Six resumes have been received by the Haverhill city clerk’s office from those seeking to fill a vacancy on the Haverhill School Committee.
Last week, Mikaela Lalumiere, 88 Gary Ave., filed a resume seeking consideration to fill the seat vacated recently by now-City Councilor Joseph J. Bevilacqua, according to City Clerk Linda L. Koutoulas.
A joint meeting of the mayor, city council and school committee is expected to decide who should fill the position at a special meeting Tuesday, Feb. 2.
Lalumiere teaches at Greater Lawrence Technical School, Andover. She holds a master’s degree in special education, has taught in grades kindergarten through 12 and also assisted college-aged students.
She joins candidates Shaun P. Toohey, whose re-election bid fell short by 110 votes; Susan D. Danehy, a school committeewoman who did not seek re-election last fall; Raymond J. Sierpina, a retired principal who served on the school committee until losing in 2013 by 683 votes; Deborah Sasso-Flanagan, recently retired dean of Haverhill High Classical Academy; and Katrina Hobbs-Everett, unsuccessful city council candidate.
Except for giving the power to elected local officials, Haverhill’s charter does not specifically indicate how vacancies are to be filled. Previously, three out of four times, the next-highest vote-getter was named. In 1973, a special election was called. However, Koutoulas told elected officials such a process was recently ruled out by the state. She reported the 1973 election might have been conducted in “error.”
Rules, adopted at a special meeting last week, require a local elected official to nominate candidates. “Any voting member will be allowed to nominate someone to fill the vacancy. Each nomination must be seconded before it can be put to a vote,” the rule states. Related rules include:
- At the end of nominations, someone will make a motion for nominations to be closed. Once nominations are closed no new nominations will be accepted.
- In order to be selected, a nominee must have a majority of the members who of voting and present. (Example: only 13 people are able to make the meeting, seven votes are required to confirm the new member.)
- If no nominee receives a majority on the first vote than the person who receives the least number of votes (assuming there are more than two nominees) is eliminated and a new vote is taken on the remaining nominees. No new nominees may be accepted.
- The voting will proceed as above until a nominee receives a majority.
I am thrilled to see a special education teacher is seeking the vacant seat. I truly hope to committee realizes how valuable a resource this will be to the city!
Joe Bevilacqua…How do you even show your face in public?
For years you’ve sat on the sidelines doing absolutely nothing as a leading member of a local Chamber of Commerce representative while mayor Taxman has targeted downtown businesses as a revenue source. When are you going to comment on this publicly???
And now a tremendous amount of time, energy and money is being wasted as a result of your ego that somehow you’re so important two public committees need you as a member. Get over yourself already Joe….
You should show up at a School Committee meeting and ask him in person, Jack.
But we all know that won’t happen.