Murphy flexes Mayoral Muscle
Rookie Mayor Patrick Murphy left no doubt who’s in charge when he made City Council subcommittee assignments this week, one of the first official acts of business for a new mayor.
Murphy rewarded those who supported him and whacked those who didn’t.
The most stunning assignment was of freshmen Councilor Vesna Nuon to head up the Public Safety Subcommittee.
Nuon is fresh off the suing the city for what he claimed was a bogus disorderly conduct arrest by one of the PD’s most lily-white cops, Brian Kinney.
Nuon was awarded 50gs in an out-of-court settlement, but claims his lawyers are getting every penny.
Murphy awarding Nuon with the public safety appointment, to use a cliche, is like pouring salt on an open wound.
But then again, the two fed off one another during the recent City Council campaign and Nuon supported Murphy in the recent mayoral battle rather than veteran councilor Rodney Elliott, so it’s not surprising.
Then there’s Elliott, the self-proclaimed “fiscal watchdog.” Murphy stripped him of his coveted chairmanship of the finance panel, although he is still a member.
Ironically, Murphy appointed Joe Mendonca, somewhat of a finance aficionado himself, but who voted for Elliott for mayor.
Murphy’s handling of Elliott is hardly a surprise. Just consider what Elliott told Sun Senior Writer Jennifer Myers in late December when former mayor Bill Martin finally confirmed what everyone knew — that he would support Murphy over Elliott for mayor and end the contest:
“It’s no surprise to me,” Eliott said. “I ask the questions my constituents want asked, as evidenced by my second-place finish. I know the issues I raise make some of my colleagues uncomfortable, but I am not willing to compromise my positions on taxes and open and transparent government to become mayor.”
So, in other words, Murphy compromised his positions for the ceremonial seat. Maybe he did, but in politics payback is a …
When asked by Elliott at Tuesday’s meeting why he selected Mendonca, a second term councilor, as finance chair, Murphy said he was choosing someone with the most “expertise and experience.”
But Elliott, who is in his 8th term, said Wednesday Murphy’s decision to end his 12-year run as finance chair was “personal” and likely made at City Manager Bernie Lynch’s request.
“Not true on all counts,” Lynch said.
Murphy’s response follows this blog post.
Elliott also was surprised by Murphy’s decision to name Nuon, a new councilor, as the chair of the public safety subcommittee. Elliott has served on that committee for many years and will still be on the committee, but was passed over as chair.
So which subcommittee chairs did Elliott receive? Drum-roll please… Flood issues and Youth Services.
Both Elliott and Councilor Ed Kennedy highlighted Tuesday night that Murphy did not contact them prior to making his selections.
Murphy said he was in touch with seven councilors, but the numbers don’t add up unless he is referring to also speaking to himself.
Kennedy said he would have liked to have chaired the economic development subcommittee, but said he knew when he voted for Elliott over Murphy for mayor he would not get a plum assignment.Kennedy will chair the Municipal Facilities and Rules Subcommittees.
Subcommittees play a vital role in city government. It’s where high-profile issues are usually vetted before they reach the council floor. It’s also where opponents and proponents of a particular issue get to spar a little more openly than during a debate in front of the full City Council.
For the chairman of the highest-profile subcommittees, Economic Development, Public Safety, and Finance, they’re ego-boosters while giving those chairman the forum to exert the desired spin to a particular issue.
If Murphy ever wanted to cultivate an image of a political reformer, he blew it with these assignments. With them, he has shown, he is no different than any other power-drunk city pol who prowled the corridors of City Hall before him.
Yes, indeed, there is a new sheriff in town.
January 11, 2012 at 6:48 pm
Chris,
Among the many false assertions made in your recent post is the suggestion that “the Column blog is chasing down Murphy and Lynch for their response,” as though I were evading any questions. At the time of your writing, I had not received any communication whatsoever from the Sun/Blog/yourself. This leads to other issues of communication. In November, I spoke with then Councillor-elect Kennedy for an hour at Santoro’s to discuss the kinds of issues he’d like to work on in the new term, and he expressed an interest in economic development and transportation, and a concern for the rules. We also discussed at that time the mayoralty, and Mr. Kennedy had indicated that he would be in touch with me at the beginning of the following week with a decision. We did not speak again until I called him over a month later. After hearing of Councillor Martin’s public support, I called Rodney on Saturday, December 31st at 3:52pm and left a message, which was never returned. As you might imagine, communication must be two-way. Communication is also important in organizing and chairing meetings.
You also make the statement: “Murphy rewarded those who supported him and whacked those who didn’t.” I would suggest you ask either Councillor Mercier or Vice Chairman Mendonça whether they were happy with their assignments or whether they felt “whacked.” I would further suggest that it is perhaps your mindset of power politics, rather than mine, that has colored the interpretation of these assignments. They were made thoughtfully and to spur the most discussion and ideas. Councillor Nuon’s background in public safety issues in his twenty-plus year career and his work in the community will be important to inform the work ahead of us. He campaigned on actual ideas that he wanted to pursue, particularly addressing youth violence with satellite after-school programs, and I expect that he will be able to work with many groups and leaders to achieve those.
Similarly, I think that Councillor Elliott’s involvement with the flooding issues, particularly in his neighborhood of Pawtucketville, well qualifies him to lead the relevant subcommittee. His community involvement in youth soccer groups, his concern for their safety in the library and elsewhere, and his enthusiastic support for the Vote 17 initiative make him a good fit for the Youth Issues subcommittee. Having served on both the Council and School Committee, a keen eye for details and an independent mind, Vice Chairman Mendonça appears to have a far better grasp of municipal finance issues, and how they are all intertwined. I would also like to see this committee meet more regularly and work more closely with the School Department’s counterpart in the coming term, and Vice Chairman Mendonça ‘s experience on the School Committee should facilitate those discussions. As I said before, the subcommittees are new and no one has been replaced, but in the twelve preceding years, the former Chair presided over a time of declining bond ratings and at a time when the city was added to the Department of Revenue’s watchlist. He has suggested that bond ratings don’t matter, made motions that confirm that belief, and has shown a poor understanding of performance-based budgeting. He voted against the Ameresco contract and LowellStat initiative, both of which will realize substantial long-term savings while improving our operations. So the decision was a policy one, not personal. To be worthwhile, experience is not just about time served, but how wisely time is spent.
Lastly, I would like to address your repetition of a false and defamatory claim—originally made by Lyle Moran and repeated by your editor—namely that the city manager has had a hand in my decisions as a councillor. The editor has not responded to a request for a meeting to discuss those statements. In fact, if there is a communication problem, it lies with the paper. Three emails were sent on November 12th, 14th and 21st respectively, before the first response by the Sun shortly thereafter on the 21st. Another making the request for a meeting has not been responded to since the 22nd of November. As it appears the Sun is not as eager to answer questions as it is to ask them, I will say this clearly for the record: the manager did not participate in any discussion of subcommittee assignments or in what issues I choose to pursue. The manager does not tell me how to vote, which motions to file, who to reward or who to whack. We are not in the mob. We know our roles. And I am simply a citizen of Lowell hoping to make things a bit better. You could probably help. I hope you will.
Patrick Murphy
Lowell
January 12, 2012 at 7:31 am
Patrick,
Thank for your thoughtful response. We can discuss these issues in this forum, or, if you’d, like, by talking. Please give me a call at 978-970-4648. To set one matter straight, the words “chasing down” were not used to infer that either you, or Manager Lynch, were being evasive.
January 12, 2012 at 9:47 am
Just a few points I’d like to make after reading this.
Mr. Murphy was not even the Mayor on December 31st. So why would he be discussing subcommittee appointments with anyone at that time? Furthermore, who calls someone on New Years Eve to discuss committee assignments when he didn’t even have the power to appoint them yet?
Logically, I think we can assume that call was about the Mayor’s race or possibly the dinner afterward. The Mayor was assuming at that time that no-one changed would change their vote. And as we all know that has happened in the past. If it was about committee assignments, which I highly doubt, he was putting the cart before the horse. No other explanation makes any sense. Who makes a call about committee assigmments on New Years Eve? I find that explanation implausible.
As far the explanation with regard to Mr. Kennedy I have this observation. According to the Mayor he spoke to Mr. Kennedy in November regarding what his interests were. Neither C. Broderick nor C. Martin were committed at that point. Or possibly he knew something no-one else did. How could Mr. Kennedy be expected to know that was his only opportunity to express his interest in subcommitte assignments since Mr. Murphy hadn’t secured the 5 votes until after Christmas? If we are to believe what the Mayor is saying and he met with Mr. Kennedy in November regarding what his interests were why didn’t he bother to call him to let him know what the final committee assignments were? Is Mr. Kennedy expected to be a mind reader?
Just because Mr. Kennedy expressed interest in a subcommittee did not mean that he was automatically going to get the assignment. The Mayor should have called each of them to let them know what assignment he had given them and provided them an opportunity to ask why they hadn’t been appointed to Committee X or the rationale behind a chairmanship. Instead he does none of this and just issues a list without the courtesy of contacting all members regarding the assignments.
He can say what he wants but it’s obvious to me from HIS explanation that he did not do this for certain members and did for others and I find that distasteful.
January 12, 2012 at 3:04 pm
I agree. The fact that Murphy wants to use the New Years Eve phone call as his way of reaching out to CC Elliot is crazy. They had a meeting the same night as the swearing in-why not discuss it then? Or in the week that followed? I understand that these committee appointments are exactly that-appointments but Murphy should have been a man and told CC Elliot his chairmanship was being taken away, not just blind side him. Oh and I guess the “experience” excuse didn’t last very long afterAll.
As for CC Noun- regardless of what Murphy tries to say to make his appointment as chair of public safety the police are going to see it as a slap in the face by Murphy so I hope he is ready to deal with that backlash.
Should be an interesting 2 years with this guy as mayor-it’s certainly been an already interesting week…