The mayor has gone on a vacation apparently to Italy.
Our understanding of the mayor’s vacation is that he is taking 18 days for himself.
Calls to his media manager Tom Philbin have not been returned.
Neither have e-mails.
The mayor’s vacation, if he has taken it, is a secret not to be talked about.
By every stretch of a worker’s imagination, 18 days is long vacation when you are the Mayor of Everett or anyone for that matter..
We don’t begrudge the mayor or anyone a vacation, and a nice one at that.
What we do wonder about is who is in charge while the mayor is absent?
Is it the president of the city council?
Under Section3-7 (a) of the City Charter: Temporary absence of the mayor, it is written that whenever by sickness or absence from the city, the mayor shall be unable to perform the duties of the office, the president of the city council shall be the acting mayor.
If Council President Peter Napolitano feels he is unable or unwilling to serve as the acting mayor, the city council shall elect 1 of its members to serve as acting mayor.
Under Section 3-7(b) which details the powers of the Acting Mayor- the acting mayor has only those powers of mayor to conduct the business of the city in an orderly and efficient way.
He or she will not have the authority to make a permanent appointment or to remove any individual from city service unless the mayor’s absence exceed 60 days. The councillor serving as mayor in mayor’s absence cannot vote on the city council.
Unless we are very, very wrong, Councilor Peter Napolitano is now acting Mayor Peter Napolitano.