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Fall River council confirms Kelly Furtado as police chief under one‑year contract amid ordinance, home‑rule debate
Summary
The council confirmed Kelly Furtado as Fall River police chief and approved a one‑year contract after debate over a pending home‑rule petition and a city ordinance that conflicted with state law. Councilors questioned timing, process and temporary pay arrangements for the interim chief.
The Fall River City Council confirmed Kelly Furtado as chief of police and approved a one‑year employment contract after extended debate about process, timing and an ongoing home‑rule petition to change how future chiefs are appointed.
Councilors raised procedural and policy concerns. Several members said they want a formal, transparent screening process for the next permanent chief and noted the home‑rule petition filed to allow a different appointment mechanism could take six months to a year before the Legislature acts. That timeline, councilors said, created the immediate need to identify who will lead the department while the petition is pending.
Legal counsel and others told the council that the city ordinance that previously prescribed a multiyear minimum term conflicted with Massachusetts law; city staff said the ordinance must be amended so contracts align with the state requirement that municipal department head contracts are subject to annual appropriation. The council adopted an amended ordinance and approved the chief’s one‑year contract. A roll call vote confirmed Furtado on the appointment and then approved the one‑year contract.
Council members also questioned how the interim chief had been paid prior to approval of an employment contract. Nick MacLean, director of human resources, told the council the interim chief’s pay had been set at $190,000 at the time of the interim appointment; Deputy Chief JT Hoare said the appointed chief had about 43 hours of time that could be eligible for buyout, a relatively small comp‑time liability compared with several prior chief buyouts discussed by councilors.
Why this matters: Councilors said they favor a formalized screening committee and civil‑service or home‑rule procedures for selecting future chiefs, but the council concluded the city needs a confirmed leader now. The one‑year contract and the home‑rule petition proceed in parallel; councilors asked city counsel and staff to finish ordinance changes and to work with the mayor’s office and state delegation on the petition.
