For civic leaders, talk of incivility

In a sign of a growing rift on the Amesbury Municipal Council, two members are calling for the body's top three leaders to resign their posts, accusing them of poor stewardship.

"In so many ways, they are out of synch with what Amesbury wants out of its government," Councilor at Large Roger Benson said last week, referring to council president Christopher G. Lawrence, vice president Michelle M. Thone, and Finance Committee chairman Hank Brennick.

Benson, who first called for the leadership change earlier this month, said the three have repeatedly shown a tendency to "take the low road, to engage in uncivil discussion and uncivil practices."

Benson was joined last week by District 3 Councilor Ann Connolly King in calling for the resignation s .

"I believe the council is descending into a state of anarchy," King said.

But Lawrence, Thone, and Brennick say they have no intention of relinquishing their posts.

"We are doing what we were elected to do, and that is to represent the taxpayers," said Lawrence, a three-term councilor at large. He dismissed the call for the resignations as "nothing more than another immature stunt by Councilor Benson," and said Benson has "constantly gone after me since I was elected president."

Lawrence and Thone, a first-term councilor from District 1, were elected to their leadership posts by the full council in January, when the current council term began, and Lawrence named Brennick, a freshman councilor from District 5, to the finance post.

On council votes, Benson and King have often lined up against Lawrence, Thone, Brennick, and three other councilors, Donna M. McClure, Mario J. Piniero, and Alice M. Lindstrom. The remaining councilor, Robert W. Lavoie, sometimes has sided with Benson and King, and sometimes with the other six.

After Benson's original call for the resignations, there were rumors of a recall effort being mounted against the three council leaders. But Benson and King said they are not aware of any such move by voters. They said their aim is solely to see a change in leadership.

As an example of poor leadership, Benson cited a recent episode involving a request by Mayor Thatcher W. Kezer for $80,000 to make emergency repairs to the Police Department's offices. Benson said that after the council voted, 7 to 2, to hold a special meeting on the request, Lawrence denied any such meeting had been scheduled.

"That, to me, was sort of a turning point in a long list of uncivil actions by this group," Benson said.

But Lawrence said the motion, which was made by Benson, to take up the mayor's request did not specifically mention a special meeting. At a later session, after some more back and forth, the council approved $60,000 for the police station repairs.

King said that Lawrence recently broke a council rule by writing a letter to the state as council president, stating that the city had an interest in purchasing land in Amesbury that the state wants to sell. Under the rules, she said, the matter should have been discussed first by the full council.

"The majority of the council acknowledged the violation, yet then took a vote of confidence in Councilor Lawrence's decision," she said.

Lawrence said the letter was a response to a query from the state and that there was not enough time to bring the matter up for council discussion because of a state deadline. He said that he conferred with the city planner before sending the letter, and that a majority of the council ultimately concurred with his decision.

He also denied King's assertion that a majority believed he had violated the rules. He said only King and Benson held that position.

The council leaders say the body has accomplished much during their tenures.

"We have done a good job. We have tried to control spending in town," said Brennick, who said he believes the council majority is "in synch with the voters."

Thone noted a long list of council initiatives this year that she said have benefited taxpayers, including the adoption of ordinances providing for "zero-based budgeting," requiring a financial analysis be provided with every financial measure, and mandating that the city's chief financial officer become certified in municipal procurement practices.

Lawrence said Benson, a former Finance Committee chairman, was disappointed that he was not elected president or appointed chairman or a member of the Finance Committee this term.

Replied Benson, "I'm not looking for any leadership position on this council." He said he was calling for the resignations because "I can't sit idly by and let the council be damaged."

Kezer said last week that the resignation request "is an opinion of two councilors, and the voters of Amesbury can decide for themselves whether they agree with that or not."

But Kezer had his own criticism of the council, saying that it violated the city charter last week when it rejected his proposal to amend a council-approved eminent domain ordinance. He said the charter precludes the body from voting on a proposal during the same meeting it receives it, unless it declares an emergency. Lawrence replied that the council had abided by the charter, since it voted to postpone the measure, not to approve or defeat it.

Benson contended that the council leaders are working closely with former councilor Thomas Iacobucci, who lost to Kezer last year. "This group is pushing through his agenda, and it's not right," Benson said.

Thone called the statement "ridiculous," saying Iacobucci "knows the town better than most people. If I have a question I think he can answer, I do ask him. But I also ask other people in this community."

Iacobucci said the three council leaders seek his advice, but many others -- including Benson and King -- do so as well, something he said is not surprising, given his longtime experience in city government. He also is a citizen member of the Ordinance Committee.

"The truth of the matter," he said, "is I ran for mayor, I lost, and I moved on."