Photo: City of Everett
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Mayor Carlo DeMaria received a unanimous 9-0 vote of “no confidence” from the Everett City Council on Monday after claiming he would not return $180,000 in what he considers “bonus pay.”
The additional funds were issued over a five-year period under the “mayoral longevity ordinance.”
Although the vote has no legal ramifications, it was a sign from the city council that they doubt his innocence following the release of the Massachusetts Inspector General’s report.
Last month, Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro’s report revealed that DeMaria worked with the city council to reward his 17 years of service with additional payments. The report also showed he received more money than was due and concealed the overpayments within the city budget to hide them from the council.
Mayor DeMaria did approve the $150,000 payment for the audit recommended by the inspector general to investigate all the payments made to the mayor since 2016.
The mayor’s lawyer sent a letter to the city council stating that he would consider returning the money if he received “due process” and a chance to challenge the findings.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jim MacKay (@JimMacKayOnAir) reports.