There is a larger issue in the interim Mayor decision that I hope the members of this community work to make their voices heard. I know I will be sending an e-mail to each Alderman. If Gail Infurna gets the post for the next 2 years the Mayors salary of $125,000 per year will be averaged into her high three, and she has over 20 years on the board of alderman, so its effectively giving her an $85,000 per year pension for the rest of her life. That's outrageous and any Alderman that votes for her is allowing her to engage in outright and blatant robbery of taxpayer funds. Zwirko is at the beginning. At least if he gets it he needs to stick around for 18 years to get his pension.
Gail will never get the female BOA votes. She has viciously labeled Monica for years. She threw Jennifer Lemmerman under the bus with the name change to Council. She also opposed the increase of the Womwn's Commission from 7 to 9. Her dribble doublespeak about the Santuary City will turn off Manisha. Kate is a Harvard Educated Lawyer who can see through Gail. So, the other 4 females will never back Gail. Infurna is a conflict avoider who never will take a stand. She should have gone along with her best friend Margolis and stepped aside and let the next generation take Melrose into the future. She is too old and probably has heath issues. God help us, if Gail gets elected Mayor.
mostly agree with previous poster
GI isn't exactly a "conflict avoider," as long as she can be part of a pack of bullies who are ganging up against someone with a differing (as in an intelligent) viewpoint.
It would be a sin if she were allowed to collect Big Time with a lifetime pension on our dime. It would also be a sin to allow her that much power, which she most certainly would abuse, to say nothing of possessing zero ability to manage all that the job requires.
The other choices are mostly pretty terrible, also, and point out the lousy state of affairs in local governance.
MZ proved how awful he'd be in the way he mismanaged the city charter review non-process (choosing heinous individuals for the committee, including some who have cost the city literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in lawsuits and the results of mismanagement on their own) and then basically changing a few grammatical and superficial issues but leaving the most egregious wrongs in place.
JT would be as asleep at the wheel as he is for everything else, tho a nice guy (perfect for this ignorant town).
MM is honest and hard-working and without arrogance. Too bad she's a Repug. She would however serve with integrity, which is sorely lacking elsewhere. She served on both the SC and BOA and understands the greater issues of governing. She's learned a lot since her SC days (when she often did not have a clue about the real issues at stake). She has impeccable integrity and understands what it means to confront the Ugly "True Melrosian" issues straight on, be ridiculed and dissed, and still forge ahead for the greater good. She's the only one currently in the running with an actual value system.
DC would have been a logical person for the job, especially if he grew a backbone. He has the requisite knowledge, work ethic, and basic values, despite also being a Repug. But Melrose cast him aside just like they did JDL in favor of the newest MEF sycophants.
Bottom line, Melrose really doesn't value or want the truly smart leaders with actual integrity and appropriate backbone and sense of independence from political patronage games. Melrose doesn't deserve a good mayor, which is a darn shame.
Is there any hope that Don Conn could fill position?
Possible but improbable.
1. The only way is for him to run in a special election.
2. Not likely he'd give up his practice, as he'd have to if he were elected.
That single provision in the Charter was inserted so that no qualified person would want the job clearing the way for Dolan to be unopposed, and is going to come back to haunt us now.
There is no chance Melrose will elect a Republican Mayor in a special election. Zero, Nada. It's the reason Conn got tossed out in the first place. Monica barely survived because of the John Dunn paradox. He topped the ticket for the at Large BOA every year because all of the crazies bulleted him. Then he got thrown out on his @ss when he supported the Middle School debt exclusion because they turned their back on him. The crazies are worth about 3,500 votes max...not nearly enough to elect a Mayor. He had no chance at the Mayor's seat...and neither does Monica. The list of special election candidates, if it comes to it, will be Monica Mederos, Paul Brodeur and John Tremantozzi. 3 completely empty suits. Community needs an outsider to step up.
What about Gail and Zwirko?
They should put up or shut up and run in a special election, if they want to be Mayor
Neither one will ultimately run in a special election. They want it handed to them. They don't think they can beat Brodeur...and he will 100% ask them to step aside. If BOA votes Gail as board president they should all be required to publicly state that by casting this vote they are aware they just robbed the taxpayers of MA by giving Infurna an $85,000 pension for the rest of her life.
While I certainly don't disagree with you completely. I do believe that there is a chance that Melrose voters might finally vote for/choose whoever is best to "fix" our City, regardless of political affiliation.
MELORSE, MA — There are Melrosians driving cars today that have never known life without Mayor Robert Dolan in charge. Now, after Dolan was unanimously approved as Lynnfield Town Administrator in a Wednesday night meeting, all eyes are on who will be next.
Dolan's 16-year-run indisputably transformed Melrose. While there is much to reflect on and celebrate, many are now asking who will take his place.
Much hinges on just when Dolan vacates the Mayor's office.
Melrose is going through some major changes! Subscribe to Melrose Patch for free for more local news and real-time alerts.
The City Charter states that if a vacancy occurs within the first two years of a term, then a special election will be held within 90 days of the vacancy. The winner of that election would hold the office until the initial term of the original mayor was set to expire.
If the office becomes vacant after the beginning of the mayor's third year, the president of the Board of Aldermen would assume the role of mayor. You can read the Section 3-10 of the City Charter below.
The third year of Dolan's four-year term would begin Jan. 8. The Mayor's office told Patch the date Dolan would vacate office is still undetermined.
Dolan is expected to start in Lynnfield in early February.
President Donald Conn Jr. lost his reelection bid in November and will leave office Jan. 8. The incoming board chose Mike Zwirko to succeed Conn on Dec. 4, but that was in a nonbonding caucus. A formal vote will take place on Jan. 8, and it's now looking like a more competitive race.
The Melrose Free Press reports Aldermen John Tramontozzi, Gail Infurna, and Monica Medeiros will be vying for the presidency now that it could essentially be a vote for mayor.
While some residents may be surprised to hear a person who was never on the mayoral ballot may be running the city, the City Charter makes the process clear. The charter was recently reviewed, and Patch was told the provision regarding a mayoral vacancy was not brought up for consideration.
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SECTION 3-10: VACANCY IN OFFICE OF MAYOR
(a) Special Election - If a vacancy in the office of mayor occurs during the first 2 years of the term for which the mayor is elected, whether by reason of death, resignation, removal from office, incapacity, or otherwise, the board of aldermen shall immediately, in the manner provided in section 7-1, order a special election to be held within 90 days following the date the vacancy is created, to fill the vacancy for the balance of the then unexpired term. If a regular city election is to be held within 120 days following the date the vacancy is created a special election need not be held and the position shall be filled by vote at such regular election.
(b) President of Aldermen To Serve As Mayor - If a vacancy in the office of mayor occurs in the third or fourth year of the term for which the mayor is elected, whether by reason of death, resignation, removal from office, or otherwise, the president of the board of aldermen shall become the mayor. Upon the qualification of the president of the board of aldermen as the mayor, under this section, a vacancy shall exist in that seat on the board of aldermen which shall be filled in the manner provided in section 2-11. A president serving as mayor under this subsection shall not be subject to the restrictions contained in the third sentence of section 3-1(a), nor shall that person be entitled to have the words "candidate for re-election" printed against their name on the election ballot.
(c) Powers, Term of Office - The mayor elected under Section 3-10(a) or (b) shall have all the powers of the mayor. A person elected under subsection (a), shall serve for the balance of the term unexpired at the time of election to the office. A person chosen under subsection (b), shall serve until the time of the next regular election at which time the person elected to fill the office for the ensuing term of office shall serve, in addition, for the balance of the then unexpired term.