Flaherty sees ‘culture of corruption’ at City Hall

Flaherty blasted what he called “a culture of dishonesty and corruption,’’ in the Menino administration, while a top city official called the attack “insulting’’ and “a reflection of a desperate campaign.’’

The dispute over the Menino administration’s handling of a neighborhood controversy about an apartment complex was a sign of growing tension as the two candidates entered the last stretch of the campaign. Next Tuesday, Boston voters will decide whether to reelect Menino to an unprecedented fifth term, or replace him with Flaherty, a nine-year veteran of the City Council.

Flaherty and Menino will meet tonight at 6:30 at Faneuil Hall for their final debate. The 90-minute forum - which is sponsored by MassVote and moderated by Charles J. Ogletree, a Harvard Law School professor - will not be televised, but will be broadcast live on WTKK-FM (96.9).

Both candidates continued to court voters yesterday. Flaherty made stops in Brighton and Dorchester to greet senior citizens. Menino went to O’Bryant School of Math and Science in Roxbury to announce a $2.4 million grant to expand Advanced Placement classes in the public schools and then downtown to celebrate the opening of a city office that helps businesses buy utilities.

The Allston dispute was triggered by the publication on a local blog of a series of e-mail from an official at the Boston Redevelopment Authority about plans to relocate Charlesview Apartments, an affordable housing complex, from North Harvard Street to the Brighton Mills Shopping Center, a Harvard-owned former strip mall on Western Avenue.

In one e-mail, the official, Jay Rourke, belittled neighbors who are seeking a less-dense project than the one sought by the developer, saying, “Let them play their games.’’ In another, he said, “When referring to the ‘community,’ I’m speaking of a few individuals who are forcing their ideas and beliefs on the masses.’’ In a third e-mail, he commented on neighborhood activists, saying, “Why do we continue to meet with these . . . people?’’

Flaherty, who was joined by his campaign partner, Councilor at Large Sam Yoon, and a dozen neighborhood activists holding his campaign signs, cited the e-mails as he reiterated his call to eliminate the BRA and replace it with separate planning and development agencies.

“We work for you, and Mayor Menino works for you, and the BRA works for you, but you’d never know that from reading the e-mails,’’ Flaherty said, standing outside the Brighton Mills Shopping Center. “It really underscores the culture at City Hall, a culture of dishonesty and corruption that must stop.’’

Nick Martin, a spokesman for the Menino campaign, declined to comment, and referred questions to the BRA. The director of the BRA, John F. Palmieri, criticized Flaherty’s comments about a “culture of corruption’’ at City Hall, saying they were “terribly unfair’’ and “one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard.’’

“It’s more a reflection of a desperate campaign than the way we try to conduct business at the Redevelopment Authority,’’ said Palmieri. “I found it insulting.’’

Rourke has previously apologized for his comments, saying they were internal e-mails that “should not reflect on the agency.’’ Palmieri added that a letter of reprimand has been placed in Rourke’s personnel file.

“Jay’s lapse doesn’t reflect the authority’s point of view in how we deal with the neighborhood,’’ Palmieri said. “On the contrary, we make every effort to maintain our balance and integrity with how we deal with these neighborhood issues.’’

Susan Elsbree, a BRA spokeswoman, said the authority had made concessions to neighbors, by agreeing to reduce the number of units at Charlesview from 400 to 340, and allowing 24 units to be purchased, rather than have all be rental units.

At his press conference, Flaherty was sharply questioned by Paul Alford, an Allston resident who asked how many of the more than 200 community meetings with the BRA Flaherty and Yoon had attended over the last four years. “I’ve seen you at one meeting when the press was there; that was it,’’ Alford said.

Flaherty said it did not matter how many community meetings one attends.

“A lot of the community meetings you reference - I’ve got to be honest with you - they’re dog-and-pony-shows,’’ Flaherty said. “The cake is baked. The decisions have been made. So you can go to a hundred community meetings and you’ll be banging your head up against a wall, because that’s the way development works in the Menino administration.’’

Some of the activists surrounding Flaherty cheered, shouting “it’s corrupt!’’ and “the cake is baked!’’

The Rev. Samuel Johnson, chairman of the board of Charlesview Inc., issued a statement later expressing dismay that the housing complex was caught in the midst of a political fight.

“We have been responsive to community concerns, and it is important that Charlesview not be used as a pawn,’’ he said, adding that half the building’s residents are elderly. “The time to approve the relocation is now, and it would be a social injustice if it were delayed any further.’’

Michael Levenson can be reached at mlevenson@globe.com.