Claims city favors more expensive contractor
Leader Herald Staff Report
Mayor Carlo DeMari chased and chested bumped local contractor Peter Tufts following the contractor’s testimony to the council Monday night.
Tufts left the chamber after speaking briefly before the council.
He was speaking with the mayor’s chief of staff Erin Deveney at the top of the stairs on the third floor when the mayor accosted him.
“The mayor stormed up the stairs with his blue suit on. He’s pointing his finger at me.
“You f***ed me good. You f***ed me good,” the mayor repeated.
“He pointed his finger at me.”
“You know what you said,” the mayor complained bitterly.
Tufts said the mayor became more belligerent and out of control.
“Now he’s chest bumping me and then he says, ‘”“You’re another piece of s**t like Greg Antonelli.”’
The mayor apparently told Tufts he had to return to the city council chamber to do a swearing in of a police officer.
When the mayor came back out, he was spitting fire at Tufts.
“You’re a real f***ing charmer. You shouldn’t of did what you did.”
At this point, Tufts told the Leader Herald he wanted to leave.
“Have a good night,” I said to the mayor. “I don’t need this s**t from you.”
“Now the mayor followed down the hallway, chest bumping me. I’m trying to leave. He’s following me down the hall. He’s chest bumping me in front of the police chief. Finally, I got away from him. I walked out the door.
Earlier, Tufts wondered why he had not received his contract from the city even after winning an Attorney General’s decision on an appeal?
Why indeed?
Because there is one favored contractor servicing Everett City Hall’s needs for about 14 years.
He is a dear friend and close associate of the mayor.
He receives millions of dollars of contracts from year to year.
It is believed his contracts might have exceeded $5 million in 2020.
This vendor receives much of the city’s street work, all of its snow removal and much of its snow plowing.
With such a situation existing, it was no wonder that Peter Tufts, a local contractor who has applied for street work in Everett, was sorry to report that he can’t get to first base.
“I offered to do a job for $235,000 less than GTA, the other contractor. I lost and he won,” he told the city council Monday night.
“It seems to me the effort was to give the favored contractor the job. That tells you something is not right,” he added.
Tufts said he won an Attorney Generals bid protest months ago and still has not received his contract from the city’s purchasing agent.
“I have also requested public information that has not been provided to me regarding bids made by the other company, and the qualifications of the other company,” he added.
He handed out information pertaining to his complaint to the councilors who were present.
He asked them to look it over at their leisure.