Thursday, 4:30 PM
Boston Councilor Ross fined for abusing parking ticket privilege
(Jonathan Wiggs/ Globe Staff file photo)
Boston City Councilor Michael Ross was fined $2,000 today by the State Ethics Commission for using his office to get out of nearly three dozen parking tickets.
By Donovan Slack, Globe Staff
Boston City Councilor Michael Ross illegally used his power as a city councilor to have nearly three dozen parking tickets dismissed, the State Ethics Commission has found.
Ross repeatedly broke state law forbidding municipal employees from using their positions for personal gain and will be fined $2,000 for the offenses, according to a settlement agreement signed by Ross and the commission and released to the public today.
He received the citations, which carried about $1,000 in fines, between January 2002 and February 2006 for violations including failure to pay parking meter fees and parking in resident-only spaces without a resident parking permit. The city allows councilors to dismiss parking tickets they receive when they are on official business. Ross had 105 tickets dismissed, but the commission found that he was not working when he received 35 of them.
"Elected officials are in office to serve the public, not themselves," Ethics Commission Executive Director Peter Sturges said in a statement today. "The privileges that they receive because of their duties and responsibilities may not be used for personal benefit."
Ross could not immediately be reached for comment but released a statement saying he takes "full responsibility" for his actions.
"There was no intent on my part to do anything wrong, but rather an element of carelessness that I, alone, take full responsibility for," he said in the statement. "This was a regrettable error and I recognize that I have a responsibility to ensure that my own actions are held to a higher standard. I have since settled this matter and have learned from the process."
City officials said this morning that Ross has since reimbursed the city $1,000 for the parking fines.
Donovan Slack can be reached at dslack@globe.com.
