Special City Council Meeting — July 16, 2026

Good evening and welcome to this special City Council meeting for Thursday, July 16th, 2026 at 6 PM.

It is 6:07, excuse me, in the City Council Chambers.

Tonight we are led in the Pledge of Allegiance by Councilor at Large Brian Gomes.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Councilor.

I'd like to note that this meeting is being livestreamed and recorded.

City Council and committee meetings can be viewed on the City of New Bedford's homepage under Quick Links, then Meetings.

I am joined in the council chambers by my colleagues, Councilor at Large Ian Abreu, Councilor of Ward 1 Leo Choquette, Councilor at Large Brian Gomes, Councilor at Large James Roy, Councilor of Ward 3 Sean Oliver, Councilor at Large Shane Burgow, and Councilor of Ward 4 Derek Baptiste.

I am the Councilor of Ward 6, City Council President Ryan Pereira.

I'll ask the clerk if there are any letters to be read into the record.

Mr. President, I have 2.

The first is from Councilor Lopes.

Dear Council President Pereira and members of the council, I am writing to inform you that I'll be unable to attend the special City Council meeting On Thursday, July 16th, due to a work-related commitment.

Please read this letter into the record to make my colleagues and the public aware the reason for my absence.

Sincerely, Joseph P. Lopes, Councillor of Ward 5.

And the second is from Councillor Pemberton.

Dear Council President Pereira and members of the council, I am writing to inform you that I will be unable to attend the special meeting on Thursday, July 16th, due to a prior business commitment.

Please read this letter into the record to make my colleagues and the public aware the reason for my absence.

Sincerely, Scott Pemberton, Councillor 2.

Second.

Motion to receive and place on file the 2 communications made by Councilor Gomes, seconded by Councilor Lobergo.

Anyone on the question?

All those in favor say aye.

Opposed?

The ayes have it.

I'll ask the clerk to read item number 1, please.

Mr. President, item 1 is communication from the City Council president to the city clerk calling a special council meeting on Thursday, July 16th, 2026 at 6:00 PM in the City Council chamber, 2nd floor of City Hall, for the appointment of an individual to the Board of Assessors Replacing Martin Treadup, who has retired as of June 30th, 2026.

Motion to receive and place on file made by Councilor Burgot, seconded by Councilor Leroy.

Anyone on the question?

All those in favor say aye.

Opposed?

The ayes have it.

I will ask the clerk to read item number 2.

Mr. President, item 2 is nominations of a new member of the Board of Assessors.

2A is communication from Councilor Burgot submitting the name of Linda Morad.

2B is communication from Councilor Choquette submitting the name of James Clark.

2C is communication from Councilor Roy submitting the name of Richard Porteous.

And 2D is communication from Councilor Abruzzo submitting the name of Carlos Amato, all as nominees to the Board of Assessors.

Okay, so I just want to, on advice of Attorney Garatowski, just go down the list.

Councilor Lobergo, you've sent in a communication nominating Linda Morad.

Is that your intention tonight?

Yes, thank you.

Councilor Choquette, you did the same for James Clark.

Is that your intention?

Yes.

Okay.

Councilor Roy for Richard Portis, is that your intention?

Yes.

Thank you.

And Councilor Abril for Carlos Amato, is that your intention?

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

Seeing 4 nominees, is there any other nominations from the floor at this time?

Councilor Baptiste, I would like to nominate Sean Carney.

Okay, Sean Carney has been nominated.

Any other nominations?

Okay.

Seeing no other nominations, the chair at this time will call forward in order that they were received the nominees to make a 3-minute presentation.

Um, and then the chair will allow for questions at the end of the 3 minutes of each candidate.

So, uh, the first name to be submitted by Councilor Burgo is, uh, Linda Morad.

I'll ask her to approach the podium.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Good evening, members of the New Bedford City Council.

It's pleasure to be here with you tonight.

Thank you for allowing me a few minutes to address you regarding this position.

I'd like to first begin my comments by publicly recognizing Assessor Treadup for his 30-plus years of service to the New Bedford— City of New Bedford and the— I'm sorry, can I continue?

Yes.

Um, his service to the City of New Bedford in the role of assessors.

And I'd also like to acknowledge the 2 other assessors who are here in the chamber, Mr. President, Assessor Berthiaume and Assessor Saunders.

And I also would like to also thank the members of the team that work for us in the Assessor's Department, some of who are also here tonight.

Lastly, I would like to congratulate all the people that put their names forward.

There are a couple other people in the chamber, Mr. President, who in fact put their name forward, it would be nice if the Chair might consider recognizing them at the end of the meeting, even though they weren't nominated.

All of you had a chance to look at the documentation that I submitted.

I think that my resume about what I did in the private sector speaks for itself.

I had a 34-year, very successful run in the financial services industry, working in— not only in the Boston-based banking arena, but also here locally.

And in both those positions, as I worked there, I was involved in commercial and residential real estate transactions.

I was part of the team that documented things.

When I was working here in the city of New Bedford, I was actually generating commercial and residential loans, working with our residents in the local area, getting to know the properties, getting to know the people who service the real estate industry in the local area, and I have a very good foundation as it relates to that.

In addition, as you know, I spent 20 years as an elected official representing the city, not just one area, the entire city.

And I have— I know our neighborhoods, I know our people, I know the process as it relates to being a— being an assessor and the job that's done on a yearly basis, not only when they come here before the body to set the tax rate, but all year long.

And I think that my qualifications and my experiences make me a unique choice for this position.

I understand municipal government.

I understand municipal finance.

I just mentioned to you that I know the commercial real estate market, both the residential and the commercial side.

I don't know everything, but I've demonstrated to you that I know how to work hard, that I know how to learn and read and educate myself and work with others to educate myself.

And that's what I would do in this role if you so choose to put me in this role.

In addition, over my 20 years, like many of you, I've heard residents of the city say to us, maybe something can work a little different there.

I believe that the assessors and the team in the assessor's office would be open to those types of conversations, and I would be willing to be forward with them about the things that I have heard that we might be able to tweak, or there could be a reason why things are the way they are that I'm unaware of.

I'm also willing to listen.

And so I want to just say to you as a body, I recognize that I'm a difficult choice for you tonight because I'm one of you.

But just because you serve in this body doesn't mean you can't serve somewhere else in the city.

And I served with my heart for 20 years, and I would like to continue to serve.

And I think that I'm the right choice for this position.

And I hope that you will consider me and make that decision, give me the opportunity to continue my service to the city of New Bedford.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you.

Are there any questions from the floor for Ms. Morad?

Okay, perfect.

I'm not going anywhere, Mr. President.

Thank you.

All right.

Next up, uh, from Councilor Choquette is nominee Mr. James Clark.

If you would take the podium, sir.

You can put 3 minutes whenever you're ready, sir.

Okay, thanks.

Good evening, Council President Pereira and members of the New Bedford City Council.

Before I begin, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank City Councilor of Ward 1 Leo Choquette my nomination.

Thanks, Leo.

My name is James Clark, and I stand before you tonight to offer 4 major critical areas of expertise that I bring to fill the vacancy on our Board of Assessors.

The first is my 33 years of service in the New Bedford Fire Department, the final 17 years as a district fire chief, giving me an unmatched knowledge of our streets and buildings.

The second is my structural expertise as a licensed Massachusetts construction supervisor.

The third is my direct investment in our city through owning and managing local residential properties.

And the fourth is my regulatory experience serving as the chairman of our Zoning Board of Appeals.

By combining all 4 of these areas into one single profile, I believe I can provide a unique combined experience that will enhance the current Assessors Department's capability for accurate and fair assessments.

To expand on my fire department service, this was a career that gave me an unmatched intimate knowledge of our city's physical geography, our exact street locations, our distinct neighborhoods, and the diverse people who reside and live within them.

Crucially, it gave me a firsthand understanding of how our buildings are constructed neighborhood by neighborhood.

I know our streets, our people, and our city's architectural footprint block by block because I have protected them.

Second, I bring critical structural and regulatory expertise to the table.

For the past 20 years, I have held a Massachusetts construction supervisor's license.

I haven't just looked at buildings from the outside, I've built them.

I've built houses, additions, as well as accessory dwelling units, which are here now.

I know the literal cost of construction and the structural value of a property from the foundation up.

Third, my understanding of New Bedford's real estate market is grounded in over 3 decades of personal investment.

As a local property owner and landlord since 1990, I've invested heavily in this city, in this city, and I truly have skin in the game.

Over these years, I've conducted extensive real estate research, tracking, tracking local price trends and identifying investment opportunities because I believe in New Bedford's future.

And finally, as chairman of our Zoning Board of Appeals, I have proven my leadership and my willingness to make the tough decisions.

I've successfully navigated complex residential zoning disputes and neighborhood property issues, carefully balancing the statutory rules of the city with the real-world needs of our city residents.

And in closing, I've experienced firsthand the residents' frustration and how long every city department's process seems to take.

I will immediately take action to improve and streamline all existing processes for the residents.

Serving as an assessor is about fairness, accuracy, and accountability to the tax— to the taxpayers of New Bedford.

My 33 years of public safety leadership My practical building background, my market research, and my proven zoning board experience mean I am ready to hit the ground running on day one.

I am ready to continue serving the citizens of New Bedford.

Thank you for your time, and thank you for your service to our city, and thank you for your consideration for this appointment.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any questions for Mr. Clark from the floor?

Okay, thank you, thank you, thank you.

All right, next up, submitted by Councilor Roy, is Richard Portis.

He is here.

You can take the podium.

I apologize if I got your last name wrong, sir.

Very close.

Okay.

Mr. President, members of the City Council, Mr. Farias, and members of the public, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this evening.

My name is Rick Porteous, and I'm asking for your support for appointment to the vacancy on the New Bedford Board of Assessors created by the retirement of Marty Treadup after long service to the city.

I come before you as a 14-year resident of New Bedford with a lifelong connection to the city and a deep commitment to its future.

The Board of Assessors may not always be the most visible municipal body, but its work touches every resident, taxpayer, business, neighborhood, and public service in New Bedford.

Fair, accurate, timely assessments are essential to public trust and to the financial health of the city.

I understand the board's responsibilities.

Although it's not possible to take the test beforehand, I have studied before applying the handbook to the test.

I'm familiar with the requirements of a member of the Board of Assessors, which include overseeing the annual assessment of roughly 27,000 real estate parcels and thousands of motor vehicles and boats, reviewing abatements and exemptions with sensitivity and impartiality, defending and resolving valuation appeals efficiently, and ensuring that local data collection is accurate, transparent, and in compliance with Massachusetts law and DOR standards.

My background has prepared me for this work.

After a youthful stint as a halibut fisherman in Alaska, I spent 20 years as an investment professional and certified financial planner before becoming a second-career, third-generation public school teacher.

Along the way, I studied for and held licenses in real estate, securities, and insurance, as well as a Massachusetts teacher's license.

These experiences taught me to work with large datasets, complex regulations, changing markets, and people who deserve clear explanations in plain language.

I also bring a long record of community service.

For 8 years, I have served on the board of directors of the New of New Bedford Community Health, including 2 as immediate past chair during a period of significant growth in service and quality of care.

The health center serves 24,000 roughly in this city, roughly a quarter of the population here.

As chair, I helped lead the board through successful annual external audits and a federal HRSA audit.

For 16 years, I've also supported rowing as a way to provide youth of the city with equitable access to the historic Acushnet River.

I've also served with the NAACP New Bedford branch on the education committee as well as in other activities, and I helped lead preservation efforts at the James Arnold Mansion as the second president of the nonprofit who took it over.

If appointed, I am fully prepared to complete the state-mandated training required for assessors.

I also have the time and availability to attend the board's regular meetings, and I bring a near-perfect record of attendance from the boards on which I have served the past 15 years.

I'm a longtime renter with no ownership interest in taxable property, and I believe that gives me useful independence of judgment.

The renters of the city should be represented on the board.

At the same time, I understand that fairly assessed property taxes are the lifeblood of our civic enterprise.

They support schools, public safety, infrastructure, health, and the quality of every neighborhood.

Thank you for your time, your consideration, and your service to our city.

I respectfully ask for your vote.

Thank you.

Are there any questions at this time?

All right.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Oh, sorry.

I don't have no questions for him.

What I had was a question for you, Mr. President.

Sure.

Being in fairness today, can everybody speak so we can hear what everybody has to say?

I think that if we're going to vote on a position and leave people out, I think that it'll be— I should stand up and speak.

I'm sorry.

I think that it would be fair to give everybody a chance to hear so everybody can hear from everybody so they can give their fair shot at becoming, you know, an assessor in the city.

I think that it will be— it'll be good for us to be open-minded and not just go with who people nominated.

But we don't know who anybody else likes throughout the city and what other knowledge that they bring.

So I think that, you know, I don't know if you, if you plan on doing it or not, but I think that it would just be fair to let everybody speak today and just to let everybody get to— so we can hear what everybody has to say so that we can, if we make a judgment, we can make a fair judgment in who we're picking for this position.

Okay, Councilor.

Thank you.

I yield the floor.

Thank you.

We're going to— we have 2 more nominations right now.

In the meantime, we'll figure this out and then I'll get back to you.

Okay.

So next is Councilor Abrams submitting Mr. Carlos Amato, if you could take the podium, please.

Thank you.

I've got to put these, uh, readers on.

Good evening, City Council President Ryan Pereira and members of the New Bedford City Council.

My name is Carlos Amado.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak before you tonight.

It's been a while since I've stood in front of this podium to address City Council.

I'm sure some of you remember those wonderful classification hearings.

As you may have concluded from my resume, I have all the qualifications for the position of assessor.

I spent 23 years of my nearly 40 years in assessment administration and mass appraisal career with the City of New Bedford Assessing Department.

I served as the administrative assistant to the Board of Assessors from October 2013 to June of 2019.

I worked very closely with the Board of Assessors, Marty Treadup, Peter Berthiaume, and Kim Saunders.

And just to say that Marty served the city very well.

My role as a member of the Board of Assessors is to be fair and equitable.

To the citizens of the City of New Bedford to pay close attention to all matters presented to the board and act fairly.

Let's understand one thing.

The role of the Board of Assessors in the City of New Bedford is to act on statutory exemptions and abatements and other matters presented to the board by administrative assistant to the Board of Assessors.

The Board of Assessors have no authority or hold no jurisdiction over the day-to-day operations of the assessing department.

Chapter 5 of the Acts of 1990 stripped the Board of Assessors of that responsibility and created the position of administrative assistant to the Board of Assessors to be the head of the department.

With that, I, with my background and my expertise in the field, Will help the administrative assistant to the board in any way I can and do whatever it is I can to help the office.

I thank you for your consideration, your time, and hopefully your support.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions for Mr. Amato at this time?

Okay, thank you, sir.

All right, next, a nomination from Councilor Baptiste of Sean Carney.

David, can I see you for a second, please?

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Thank you, members of the City Council, and a special thank you to Councilor Baptiste.

I appreciate the nomination and being given the opportunity to speak with everyone today.

I have copies of my resume as this was a floor nomination.

So if anyone needs a copy or would like to review it, I'm more than happy to deliver one to your desk.

I would like to address the elephant in the room first and foremost.

Obviously, I have a very close relationship with one of the councillors on council.

She's decided to recuse herself from these proceedings today in order to avoid any particular conflicts of interest.

Now, when we're talking about conflicts of interest, I know that some of the councillors, you may be a little hesitant to throw support my way.

For what it would look like publicly.

You know, nepotism is certainly not a thing we want to promote in city government, and I certainly wouldn't want to promote it myself.

But I think my qualifications, my resume, stand on their own regardless of who my mother is.

And just to address any conflict concerns, as, as I'd like to remind the council, you know, the Assessors Board and the council don't really have a lot of interaction.

They kind of run parallel on 2 separate paths.

So I don't really foresee any sort of you know, collusion or any sort of conflicts that could come up between my mother and myself.

For those of you that don't know me, you know, my name is Sean Carney.

I've been a lifelong resident of the city.

I'm a graduate of the old Holy Family Holy Name right down on Summer Street, as well as Greater New Bedford Voc Tech.

I'm a young father.

I'm a young homeowner.

And I also sit on the YMCA board of directors.

And I'm also the chair of New Bedford's Conservation Commission.

With that speaks to my qualifications.

You know, as far as my civic qualifications, I've been balancing the rights of private property owners and the public interest for the last 8 or so years on conservation.

And I think my reputation there speaks for transparency.

It speaks for fairness.

And it also speaks for an open line of communication for those in front of the body and though— and the engineers, the scientists, the attorneys, and the residents that we work with.

Professionally, I work diligently and closely with regulatory compliance as my role as an attorney, but please don't hold that against me.

I'm also quite involved with taxation at work, permitting, commercial development.

Now, you may be asking yourself, what makes me special?

Why should you throw your support behind me?

And the answer is pretty simple here.

The answer is what makes me special is, is nothing.

Right.

I'm an ordinary person.

I'm an ordinary taxpayer in the city.

And just like some of you, I am absolutely scared to death of the financial situation that we find ourselves in and absolutely scared to death of what my tax bill is going to look like.

And I think that sort of transparency, that sort of accountability, and that sort of open line of communication between city residents and the assessors board is going to be key as we weather this storm.

Why do we have assessors?

We have assessors because in our wisdom in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we decided that the tax roll, the very large pot of money that is, needs a public representative in order to keep their finger on the button, keep their eyes on the chart, and make sure that the public's interests are being accounted for.

Just like you guys, I'm an ordinary person.

You know, our council is made up of, of educators and correctional officers and people that work in social services, some former pizza guys, and even a former singing waitress.

I'll give you 2 guesses onto who that was, but neither of the first 2 count.

But anyway, I have a unique sensibility to fairness and sensitivity to fairness.

I have a unique sensitivity to accountability, and I want to bring those principles to the Assessors Board.

Once again, thank you very much.

I appreciate your time tonight, and I would appreciate your support.

Thank you.

All right, so we just heard from all of the nominated individuals.

However, if anyone who did submit their name wishes to take the floor for 3 minutes to speak.

And as nominations are still open, I will allow for anyone to speak to become nominated.

So anyone who has not yet spoken, submitted, they are able to come up to the podium.

Sure, absolutely.

Point of information, Mr.

Chair.

Yes.

I, although— sorry.

Although I, I feel it noble of a gesture, um, I believe that some folks may have thought because they did not get nominated, um, tonight to not show up to this meeting.

So I don't know if it's really in the interest of fairness to allow non-nominated individuals to speak at this time.

So I would hope that you— the chair would take the applicant.

Okay, thank you.

Your point was noted.

I would say that the— that was discussed with the clerk and myself.

The applicants were notified that nominations would be accepted from the floor.

So in hindsight, one was nominated from the floor here tonight.

There was not a written motion.

Uh, nominations— Robert's Rules of Order allow nominations to be in many forms, and we're governed by Robert's Rules of Order in that case.

So at that point, because they are— were made aware that any form of nomination would be be acceptable, the applicants— anyone who wanted could show up to ask for nomination from the floor.

Then I ask that they be nominated by individual councilors instead, if that's the rule that we are going to go by.

Mr. President.

Okay, thank you.

Uh, after talking with Attorney Garatowski, the chair will just allow anyone asking for a nomination to make a speech.

So, sir, if you don't mind.

If you— thank you, guys.

Um, thank you, City Council.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Council President.

My name is Keenan Caballo.

Um, I don't come from a traditional assessing background.

All I can come to you guys with is a commitment for learning and wanting to serve the people of this city.

I feel like it's our right as municipal government that everyone in the city should have someone that genuinely cares and is willing to take a step further to make sure everything is fair for them.

I know the Board of Assessors plays a critical role in ensuring property assessments are fair, transparent, and in accordance with Massachusetts law.

I also believe I can help fill an important, an important gap here.

As a younger member of the community, I want to show that the next generation has a place in local government.

I know many people my age have become discouraged or have a negative impression of government as a whole just because of what they've seen or past experiences, and I want to help change that.

I want to lead by example and encourage more young people to become involved, serve their community.

And believe that they can make a positive difference.

Our city is strongest when every generation has a voice at the table.

I understand that the responsibility comes with sacrifice and making hard decisions, and those are sacrifices I'm, I'm willing to make.

If appointed, I'll work hard, listen carefully, and make a commitment to our people, our citizens, our taxpayers.

Ask thoughtful questions and always make decisions based on fairness and integrity and what's best for our people.

Thank you again for your time and consideration.

Thank you guys for allowing me the time to speak today.

Thank you.

All right.

All right.

Anyone else that would wish to speak for— okay, perfect.

Thank you.

Good evening, everyone.

Can everyone hear me?

Okay.

My name is Holly Allison.

I'm a resident of Mott Street, as you all know from the paperwork.

My interest in this position is one that would start me in government and serving my community.

I have recently felt the pull to come and serve in any capacity, really, and I noted that this position was open.

I do want to take note of the longevity of the people that have worked for the board for this amount of time.

It is very admirable.

For the last 18 years, I have worked for the wonderful institution known as Cumberland Farms.

I'm currently at the Marion location where I've been for since 2012, and I've managed a lot of people in that time.

I'm a store manager for them.

I do enjoy that job.

I do revere Cumberland Farms as an institution.

It is very challenging, and as you can imagine, I do come in contact with thousands of people every week.

I don't have any experience serving my community as of yet, but I'm very much looking forward to a way into doing that.

I do have the ability to attend board meetings and be present and accountable for everything that happens in those meetings.

I view myself as a leader at my store and in my home life, and you would not be finding me in lockstep with any wrong direction that the, that the community would be heading.

And I hope that I have your vote.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

All right, anybody else?

Okay, so the chair at this time— nominations are still open.

Are there any other nominations to make?

Okay, the chair at this time would like him— would, would like a motion to close nominations.

Made by Councilor Burgot, seconded by Councilor Roy.

Anyone on the conversation of closing nominations?

Okay, all those in favor say aye.

Opposed?

The ayes have it.

So item number 3 is election of a new member to the Board of Assessors.

Sorry, I took Dennis's job there for a second.

Colleagues, uh, we will be— I'm sorry, we will be voting like we vote for president.

Very similar, if there was multiple presidents running, we would vote by last name.

So you will be effectively voting for Morad, Clark, Porras, Amato, or Carney.

Those are who have been nominated, and those are the individuals that we are allowed to vote for.

On the question of the election, would anyone like to speak?

Okay, the chair will recognize Councilor Bergo.

Before I speak about my nominee, I want to first acknowledge the service of Assessor Marty Tretup.

For years, he's been a dedicated public servant whose professionalism and extraordinary institutional knowledge has benefited the city of New Bedford.

His understanding of the assessing department, municipal finance, and the complexities of property valuation has been invaluable.

On behalf of the city council and of course the residents of New Bedford, I want to thank him for his many years of service and wish him a long, healthy, and well-deserved retirement.

With Assessor Treadup leaving behind such an important role, the question before us is not simply who can fill the seat, but who can best guide the city through this period of transition.

I can think of no one better suited than former Councilor Linda Morad.

Linda has often said throughout her career that experience matters.

Today, I believe those words could not be more fitting.

This is not a long-term appointment.

This is a temporary appointment that will carry us through until the voters elect a successor in November of 2027.

During that time, our city needs someone who can walk into the office on day one, understand the responsibilities before them, and begin contributing immediately without a learning curve.

Linda is uniquely qualified to do exactly that.

Throughout her 20 years on the City Council, I had the privilege of watching her tackle some of the most complex financial issues facing our city.

Time and again, I was impressed by her ability to identify a problem, analyze the facts, and develop a practical solution solution that ultimately benefited the residents of New Bedford.

Whether you agreed with her or disagreed on any issue, one thing was never in doubt: she did her homework.

Even Linda's toughest critics will tell you that she possesses an exceptional understanding of municipal finance.

She understands not only how our budgets work, but how every financial decision made by this city affects taxpayers, homeowners, businesses, and neighborhoods.

That knowledge naturally extends to property valuations, assessments, and the important work of maintaining fairness and equity within our tax system.

As someone who had the opportunity to serve alongside Linda, I also experienced another side of her that many in the public may not have seen.

When I first joined this council, she became an unexpected mentor.

She generously shared her knowledge, helped me understand the intricacies of municipal government and reminded me that while we may approach issues differently, our common purpose has always been serving the people of New Bedford.

That willingness to mentor, to educate, and to lead is exactly what makes her the right person to help bridge the gap between Marty Treadup's retirement and the next elected assessor-at-large.

Transitions are critical moments for any organization.

They require stability, experience, and steady leadership.

They require someone who understands both the technical responsibilities of the office and the importance of preserving the institutional knowledge that keeps city government functioning effectively.

I believe Linda offers all of those qualities.

For those reasons, I am proud to support her nomination as Assessor-at-Large, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in ensuring that this important office continues to serve the residents of New Bedford with the professionalism and expertise they deserve.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor.

Anyone else on the question of nomination?

Okay.

Councilor Oliver.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you.

I'd like to first, again, like many others before me, recognize and and thank Assessor Marty Treadup for his many years of service and dedication to the city of, of New Bedford.

Public service is often a thankless job, and serving as assessor rarely comes with much public recognition.

So this councilor, and by de facto Ward thanks him for his commitment, his professionalism, and his many years of service.

I, I also want to thank each of the applicants who had put their names forward for consideration.

It takes courage to step up and the willingness to serve your community, especially knowing that this process is probably even a little bit more public than a regular election.

And ultimately, only one person can be selected this evening.

Everyone deserves our appreciation for that.

The position of assessor is often not thought of by most residents on a daily basis.

It isn't highly— it's not a highly political office, and it doesn't get a lot of attention.

However, it is incredibly an important position.

The Board of Assessors plays a crucial role, as we've heard, ensuring fairness, accuracy, accountability in the evaluations of property throughout the city, commercial and personal.

What we're doing tonight is not appointing the next long-term assessor.

We are filling the seat of a longtime public servant, and for the remainder of that term.

Ultimately, the voters will decide who serves in this role in the next election.

So that is what we are tasked with tonight.

Over the past several days, I've spoke with many of the applicants.

I've spoke with the current assessors, and I spoke with a few members of the assessor's office.

Interestingly enough, almost everyone gave me a different answer as to who the best candidate was and as to what the qualities were that they believed was important for that position.

Some said the next assessor needs to be someone who is exceptionally good with numbers.

Others said that the person needs to be able to ask the tough questions, be able to push back when necessary, and some felt that the office needs someone who is ready to modernize and lead and improve in ways to get that done.

Others also emphasized the importance of having someone who not only understands assessments, but also has the political knowledge and the expertise and experience to effectively move that office forward.

I found it interesting that despite all the different perspectives, there was one name that continued to come up.

That had those qualities.

And rather than pander to political theater tonight and drag this out longer than it has to be with one vote here, one vote there, 4 votes there, I am going to support Linda Morad.

And I understand it's not a popular decision for everyone, but sometimes the right thing and the right choice is not the popular or right thing.

Whether you like her or not, whether you agree with her or not, no matter who you talk to, some of her— even her toughest critics says she knows the job, she understands the numbers, and she isn't afraid to push back when necessary.

To me, that's important qualities and one that's needed to replace a longstanding member of the Board of Assessors and work through this transition.

Till the voters weigh in ultimately next November.

Finally, I want to encourage every applicant.

I sincerely hope that they decide to run for this position when it comes up for election and give the voters the opportunity to choose from the same cadre of strong candidates that we did tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor.

Anyone else on the question?

Okay, seeing no other question, I will ask the clerk to call the first ballot.

Councillor Abreu.

Amato.

Councillor Abreu for Amato.

Councillor Baptiste.

I'm sorry, this is tough.

I got— I'm sorry, hold on.

Um, Morad.

Councilor Baptiste for Morad.

Councilor Burgos.

Morad.

Councilor Burgos for Morad.

Councilor Choquette.

Clark.

Councilor Choquette for Clark.

Councilor Gomes.

Motion to recess.

I'm going to come back to order.

I'm going to ask the clerk to call the next name on the roll, please.

Councilor Gomes.

Councilor Gomes for Moorad.

Councilor Oliver.

Moorad.

Councilor Oliver for Moorad.

Councilor Pereira.

Moorad.

Councilor Pereira for Moorad.

Councilor Roy.

Moorad.

Councilor Roy for Moorad.

Mr. President, that is 6 for Moorad, 1 for Clark, 1 for Amato.

Okay, seeing a majority reached, Councilor, um, in the council, Linda Morad has been elected the new assessor.

The chair would be— the chair— the chair would be in receipt of a motion to waive Rule 40.

Motion to waive Rule 40 made by Councilor Gomes, seconded by Councilor Oliver.

Uh, point of clarification, what would the need be for, uh, waiving Rule 40?

Is the mayor signing this?

Isn't that the point of waiving Rule 40, is because action is going— No, that's right.

Rule 40 allows councilors to reconsider their vote within 24 hours of the vote being cast.

Okay, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll on Rule 40, please.

Councilor Abramowicz?

Yes.

Councilor Baptiste?

Yes.

Councilor Burgos?

Yes.

Councilor Choquette?

Yes.

Yes.

Councilor Gomes?

Yes.

Yes.

Councilor Oliver?

Yes.

Yes.

Councilor Perot?

Yes.

Yes.

Councilor Roy?

Yes.

Yes.

Passes 8 to 0.

Rule 40 passes 8 to 0.

I'll ask the clerk to swear in Councilor Linda Morad, new assessor.

She would approach the podium, please.

I, Linda Morad, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully and impartially perform my duties as a member of the Board of Assessors.

In accordance with the laws and the Constitution of the United States, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the charter and ordinances of the City of New Bedford, so help me God.

Thank you.

Thank you, councilors.

I appreciate your support.

To those of you who put your name forward, thank you, and you did a great job tonight.

And I apologize to the body for the outbreaks that happened today.

Councilor Baptiste, God bless, God bless you, young man.

And I promise not to bring this to the Board of Assessors.

Motion to adjourn.

Motion to adjourn made by Councilor Burgos, seconded by Councilor Oliver.

Anyone on the question?

All those in favor say aye.

Opposed, the ayes have it.

We are adjourned at 6:56 PM.

Thank you.