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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) - With the city holding its preliminary election Tuesday, whoever becomes the next mayor of Boston won't have to wait until January to take over.
It has to do with the city charter, which calls for an early swearing-in ceremony if there's a vacancy at City Hall. Kim Janey has served as Acting Mayor since Marty Walsh left office, and that's technically the case now. Inauguration day will happen sometime in mid-November, following the general election.
City Councilor Matt O'Malley says it's an unambiguous rule.
"The way the City Charter is written it's very, very clear," O'Malley Explained. "After the election in November, upon certification of the winner, the new Mayor would be sworn in."
And the charter may have caused even more haste, in a different set of circumstances.
"There would typically be a special election unless the next regularly scheduled municipal election is - I think - five or six months away from the resignation," said Councilor O'Malley. "That whole point ended up being moot as Secretary Walsh didn't resign the mayorship until March [22nd], which would have put him in that window."
A city council petition to prevent a potential special election went all the way to Governor Baker.
Councillor O'Malley, who represents district 4, announced in December 2020 that he would not be seeking re-election. Also not running for re-election on the city council are mayoral candidates Andrea Campbell, Annissa Essaibi George, Michelle Wu, and acting Mayor Kim Janey. Boston is voting for a new city council as well as a new mayor on Tuesday and November 2nd, and it's posing to be a serious shake-up.
But while the current councilors will get to stay in office until January, the Mayor's office could have a new occupant within two months.
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