REVERE
ADVOCATE Vol. 27, No. 26
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Council passes FY’18 city budget By Sara Brown
T
he Revere City Council passed the mayor’s FY2018 city budget at the June 26 City Council meeting. Councillors voted in favor of passing a budget of $184,437,347, which includes the school department. The overall non-school spending increases were held under 3 percent. The council made no recommendation or cuts to the budget, saying it was one of the leanest budgets they have seen recent years. “This is one of the leanest I’ve seen in recent years,” Ward Five Councillor John Powers, who is chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee, said. “There were no recommendations
made, which tends to show how lean the budget is.” The council subcommittee held four separate meetings to discuss departmental budgets. Ward Three Councillor Arthur Guinasso said that because of these meetings, they should just vote for the budget and forgo any debate since they had ample time to do so in subcommittee. “Everyone had their opportunity to discuss it and make recommendations if they wanted to,” he said. The budget proposed does not tap into rainy day funds. Additionally, the city added $1 million in free cash to its reserves. The budget not only fully funds a position at the new 311 call system center,
which will officially launch this fall, but also a human resources department as the city looks to hire a fulltime HR director. “This year’s budget continues the progress made last year toward putting Revere on sound fiscal footing and making strategic investments in the future of our city,” said Mayor Brian Arrigo in a statement following the release of the budget. “The budget serves as a blueprint for the work we will do over the next year to professionalize our government, strengthen city services, and deliver value for the taxpayers of Revere.” The only councillor who did not vote in favor of the budget was Councillor-at-Large George Rotondo.
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Friday, June 30, 2017
Immaculate Conception Church gives away a new Ford to help school and students
City Council debate resumes over mayor’s police chief pick
By Sara Brown
T
he City Council erupted Monday night over Mayor Brian Arrigo looking for a new police chief. During the June 26 City Council meeting, Councillor-atLarge George Rotondo presented a motion requesting that the mayor provide a full copy of the chief of police assessment that took place and that the council receive a list of all the questions
for a Contact usation g li b No O
asked. Rotondo also wanted the mayor to discuss the reorganization of the department. Chief Joseph Cafarelli’s contract ends at the end of June, and Arrigo has decided not to renew it – opting for his own pick. Arrigo recently announced Captain James Guido as the interim Police Chief of Revere beginning on July 1. Weeks ago, four candidates in the department
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were put through an Assessment Center conducted by Arlington Police Chief Fred Ryan to see how they would per form in different situations. According to Ryan, the candidates failed to meet “Above Average” grade, prompting him to report that the mayor should seek qualified candidates outside the department. Arrigo said many departments, including the Police Department, have internal investigations going on, but he cannot talk about them at the City Council meeting. “I am in charge of having a department run effectively and efficiently,” said Arrigo. “I am making sure that happens.” H o w e v e r, o t h e r s d i s agreed. Former Mayor Dan Rizzo, who appointed Cafarelli, said Arrigo is playing politics with the Police Department. Arrigo said he wanted a police chief that had more community policing experience, but Rizzo thinks Cafarelli has that skill. He said Cafarelli was recently invited to Dallas to speak on community policing. “That means to me he must know something about community policing,” said Rizzo. “He did his job
DEBATE | SEE PAGE 7
BEST VOICEMAIL EVER: “Hello, this is Father Daniel of Immaculate Conception Church, YOU HAVE WON A NEW 2017 FORD – please call me back!”. (Advocate photos by Al Terminiello, Jr.)
A
brand-new 2017 Ford Focus from Sentry Auto Group was raffled off at the Immaculate Conception Church recently following the 10:30 a.m. Mass. In an effort to help defray school costs at the parish, the church raffled off a new car for $20 a ticket. The winner was picked from the altar, directly after Mass. Rudy Perez, who was not present, was called by Father Jorge Daniel Lazo and left a voicemail. The check from the raffle will be handed to the principal of the school following next Sunday’s 10:30 a.m. Mass.
CHURCH | SEE PAGE 5
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