City Council picks Ross to lead in 'time of challenge'

Back Bay member is first Jewish president

Newly elected president of the Boston City Council, Michael Ross prepared to speak as staff director Ann Braga placed his name on the podium. (Globe Staff Photo / David L. Ryan)

Michael Ross became the first Jewish president of the Boston City Council yesterday as his father, a Holocaust survivor, looked on from packed council chambers with tears in his eyes.

"It is a proud day," said Stephan Ross, who was liberated from Dachau concentration camp by US troops in 1945. "It is unbelievable."

Ross is taking the council helm during a tumultuous time, with one member, Councilor Chuck Turner, under indictment on federal corruption charges, two members mounting potential campaigns for mayor and the city facing tough economic times that could force the layoffs of hundreds of police officers, firefighters, and teachers.

"I accept this responsibility at a great time of challenge," said Ross, 37, whose district includes Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and Mission Hill. "The crisis is hitting home, and it's hitting us hard."

During his speech, Ross outlined a number of initiatives he plans to introduce immediately, including convening a special committee to examine the impact of the economic recession on the city and its residents. Ross said he also wants to make the council and its proceedings more transparent and will introduce measures requiring that council documents be filed electronically and posted online. He also plans to hold some of the council's meetings at night in neighborhood venues, instead of during the day at City Hall.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino, after congratulating Ross, also noted that he is taking up the council presidency during "very difficult times," with the state already poised to cut funding to the city by tens of millions of dollars. One of the council's primary duties each year is to study, debate, and vote on the mayor's proposed budget.

"It's important that we continue, as we have, the debate to talk about the impact on the people in our neighborhoods," Menino said.

Ross's ascendance to the presidency comes after an eight-year tenure on the council during which Ross spearheaded pushes to improve Boston Common, increase physical education in Boston Public Schools, and create dog parks in city neighborhoods, among other initiatives. Ross, who was the youngest member of the council when he first was sworn in in 2000, was one of the most vocal opponents of a plan to move Fenway Park.

His tenure has not been free of missteps. In 2007, he was fined $2,000 after a state ethics probe found he had improperly used his position to have 35 parking tickets dismissed. In 2004, after Ross and other elected officials scored at face value coveted Red Sox tickets that were fetching upward of $2,000 each online, the state Ethics Commission cracked down and issued a ruling prohibiting the practice in the future.

After the parking ticket investigation, Ross said he would no longer have tickets dismissed.

"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," Ross wrote in the statement.

"I have since corrected and settled this matter and have learned from this process."

He said yesterday that he also no longer accepts tickets to sporting events from the Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, or New England Patriots.

Ross faces political challenges in the coming weeks, as he will take the lead on potential actions against Turner, who is facing federal charges of accepting a $1,000 bribe and lying to investigators. The council last month appointed a retired judge to review the case against Turner and recommend council action, which could include censure or removal.

Ross said yesterday that he supported the independent investigation and would wait for the recommendations.

"We have plenty of time to deal with that issue," he said in an interview after his election.

Turner presided over the council election yesterday but did not address the charges pending against him. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Donovan Slack can be reached at dslack@globe.com