Beacon City Councilwoman Looks to Revive Community Spirit

Lastar Gorton aims to restore affordable housing, recreation, and neighborhood events to her hometown.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 4:04am

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A serene, cinematic painting of a park bench or community center entrance in Beacon, New York, with warm sunlight and deep shadows creating a nostalgic, contemplative mood about the city's changing community spirit.Beacon City Councilwoman Lastar Gorton hopes to restore a sense of community spirit and belonging in her hometown through affordable housing, public spaces, and neighborhood events.Beacon Today

Lastar Gorton, a lifelong Beacon, New York resident and newly elected City Councilwoman, is determined to help revive the sense of community she remembers from her childhood. Gorton plans to focus on affordable housing, a new recreation center, and organizing more neighborhood events to bring people together and restore the city's communal spirit.

Why it matters

As Beacon has experienced rapid development and rising costs of living, many long-time residents have been priced out or disconnected from the community. Gorton believes restoring affordable housing, public spaces, and community events are key to rebuilding the tight-knit, supportive environment she grew up with.

The details

Gorton, a mother of two, was motivated to run for City Council after witnessing issues like violence and lack of activities for youth in her Tompkins Terrace District. Her platform prioritizes affordable housing, a fully functional recreation center, and organizing more unifying community events. Gorton sees these elements as interconnected - without affordable housing, residents can't participate in community life, and without community spaces and events, the sense of belonging erodes.

  • Gorton was elected to Beacon City Council three months ago.
  • The Move in New York Program, aimed at assisting first-time home buyers with low-moderate incomes, launched in September 2025.

The players

Lastar Gorton

A lifelong Beacon resident and newly elected City Councilwoman who is determined to help revive the sense of community she remembers from her childhood in the city.

LaShawn Martinez

Gorton's long-time friend and co-founder of the non-profit Growing and Empowering Myself and My Sisters, which provides mentorship and activities for girls in grades 6-12 in Beacon.

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What they’re saying

“People need to have the security of affordable housing in order to feel a part of, connected to their community. However, if those things are lacking, you can't hold the events which in turn help build up the community; it's a rotating cycle, and each piece is connected to another.”

— Lastar Gorton, Beacon City Councilwoman

“The overdevelopment in Beacon needs to stop; half the buildings here remain empty that are being developed, and there is no longer a community. What is being built needs to be truly affordable and not below the market rate which is 30 percent of someone's income, something not happening here; the language needs to change.”

— Lastar Gorton, Beacon City Councilwoman

What’s next

Gorton plans to work with city officials to bring the Move in New York Program to Beacon to help provide more affordable housing options for both buyers and renters.

The takeaway

Gorton's efforts to restore affordable housing, community spaces, and neighborhood events in Beacon aim to rebuild the tight-knit, supportive environment she remembers from her childhood, countering the disconnection many long-time residents have felt as the city has rapidly developed.