Councilor Matewsky calls for change, several legal, political hurdles exist
By JOSH RESNEK
City councilors are presently elected at large by citywide vote despite having a special category of at-large councilors.
If this sounds confusing, it is.
A few years back, the city changed the electoral process to have ward councilors voted in by a citywide vote instead of a ward vote only.
This was part of the redoing of the City Charter.
Is this fair, is this just and politically right?
Councilor Wayne Matewsky believes a ward councilman should be elected by the ward voters only.
This issue was brought before the city council Monday night.
“I only want to do what is right,” said Matewsky. ‘I am trying to correct something that is wrong,” he added.
Any return to yesterday requires the affirmative vote of the council as well as a petition being presented to the House and Senate and passed by the legislature.
Change needs to happen,” said Councilor Anthony DiPierro.
‘We should take action and let’s act. I’m tired of talking about it. Let’s make the change, and soon.”
Councilor Napolitano said he had a problem with going back.
“The people of the city made this voting change. They passed it on a higher level. Making this change without the peoples’ direction I’m not comfortable with that.”
“The concern is that minorities are excluded from running by such a stacked deck,” said the City Clerk Sergio Cornelio.
Cornelio knew of what he spoke.
He detailed how the city may be subjected to a lawsuit sooner or later because of the situation as it exists today.
Councilor Fred Capone said the issue should be left to voters.
The council passed a motion to include the School Committee in this political change debate.