LAWRENCE — Mayor William Lantigua, joined by more than 200 supporters, staged a rousing pre-meeting rally outside of City Hall last night calling on city councilors to back his appointments for three key administrative positions.
With the mayor leading the charge and chants, they packed the council chambers beyond the fire code limits, as some sign carriers stood against the wall or sat on the floor because there weren't enough seats in a room with a capacity for about 100 people.
It took about three and a half hours for the chamber crowd to clear out.
But the mayor and the large crowd got everything they wanted by overwhelming confirmation:
Police Deputy Chief Melix Bonilla. Councilors gave him an 8-1 endorsement, with only Councilor Marc Laplante opposing.
Economic Development Director Patrick Blanchette. The vote was 7-1, with Laplante the lone dissenter. Council Grisel Silva abstained.
Personnel Director Frank Bonet. He received a 7-2 backing. Councilors Laplante and Eileen Bernal opposed.
The mayor and the crowd spent more time lobbying for his appointments than councilors spent interviewing them or debating their merits. At the outset of the meeting, 19 people spent about 42 minutes during public participation speaking in favor of the mayoral appointments. The mayor spent more than a half hour at the podium when Bonet's nomination was considered.
"I've gone out of my way to reach out to all of you," the mayor said in a talk that at times was critical of some councilors' reaction to the appointments, particularly Laplante's, who had characterized the appointment process as "a joke."
The mayor branded the criticism as "horse manure" and "stupid" repeatedly.
Each of the three candidates had favorable recommendations of the Personnel Committee, which usually leads to easy confirmation. The Personnel Committee held a special meeting before the council, to refer the appointments of Bonet and Bonilla.
The committee's action on Bonet had been postponed earlier because of his candidacy in the 17th Essex House race. Bonet withdrew from the race over the weekend, clearing the way for last night's vote.
The night's main obstacle for Lantigua was a proposal introduced by Laplante to eliminate the deputy police chief's position — a measure backed by Police Chief John Romero last week. But it also drew heavy criticism and outrage from Lantigua.
Councilors voted 6-3 to withdraw Laplante's proposal from discussion, essentially killing it. Siding with Laplante were Councilors Roger Twomey and Bernal.
It was clear from the residents who spoke during public participation and from the signs in the crowd, that confirmation of Bonilla was the main mission,
"He's done more in the last five months as deputy chief than the last two guys put together," said former Lawrence police officer Harry Maldonado.
A clergy member spoke of Bonilla's love of the city and his concern for people.
A representative of the city's taxi industry called him "a people's person."
Several council members who spoke during the 35-minute debate over Bonilla's nomination cited Bonilla's fluency in Spanish and his credibility in the city's Latino community.
Lantigua rose from his seat beside Bonilla in the front row of the council chambers to make a passionate but sometimes rambling defense of the nomination, much of it delivered with a wagging finger. He said he favored Bonilla because he speaks Spanish, which he said the runner-up for the job - who was not named last night - did not. He praised Bonilla's sensitivity and sense of fairness and reiterated a promise he has made before.
The appointment of Bonilla, a 22-year veteran, has been controversial since Lantigua made it in January.
Lantigua promoted Bonilla from sergeant to acting deputy chief after Lantigua's inauguration. Michael Driscoll, who was named deputy in 2007 by Mayor Michael Sullivan, on Romero's recommendation, was demoted to captain.
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