Fiorentini Pulls Nomination Papers for Record Seventh Run

Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini has pulled nomination papers for an unprecedented seventh two-year term.

Fiorentini took out papers last week from the Haverhill City Clerk’s office. The only other person to obtain mayoral nomination papers so far is Sherwin R. Theodore, 67 Washington St.

According to finance reports, Fiorentini has $63,721.15 in his campaign bank account as of last Dec. 31—the last required period on file. He raised $12,165 and spent $8,006.35 during 2014. Maximum contribution amounts of $500 were paid by local accountant Nelson Blinn, Trinity Ambulance Co. owner John Chemaly, Police Officer Stephen J. Doherty Jr., Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods Chairman Ibrahim Hanna, Trinity Ambulance Co. accountant Gary Sepe and Spruce Environmental Technologies President Alan Zucchino.

His largest expense was $1,500 paid to political consultant Michael McGovern of Lowell. The campaign also lists $135,750 Fiorentini borrowed from himself over the lifetime of his political career.

Fiorentini was first elected mayor during the fall of 2003. Previously he served as a city councilor from 1996 to 2003.

Candidates have until 5 p.m., July 31, to obtain nomination papers and until Tuesday, Aug. 4, to return them.

9 thoughts on “Fiorentini Pulls Nomination Papers for Record Seventh Run

  1. Tim Coco….may I make a suggestion please? How about some reporting on the mayor’s resume since he’s been in office? It wouldn’t take much and would be of great help to the folks in Haverhill who are just too busy to pay attention to the destruction in the quality of life for citizens since he’s been involved in city government. Here are just a few of the things he’s done since in office.

    –Burdened taxpayers with $70Million in debt for the Hale Hospital for a failed entry into the healthcare industry
    –Taxes have gone up OVER 25% in just the last 8 years while he’s been in office
    –Instituted a parking tax
    –Instituted a meals tax
    –Instituted a trash fine policy
    –Invested in a city vehicle and employees to drive around downtown to increase the amount of parking tickets
    –Refused to fire city fire fighters when they conspired to steal over $55,000.00 from Haverhill taxpayers
    –Refused to go after a hack policeman when he was caught sleeping on the job and allowed him to retire with benefits
    –Refused to fire city fire fighters when they were caught stealing overtime pay with a sick time scam
    –Refused to refinance city bonds to lower interest rates which would have save the city $
    –Opened a drug methadone clinic
    –Fraudulently altered documentation and then lied about it in an effort to bring a weed distribution facility to the city
    –Lied and scammed taxpayers to enter into the real estate industry via Harbor Place
    –Fraudulently raised taxes 2.5% in 2013 and then ended the year with a $3.5Million surplus which he did NOT return to taxpayers
    –Refuses to hire city IT Director positions leading to city website and school computer problems
    –He even took credit for opening the Rt110 rest area after denying it for years and volunteers having done all the work

    • In all fairness…..Fiorentini inherited the Hale debacle…Rurak allowed that to happen on his watch. Also, he had nothing much to do with Harbor Place. Most of that was done without him, though he will take credit for it when he can. He did open a doggie park and has planted trees that you forgot to mention. He is also building a new Hunking school even though HE KNEW it was failing over a decade ago. He FAILED to fix the police station issues until last year all the while knowing there were serious mold issues suspected and massive water leaks. How about the aging fire equipment ? Your slipping Jack as you missed these fine examples off leadership. There are more but I’m bored.

      • You are right that Rurak was mayor at the time of the purchase of Hale, but Jimmy Failure was a city councilor at the time and voted to approve the purchase. He was involved with the whole mess from the beginning.

        He was VERY involved with the Harbor Place issue. Read the ET article that him and Dempsey put out after the deal was announced. They ‘bragged’ about keeping the whole deal quiet, especially cutting a deal with Meehan and UMass Lowell, while The Newman Family was in the process of selling their building. They intentionally conspired not to reveal government information because it would have instantly affected the market value of the sale of the Newman building, and they didn’t mind screwing the Newmans to get what they wanted. Read the article…Dempsey literally bragged that he and Failurentini defrauded the Newmans by keeping information about the HP deal already being done from them.

        I realized I left out the police station after posting my comment….thanks. And you are right….there are so many examples of lack of leadership and the failures in this guy’s resume it’s tough to list them all. But he did put flowers on the light poles downtown.

        • Dempsey is the only reason Haverhill is the ONLY reason The City isn’t smoldering. Of course, it took massive amounts of theft from other taxpayers across the state to accomplish such a feat. Of course, there’s always the side story of how The City of Haverhill is ostensibly a steward of The Fish Family, once again, thanks to Beacon Hill cronies like Dempsey.

  2. I am a long-time supporter of the mayor, but this story shocked me to the core. Jimmy, tell me it ain’t so, that we are not a ‘pay for play’ city! It is highly unethical–I thought it was illegal, but maybe Citizens United changed it–to take money from city employees and city contractors. Give the mayor donations and get a lucrative ambulance contract? Give a maximum donation and speedily rise through the ranks of the police department? Jimmy, please restore my faith and return these campaign contributions.

    • It has been a ” play to pay” Since Ryan was Mayor,who was the most corrupt, with exception of Ted Pelosi who was a true man of honor and Guerin who had a heart. . Ryan should be in jail. Rurak should be too for the Hale hospital debacle he presided over and allowed to happen, knowing the books were being cooked. The current Mayor extorts people for money. Just ask the film folks who were here how their meeting went with Big Jim, the people’s Mayor. Better yet, ask the film folks who were here for Denzel Washingtons’ movie too. They won’t be back. Jim puts on a great show but as the saying goes” pay no attention to the man behind the curtain” ….plant trees, talk “green”, and hug puppies and nobody will pay attention.

  3. Got a call a few weeks ago from a political pollster asking all kinds of questions about Scott Wood and about whether he’d be a good canddidate for mayor. Answered them, although it was difficult as I was laughing hysterically at the time

    Scott Wood, is 1,885th on the state civil service test for appointment as a police officer. And he’d be boss of the police chief? http://www.csexam.hrd.state.ma.us/eligiblelist/eligiblelist.aspx?ListId=1&Location_Id=1

    • Not that I would vote for either of them, but to be fair, Wood is not a Veteran, which means he is automatically put behind all veterans due to Civil Service rules regarding “Veteran Preference”.

      As far as Jimmy running again, he still walks back into office for two reasons, first, no one wants the job, and secondly, the competition has been a joke. The City should have been put into receivership over a decade ago, but Rep. Brian Dempsey and Jimmy like theft of other peoples money, so this is where we are, in a poor city, surviving off of theft of other peoples monies.

    • I agree with Duncan, I don’t know who id vote for. But I know Scott isn’t running for Mayor. I got the same poll and the question where about Shaun Toohey not Scott Wood. But to follow up with that Duncan said, my son scored 100% on the civil service exam. He placed is almost 2000 on the statewide list. My son went and got an education which was a mistake because Massachusetts punishes those candidates. Every Veteran no matter there score goes ahead of candidates such as my son. I think its only fair Ellis to point out the process in Massachusetts.