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Council refers longevity‑payments inquiry to internal affairs; request for 50‑year records and a copy of mayor’s reimbursement check approved
Summary
The council referred a motion to the Committee on Internal Affairs on July 17 to investigate longevity payments received by elected officials, and separately approved a request for a copy of a $900 reimbursement check from Mayor Mitchell.
The New Bedford City Council on July 17 voted to send a motion to the Committee on Internal Affairs seeking a review of longevity payments that have been issued historically to elected officials and other municipal employees.
Councilor Brian Gomes introduced a motion requesting that the committee meet with the City Solicitor, Treasurer‑Collector, Chief Financial Officer and Personnel Director to discuss how longevity payments were implemented, and that the Treasurer‑Collector provide records for the last 50 years of longevity payments for elected officials. The motion also requested that local talk‑show host Chris McCarthy be invited to discuss allegations he has raised about the issue. After wide‑ranging remarks from multiple councilors — including strong defenses of long‑time councilors who received Longevity payments and criticism of how the administration disclosed the issue — the council approved referral to the Committee on Internal Affairs by roll call (passes 10–0 on roll call recorded during the meeting).
Separately, Councilor Morad moved and the council approved a related motion asking the administration (CFO/treasurer/personnel) to provide a copy (front and back) of a reimbursement check from Mayor Mitchell for $900 of longevity reimbursement to the city; that motion passed on voice vote. Councilors said they want documentary clarity while the committee examines the issue further.
Why it matters: Councilors characterized this as an administrative and historical accounting matter. The referral instructs the committee to review records and to hear testimony from city officials; the request for records and the reimbursement check are intended to establish paper trails and clarify historical practices.
What happens next: The Committee on Internal Affairs will schedule a meeting with the named officials and will review longevity payment records produced by the Treasurer‑Collector and other relevant documents.
