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Mass. inspector general calls on Everett mayor to repay $180,000 in longevity bonuses
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We’re in for another ride on the temperature rollercoaster this week. But on the bright side, some signs of spring are beginning to emerge in Boston.
Now, to the news:
What’s going on in Everett? Massachusetts’ inspector general is calling on the Everett City Council to claw back $180,000 in bonuses given to Mayor Carlo DeMaria. Following an investigation, Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro said last week that DeMaria improperly used a longevity bonus ordinance to rake in $220,000, on top of his base salary, between 2016 and 2021. However, DeMaria is disputing that anything improper occurred. Here’s a breakdown:
- What did the investigation find? According to Shapiro, DeMaria asked the Council to establish a “mayoral longevity” bonus in 2016 after he learned other city employees were making more money than him. Based on interviews with councilors, Shapiro said eight of the 11 members thought the ordinance would give the mayor $10,000 after each four-year term. But when language in the original proposal mysteriously changed, what the council actually passed gave the mayor a $40,000 bonus annually, making DeMaria the state’s highest-paid mayor at the time. Shapiro also said DeMaria’s office moved the payments into a human resources budget line item, making them less transparent to the public. “Longevity payments are a tool to reward and retain highly sought after, skilled municipal employees,” Shapiro said. “Standing for election is a proactive affirmative decision by an individual and thus does not require a retention bonus.”
- What DeMaria’s saying: The mayor’s office contended he had no hand in proposing, drafting or concealing the longevity bonuses. “The City Council received information in multiple years concerning the Mayor’s longevity payment amounts, which was included in City budgets posted on the City’s website,” DeMaria’s office said in a statement. “It was not until the most recent mayoral election cycle in 2021 that the amounts were called into question,” the statement added. (Indeed, the issue was first raised by DeMaria’s 2021 challenger, then-city councilor Fred Capone.)
- Now what? The Everett City Council did ultimately go back and reduce DeMaria’s longevity bonuses to $1,700 a year in 2022. Still, Shapiro is urging the Council to recover the $180,000 from DeMaria and suggesting the mayor may have violated state ethics laws. A special council meeting is set for tomorrow to push DeMaria to return the money and call on him to resign, according to The Boston Globe. Meanwhile, DeMaria’s office says they’re exploring their options to address Shapiro’s “flawed and unsupported conclusions.”
South Coast Wind, one of the major offshore wind projects Massachusetts has coming through the pipeline, could be facing further delays. One of the project leaders said last week they’re no longer committing to start construction by the end of 2025 — and it might not get underway until 2029 — due to uncertainty about the industry during President Trump’s administration.
- Zoom out: Here’s a closer look at how Trump’s pause on offshore wind leasing and permitting could affect projects and climate goals nationwide.
About that gas bill: There’s some hope on the horizon for Massachusetts residents who heat their homes with gas. Major gas utility companies like National Grid, Eversource and Berkshire Gas agreed Friday to reduce the cost of customers’ monthly bills in March and April. However, this is only a slight reprieve.
- Why is that? The “savings” customers see in March and April will be collected over the next six months, when temperatures are warmer and the demand for gas is lower.
- What took the hit? Mass Save. When the Department of Public Utilities approved the utilities’ plan, it also cut $500 million from the state energy efficiency program. (Part of your monthly bill covers the companies’ cost to run it.)
Welcome to Boston: Gov. Maura Healey says she would meet with Tom Homan, the Trump administration’s “border czar,” if he decided to come to Boston. Homan told Fox News on Friday he’d be on his way to Boston “soon.” He previously promised to “bring hell” over the state’s immigration policies.
- In a ranging conversation with the New York Times published over the weekend, Healey said even though she thinks Homan’s comments are unproductive, she’d take the time to “explain a few things to him as somebody who investigated and prosecuted crimes, including with federal authorities, for a number of years here. Maybe he doesn’t have the benefit of that knowledge.”
P.S. — Here’s a little Monday motivation. By this time next week, the sun will begin to set after 6 p.m. each day, thanks to daylight saving time. (Mark these dates on your calendar.)
