Public Comment

Transcript (~5 min @ 6:44)

Speakers identified by voice; unnamed voices are numbered within this recording. Auto-caption text — verify against the video.

▶ 6:21 Maya Jamaleddine: This is a meeting of the finance committee and Consular Jamel Dean the chair and joining me tonight. Voting members Vice chair Garipay pay councilor. Minklerelli karmchetti or bramsky president sonala non-forting member. counselor gregoritus Eccles Stewart McMaster Williams and obramski. Oh actually councilor Williams is not here yet.

▶ 6:49 Maya Jamaleddine: This provides notice of the Quorum for the record and accordance to the open meeting law at this time. I will entertain motion to open public comment.

▶ 6:59 Speaker 5: Motion no open the floor for public comment second.

▶ 7:02 Maya Jamaleddine: We have a motion made by Vice chair Garipay a seconded by counselor Stewart

▶ 7:13 Maya Jamaleddine: And for the record the remote public comment, the online public comments is down and Our IT department is working on fixing the issue. This is the time if we have anyone.

▶ 7:29 Maya Jamaleddine: Would like to participate can come forward.

▶ 7:34 Speaker 5: Good evening counselors. I'm Jim Bennett 45 Wentworth Road in Melrose. I am here tonight to voice three specific concerns about the candidacy of Julie Delilah for service on the board of registers of Voters. First I am concerned that Ms. Delilah is serving at this very moment as chair of the Melrose Republican City committee to be the local chair of a political party is very different from Simply being a registered member of that party. It means that you have volunteered significant time and energy to lead a partisan political organization and to support its partisan agenda and candidates for office. I know this very well because I am currently the chair of the democratic City committee. And because I hold that office I would never put my name forward for membership on the board of registrars of Voters. Someone who serves on the board must be above suspicion of wielding that office in a partisan way and I do not see how Ms. Delilah could transition overnight from being the city's Chief Republican to being it's non-partisan guarantor of free and open elections. Second I am concerned that Ms. Delillo in her capacity as Melrose GOP chair is serving the interests of a once mainstream political party that has become the chief advocacy group for voter suppression in the Commonwealth at this very moment. The Massachusetts GOP is conducting a lawsuit to stop the state from permanently enabling mail-in and early voting on the Mass gop's website. They have posted a petition demanding that the state require voter ID. I am not sure how one can go from being the local leader of a political party that is dead set on preventing people from voting to becoming the person who is responsible for safeguarding in Melrose. Third I am concerned about two political contributions that Ms. Delilah made in the lead-up to the attempted coup of January 6 2021 on November 18th. And then on November 15th of 2020 Mr. Lilo made two contributions of $30 each to Georgians for Kelly Loeffler a candidate who at that time had been actively promoting Donald Trump's big lie about the 2020 election when Mr. Lilo made her contributions to Senator Loeffler. She was financially supporting a candidate who was promoting The Narrative that the 2020 election was illegitimate. We now know that George's poll workers suffered a reign of terror because of that rhetoric. These three concerns taken together suggest that Ms. Delillo who I must say her character and qualifications and professionalism. I'm in no way assailing I'm simply suggesting that because of these three concerns. She may not be the right fit for this particular job at this particular moment to help you to make that determination. I would suggest you ask her some specific questions such as do you support your party's lawsuit to stop mail in an early voting in Massachusetts. Do you support your parties initiative to demand mandatory voter ID. Do you believe that mail in and early voting without voter ID leads to voter fraud and if you do, how can you impartially discharge your duties that would require you to enable such fraud. Do you support your parties candidate for Secretary of State raila Campbell the chief elections officer of Massachusetts Secretary of State a person who continues to promote the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. Do you believe that the 2020 election? Stolen if you do not believe the 2020 election was stolen. Do you now regret your campaign contributions to Kelly Loeffler? Only if Ms. Delillo can answer specific questions like these about her partisan commitments in a way that places her completely above suspicion of bringing those commitments with her into the work of the board of registrars of Voters. Should she be approved for this office? If there is any suspicion if there is such doubt in your mind, there are plenty of other melroseans who could take her place and would be above such suspicion. The law does not require the appointment of a Republican. Thank you.

▶ 11:29 Speaker 4: Thank you mister Bennett.

▶ 11:31 Maya Jamaleddine: Do we have anyone from the public who wish to speak?

▶ 11:38 Speaker 4: Okay, if there is ocean to close public

▶ 11:40 Speaker 5: participation.

▶ 11:43 Maya Jamaleddine: We have a motion to close public participation made by chair Vice chair Garipay so I can second that by counselor Eccles. Public comment is now closed. I'd like to make a motion to spend.