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The joint convention of New Bedford’s City Council and School Committee could not breach an impasse, failing to select a nominee to fill the vacant seat on the School Committee. The body will reconvene again on Jan. 21.
Of the nine candidates who submitted their applications, the vote came down to two nominees: Henry Bousquet, the Voc-Tech teacher and former city councilor, and Marcus Coward, the newcomer candidate who missed election to the School Committee in November by 129 votes.
The last time both of the city’s elected bodies sat together in one chamber, Mayor Jon Mitchell noted, was when Bruce Oliveira was appointed to the School Committee in 2012. Mitchell said it was perhaps the “wisest” decision that that body could have made.
Only one absence — Ward 5 Councilor Joe Lopes — made for an even number of members, which set the stage for the drama that unfolded later on.
The supporters of Bousquet — including councilors Ian Abreu, Ryan Pereira, Shawn Oliver, and (eventually) Mitchell — cited the need for someone with experience overseeing a municipal budget. Bousquet touted this experience as a former city councilor.
The camp behind Coward included most of the current School Committee members — except Chris Cotter and Mitchell (its ex officio chair) — who said Coward was the most prepared for the job after going through public vetting during the election process. Backers among the city councilors, including James Roy and Shane Burgo, who repeatedly mentioned the 3,183 votes Coward received in November.
At the outset of the evening, the prevailing attitude was an outpouring of gratitude. Mitchell and nearly all the convention members made a point to say that the applications received were excellent, and their overall diversity and strength bespoke the strength of public commitment in New Bedford.
Three candidates were not officially nominated by the committee, so did not advance to the voting round: Eldric Abreu, Erin Alvarado, and Jose Galarza Jr.. One candidate, Eric Paul Dorman, removed himself from consideration before the evening began.
Once the voting began, tension in the chamber slowly began to rise.
In the first round, Coward received seven votes, Bousquet received five, former councilor Brad Markey received two (he was Mitchell’s initial choice), and Lee Blake and Cheryl Viveiros each received one.
As the rounds progressed, the voting blocs coalesced around Bousquet and Coward. And for five rounds of voting, the two final nominees were deadlocked in an 8-8 tie.
When the clerk called out a tie, Mitchell would deadpan, “Run it again.” And on it went.
After the seventh round of voting, the body took a vote to adjourn, which passed by one vote.
At the evening’s end, Cheryl Viverios had been eliminated from contention. But two other contenders, Blake and Markey, remained eligible (owing to a technicality that no nominee would be eliminated if they tied for last place in a round of voting).
After the session, Blake said she intended to withdraw her nomination. Markey seemed to indicate the same, saying, “I don’t anticipate myself getting any more votes.”
The joint convention will reconvene in City Council chambers on Jan. 21, at 7 p.m.
Email Colin Hogan at chogan@newbedfordlight.org
So Coward won the first vote. Won 3100 votes and campaigned for months but Bousquet knows people and that’s what counts.. Oh New Bedford