An elected Haverhill official for nearly 30 years, City Councilor Joseph J. Bevilacqua gave his formal farewell this past Tuesday as he took part in his last meeting.
As WHAV reported, Bevilacqua delivered his first surprise last March when he said he would not seek the job of mayor. Then, by not taking out or filing nomination papers, he quietly chose not to seek re-election to the City Council, ending elected public service that began in 1997 when voters put him on the Haverhill School Committee. In his address directed to residents, Bevilacqua noted how he was often at odds with his colleagues.
“You elected me in each City Council election I entered and was overwhelmed when the voters of Haverhill chose me as the top vote recipient in one of my Council elections. Much to the dismay of the others, but was not surprised that due to, what many believe to be the pettiness of the city councilors, they would abandon a decades-old Council tradition of electing the top vote recipient as Council president,” he said.
Bevilacqua reminded listeners he was the city’s economic and planning director during the 1980s, that voters made him the top vote recipient in every School Committee contest he ran and he was elected by the School Committee as its president several times. He added, he was more than qualified to be Council president, having been twice elected as chairman of the National Association of State Workforce Board Chairs, elected twice as chair of the New England Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, chairman of the then-Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board under both Republican and Democratic governors, chair of the statewide Economic Development Council and other leadership roles.
The councilor then went on to detail his philosophies and accomplishments.
“I have always believed that we need to keep Haverhill affordable for the residents, whether renter or homeowner, and supported not only our senior citizens, but our young working families and our business community.”
He cited, among his accomplishments, votes to preserve farmlands and open space; support for major economic development projects, including what he described as “the potential to be Haverhill’s most spectacular project”—Salvatore N. Lupoli’s downtown development; serving on five new school building committees; and role in restoring Haverhill High School’s accreditation with a phased renovation with state reimbursement even when others dismissed the plan.
No councilors showed any obvious reaction to Bevilacqua’s criticisms, but Haverhill City Council Vice President John A. Michitson and City Councilor Shaun P. Toohey thanked him for his service. Toohey noted his longtime service with Bevilacqua when both served as members of the School Committee.
“You have a signature phrase that I’ve been listening to for so many years before you make a comment—it’s ‘the reality is.’ I will never forget it. The truth be told, the reality is your dedication to Haverhill has been remarkable. The reality is you will be missed. The reality is I’m fortunate to call you my friend,” he said.
Councilor Melissa J. Lewandowski also recalled Bevilacqua mentioning his experience with her father, former School Committee member Glen A. Lewandowski, saying “sometimes we disagree, but we always got along.” She said that is also her experience with her colleague.