Boston city councilors on Wednesday approved a petition that would skip the otherwise required special election if Mayor Marty Walsh resigns before March 5.
Councilor Ricardo Arroyo filed the petition after President Joe Biden nominated Walsh as labor secretary. Arroyo said yesterday that given the COVID-19 crisis, it would be irresponsible for the city to potentially hold four elections — a special, the regularly scheduled November contest, and preliminary elections preceding each — in a five-month span.
Holding multiple mayoral elections during a pandemic and in such a short time period “is a serious threat to the health of our residents, our city workers and our communities, and will contribute to the disenfranchisement of people of color, disabled and low-income communities, and would be wasteful and costly as an expenditure for the city at a time when our revenues are down and so many of our critical services are in need of increased funding.”
A day before Walsh’s scheduled confirmation hearing before a U.S. Senate committee, the petition passed with 12 votes in favor and a present vote from Councilor Annissa Essaibi George, one of three City Council members currently running for mayor. The other two candidates, Councilors Michelle Wu and Andrea Campbell, voted yes.
The change needs approval from the mayor, state Legislature and Gov. Charlie Baker to take effect. Baker has suggested that he would sign the petition if it reaches his desk.
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