Only in Lowell can a simple Inauguration turn into a who’s lying to who routine.

On City Life Tuesday December 27th Councilor Elect Ed Kennedy complained about the date being moved for the swearing in ceremony. He is quoted in today’s Sun as saying ” the state law governing cities with a Plan E form of government, including Lowell, makes no exception for holidays when stating that the swearing-in should take place on the first Monday in January. “The holiday doesn’t really apply to that meeting because that meeting is set by statute,” Kennedy said

Now if he was so against this why didn’t he inform the Clerk or City Council of that and work to get the date changed when he was informed via a letter dated Dec 6th 2011.?

The City Council met at least twice since the letter went out. If Easy Ed is going to work with most of these people shouldn’t he have communicated his concern with his fellow councilors before going on to raise the issue on City Life? Talk about playing to the crowd!

According to City Councilor – Elect Marty Lorrey:

Gerry

The new city clerk had nothing to do with it,I have a letter dated December 6,2011 from Acting city Clerk Robert Slagle informing me that the inauguration will take place on Tuesday,January 3.2012 at 10:00 am.

So why is Councilor Elect Ed going on TV now weeks after the fact to complain?

Which brings us to new City Clerk Michael Geary who is quoted in today’s sun stating: he chose to hold the meeting Tuesday because when he researched how such situations were handled in the past, he learned that in 2006 the swearing-in and organizational meeting were moved to a Tuesday since Monday, Jan. 2, was a holiday that year.

Michael wasn’t elected until Dec. 19th..Is he saying he was so sure of the job he made the decision and had Slagle carry it out? Was he just trying to take some heat off the acting clerk and told a little white lie to the SUN? ( Note : You’ll be on their naughty list Michael.)

If ALL Councilors and Councilor’s elect were aware by early December you would have thought Councilor Elliot might have mentioned that to the reporter Mr. Mills instead of saying : “We should abide by the charter,” said City Councilor Rodney Elliott. “But if we’ve done it this way in the past it doesn’t really matter much to me.” or Councilor Bill (will I ever make my Mayoral vote public) Martin would have told the reporter that. Instead of saying he remembered the 2006 ceremony, was held on Tuesday.

Good Bill did you forget the December Letter? Did you forget telling the Sun and WCAP you would inform everyone this week who you will vote for to be Mayor also?

Only in Lowell can a simple thing like an Inauguration get so screwed up with people posturing and lying!

Received an email appeal from Sen. Candidate Elizabeth Warren yesterday titled Something to prove.

From the info she supplied (including her common man trips this busy holiday season) and the LIL Goal stalling, it appears the candidate is having a tough time meeting fundraising totals.

Notice how far away that quarter of a million is as of Tuesday Dec. 27th?

Wonder if she realizes the average working stiff doesn’t have any extra $$ so close to the Holidays to be able to toss her a few bucks, if she is really “one of us” how can she NOT realize that?

Anyway here are her hopes vs her reality.

City Solicitor Christine O’Connor said she was not consulted about the decision Today’s Lowell Sun

Brockton -Woburn -Somerville all cities having Inauguration of City Officials on Jan. 2nd

I know people will insist I am making a mountain out of a mole hill but the moving of the Inauguration of City Officials from Jan. 2nd to Jan.3rd by a new City Clerk bugs me.

The Plan E charter clearly calls for the swearing in to be the 1st Monday of January and when I spoke with an employee in the MA. Sec. of State’s office he stated that in his unofficial opinion, he thought it was up to the City Solicitor to determine if moving the date was within the rules and that at the very least the City Council should have had a say in it. Yet according to today’s SUN our Solicitor wasn’t asked her opinion by a first time City Clerk.

This seems to highlights that the City Clerks Office which was a mess under the previous dept. head because it went unsupervised by the City Council is in no different shape today than it was before. The City Clerk can pretty much do whatever he wants because no one questions him or supervises him.

A new City Clerk sworn in Dec. 19th can change and move the Plan E stated Inauguration without consulting the council or city Solicitor and no one blinks or says a word? That doesn’t seem correct to me.

Now City Clerk Geary who did not respond to an email requesting an explanation of the move is quoted in today’s Sun has saying ” he would be very hesitant to change the meeting date at this point because he has already arranged for a judge and priest to attend on Tuesday.” So call and see if you can get them for Monday. By statue you don’t have to have a judge there, the City Clerk can do it or does he require the Holiday Off? Is that what this really boils down too?To much work for you?

Look at the Charter and pay attention to councilor-Elect Kennedy who stated in the article “the state law governing cities with a Plan E form of government, including Lowell, makes no exception for holidays when stating that the swearing-in should take place on the first Monday in January. “The holiday doesn’t really apply to that meeting because that meeting is set by statute,”

Why is or should Lowell be any different from the other cities in the Commonwealth? and why is someone with no previous City Clerk experience allowed to move the inauguration Day after only a week on the job?

This Section of Plan E looks pretty clear to me.

Section 97. The city council shall have and exercise all the legislative powers of the city, except as such powers are reserved by this chapter to the school committee and to the qualified voters of the city. The city council, elected as aforesaid, shall meet at ten o’clock in the forenoon of the first Monday of January following the regular municipal election, and the members of the city council shall severally make oath, before the city clerk or a justice of the peace, to perform faithfully the duties of their respective offices, except that any member-elect not present shall so make oath at the first regular meeting of the city council thereafter which he attends. For the purposes of organization, the city clerk shall be temporary chairman until the mayor or vice-chairman has qualified. Thereupon the city council shall, by a majority vote of all the members elected, elect a mayor and a vice-chairman from its own members and the persons elected as such shall likewise make oath to perform faithfully the duties of the respective offices to which they are so elected, and they may so make oath at the same meeting at which they are so elected. The organization of the city council shall take place as aforesaid, notwithstanding the absence, death, refusal to serve or non-election of one or more of the members; provided, that a majority of all the members elected to the city council are present and have qualified. If the office of mayor or vice-chairman becomes vacant, the city council shall in like manner elect one of its members to fill such office for the unexpired term; provided, that no such vacancy shall be filled so long as there is any vacancy in the council.

So will any other Councilor step forward or do they work for the City Clerk? The City Manager even emailed me while on his vacation to clearly state HE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT !

I guess the City Clerk is really the guy who runs the council and we thought the Mayor’s selection was the important vote!