House moves to cancel special mayoral election in Boston, with Marty Walsh likely heading to DC
House lawmakers have approved a petition to cancel a special mayoral election in Boston as Mayor Martin Walsh appears poised to depart for D.C.
The measure was approved during an informal session on Monday, where the legislation must earn unanimous Senate support in order to move forward. The Senate meets again on Thursday.
“I want to thank Speaker Mariano for hearing out the concerns of the Boston delegation and promptly bringing this before the House. I looking forward to continuing to advocate for this bill through the Senate and delivering the safest option for municipal elections this year for the people of Boston,” Rep. Chynah Tyler said.
The Roxbury Democrat filed the home-rule petition earlier this month after Boston city councilors unanimously passed a bill filed by Councilor Ricardo Arroyo and it was signed by Walsh. Councilors agreed that holding special election in the middle of a pandemic would cause a “serious threat to the health of our residents.”
Walsh sent the Boston political landscape into a frenzy in mid-January when President Biden announced him as his top pick for U.S. Labor Secretary.
The city’s charter requires any mayoral vacancy prior to March 5 be filled within three months by a special election, but with a regular election coming this fall, lawmakers have voiced public safety concerns over bringing voters to the polls four times in a single year during a pandemic.
If Gov. Charlie Baker also backs the move as he said he would, it would clear the way for the next regular elections — the September preliminary and the November general — to decide who the next elected mayor of Boston will be.
The proposal would put City Council President Kim Janey in power as acting mayor — the city’s first woman and first Black person to assume the office — until the regular election.
Walsh cruised through a confirmation hearing in early February, earning an 18-4 favorable vote. He must now be confirmed before the full body, which could happen in the coming days.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3pKsyNU
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