Councilor-at-Large Leo Robinson, the body’s longest serving current member, was elected Council President at Tuesday night’s organizational council meeting.
Robinson prevailed by a 6-5 vote over acting President Calvin Brown.
Councilors Damali Vidot, Enio Lopez, Todd Taylor, Giovanni Recupero, and Brian Hatleberg sided with Robinson, while Councilors Judith Garcia, Melinda Vega Maldonado, Tanairi Garcia, and Norieliz DeJesus cast their votes alongside Brown.
In brief remarks Tuesday night, Robinson thanked outgoing acting president Brown for his leadership, and noted that as the council moves forward, there will be votes the council will have to take in the best interest of the city and its residents.
“I would like to quote the Isley Brothers: We have work to do,” said Robinson. “This council has plenty on our agenda for the next couple of months, such as the budget, capital improvement plan, and more importantly, appointing an acting city manager and start the process and search for a new city manager. I will guide and show leadership when we deal with the above issues to the best of my ability.”
Robinson said the wellbeing of a community is the sum of its physical, economic, and social matters.
“It is easy to see a community as a place – homes, schools, streets, parks, shops,” he said. “These make up the infrastructure of a community, the soundness and attractiveness is essential for a great community. A good community also includes economic development, jobs, businesses, education, and sources of capital investments.”
Without economic life and opportunity, Robinson said a community cannot meet its material needs and a good quality of life cannot be enjoyed.
Robinson closed with a quote from W.E.B. DuBois stating that “We should never forget to urge corresponding duties upon our people: the duty to vote; the duty to respect the right of others; the duty to work; the duty to obey the laws; the duty to be clean and orderly’ the duty to send our children to school; and the duty to respect ourselves even as we respect others.”
District 6 Councilor Giovanni Recupero was elected as the council’s vice president for 2023, and District 6 Councilor Tanairi Garcia was elected as the council’s representative to the School Committee.