city did not fund it
• WCBS coverage of opening; Mayor Ramos-Herbert’s remarks praising Salmon
• False attribution of city support in Chamber of Commerce press release; Salmon corrects the record
• Photo from grand opening displayed at 2025 State of the City under language implying city funding
• Salmon confronts administrators; no explanation provided
• Distinction between public praise and financial support
Part 3 — 8:22 runtime
• Instagram: 27 likes, 1 comment, 2 shares
• Facebook Reels: 10 likes, 2 shares
• Flooding at new location; July email to city officials with photos and videos
• Meeting with Melendez, deputy city manager and engineers; drain monitoring solution reached
• Post-flooding conversation with Melendez about grant opportunities
• Encouragement to apply for Thrive grant; vague application process
• Multiple unanswered follow-up inquiries; Melendez repeatedly unavailable
• April 1, 2025 Thrive grant denial
Part 4 — 20:00 runtime
• Instagram: 13 likes, 1 comment, 2 shares
• Facebook Reels: 30 likes, 4 comments, 2 shares
• Salmon calls mayor after denial; mayor says Melendez did not tell her about their meeting
• Source tells Salmon the mayor was in the room for the grant decision
• Mayor’s morning store visit on April 1 — before denial arrived — and subsequent silence
• Praise for Jared Rice as model of authentic leadership
• Salmon reveals she introduced Rice to Ramos-Herbert and facilitated their political relationship
• Rice’s role in Ramos-Herbert’s rise to office; Salmon’s account of subsequent distancing
• Praise for Judah Holstein; contrast with mayor’s conduct
• Salmon recounts her own civic record and community impact
Part 5 — 5:27 runtime
• Instagram: 51 likes, 14 comments
• Facebook Reels: 29 likes, 14 comments, 2 shares
• Salmon addresses formation of false narratives about her work
• Direct address to Mayor Ramos-Herbert questioning her character
• Acknowledgment of donors and supporters by name
• Statement that silence from leadership in serious moments speaks volumes
• Closing statement on accountability, character and faith
Editor’s Note: On April 30, 2025, Salmon contacted this reporter via Instagram direct message after becoming aware of a Talk of the Sound post published April 22 that included two screenshots: Kemesha’s Kommunity’s “No More Quiet” teaser and Mayor Ramos-Herbert’s April 1 Instagram post showing Salmon posing with the mayor’s children inside TP Toys. Salmon asked that the photo be removed, citing concern about children being depicted in coverage focused on the city, and offered to provide an alternative image. She received an automated response advising that Talk of the Sound does not monitor social media direct messages and directing her to contact this reporter by email or WhatsApp. No further contact was received. As a matter of policy, Talk of the Sound does not remove published content. As it happens, the April 1 store visit and the photo — which Salmon says was taken at the mayor’s request — figures centrally in her account of the mayor’s conduct, the moment she says she finally saw clearly what others had tried to warn her about. Since the video series was posted, the April 1 photo, a video showing Ramos-Herbert moving boxes at the store and a number of other social media posts have been removed from Salmon’s pages.
Mayor Ramos-Herbert and City Manager Wil Melendez did not respond to requests for comment or to address specific questions:
For both:
• Did the city receive and review an application from Kemesha Salmon/Kemesha’s Kommunity for the Vanguard Retail Tenant Improvement Grant in November 2024?
• Who made the decision to remove her application folder and deny her application, and on what grounds?
• Was Kemesha’s Kommunity among the applicants considered for the Thrive grant, and who made the decision to deny that application?
• What criteria were used to evaluate Thrive grant applications?
• Was a photo from Kemesha’s Kommunity’s March 28, 2025 grand opening displayed at the 2025 State of the City address under language suggesting city financial support? If so, how did that occur and who was responsible?
For the Mayor specifically:
• Were you present when the decision was made to deny Kemesha’s Kommunity the Thrive grant?
• Did you visit TP Toys on the morning of April 1, 2025, the same day the denial was issued?
• Salmon says you were aware of the denial during that visit but said nothing. Is that accurate?
• Salmon says she introduced you to then-Councilman Jared Rice and facilitated your political relationship with him. Do you dispute that account?
For the City Manager specifically:
• Did you meet with Kemesha Salmon to discuss flooding at her store and encourage her to apply for a nonprofit grant?
• Did you inform the mayor of that meeting?
• Salmon says she made repeated attempts to follow up on her Thrive grant application and was told you were unavailable. Why were those inquiries not answered?
We will update this article with any replies from City Hall.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
Have information about this story? Email robertcox@talkofthesound.com (preferred) or contact via WhatsApp: +353 89 972 0669.
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