Boston Mayor Michelle Wu mentioned City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson did not recite the oath of workplace at Monday’s inaugural ceremony, and was not legally allowed to begin her duties for this time period till she correctly took the oath on Thursday.
Wu additionally acknowledged that the votes taken by Fernandes Anderson at Monday’s City Council assembly didn’t depend, that means that the unanimous vote to elect Ruthzee Louijeune because the physique’s new president shall be modified from 13-0 to 12-0.
“The city charter is clear that anyone elected to serve at the city level — the mayor, the city council — must take an oath verbally and sign the oath book in order to begin their service to the city and their official actions in that office,” Wu informed reporters Friday afternoon.
“I’m informed that the councilor took that oath verbally yesterday afternoon with the clerk, and so that issue is resolved now,” the mayor mentioned, including that she was “eager to get to work with the full City Council.”
As the Herald first reported, Fernandes Anderson was informed to retake the oath of workplace after a video exhibiting her not saying the phrases or elevating her proper hand throughout Monday’s inaugural ceremony went viral on social media — by means of the Boston Accountability Network and Libs of TikTok.
According to a City Hall supply, Fernandes Anderson was instructed by City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and the town’s legislation division to retake the oath, each verbally and in writing.
City Clerk Alex Geourntas mentioned Fernandes Anderson signed the town’s oath ebook, together with the 12 different metropolis councilors sworn in by Mayor Wu on Monday, and couldn’t attest as to if she spoke the phrases throughout the inaugural ceremony.
Based on feedback made by Wu on Friday, the town has apparently deemed that Fernandes Anderson didn’t recite the oath verbally on the inaugural ceremony, as required by the town constitution, and thus, didn’t formally take her oath of workplace till late Thursday afternoon at City Hall.
This creates a roughly four-day hole between the time Fernandes Anderson’s time period ended final 12 months, and began this 12 months, successfully leaving District 7 with out a metropolis councilor for greater than half of this present week.
Fernandes Anderson participated in your complete City Council assembly on Monday, taking votes on not solely the town council president, however various different issues, together with appointing workers for the 4 new metropolis councilors, a brand new faculty committee member and former City Councilor Kenzie Bok to the Commemoration Commission.
Based on Wu’s remarks, the person votes taken by Fernandes Anderson are invalidated, however the votes taken by the physique as a complete stand, and no different motion shall be taken. There had been questions on whether or not your complete assembly, which occurred instantly after the inaugural ceremony, must be redone.
“It’s indisputable that 12 city councilors took the oath on Monday, and then immediately held their meeting and unanimously voted for their city council president,” the mayor mentioned. “That was the substance of that meeting, and that vote stands.”
Per the town constitution, metropolis councilors are required, “before entering upon the duties of his office,” to “take, and subscribe in a book to be kept by the city clerk for the purpose, the oath of allegiance and oath of office prescribed in the constitution of this commonwealth and an oath to support the constitution of the United States.”
The Herald arrived at City Hall at 9 a.m. Thursday, the place the town clerk, Geourntas, was readily available to swear Fernandes Anderson in for a second time. The District 7 councilor informed the clerk at roughly 3:15 p.m., nevertheless, that she was not coming into the workplace, and would let him know if she can be there on Friday.
Geourntas informed the Herald in a Friday morning electronic mail that Fernandes Anderson had referred to as him again “about an hour or so later and decided to come in to be sworn in.”
“The councilor signed the elected officials oath book and I administered the oath of office, which she repeated after me,” Geourntas mentioned. “The assistant city clerk was present as well, serving as a witness to the administration of the oath.”
Fernandes Anderson spoke with the Herald on Wednesday evening, on the situation that the dialog be saved solely off the report.
She launched a press release and appeared on a radio present Thursday evening, nevertheless, to say that whereas she thought-about the oath she took Monday to be enough — the place she was “internalizing my oath” and “committing a prayer between myself and God” — she did make it to City Hall ultimately on Thursday to retake the oath.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”