BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — According to the Boston City charter, if Mayor Walsh steps down before March 5th, the City has to hold a special election to fill his seat.
City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo has filed a home-rule petition to bypass the possible special election, which would have residents wait until the regular election in the fall.
But some on the City Council, like Lydia Edwards who chairs the Government Operations Committee, are questioning whether City Councilors who are running for mayor can vote on that petition.
Edwards said she sent a confidential memo asking City Council attorneys, asking about any potential conflicts of interest for councilors who are both running for mayor and voting on the home-rule petition.
"How we do this is just as important as what we do," she said. "I want people to believe that the process to get to that conclusion, if thats where we're going, is without flaws, is without bias, is without putting the thumb on the scale for any candidate."
Edwards said she hasn’t heard back yet.
But City Councilor Arroyo said he received a letter from the state Ethics Commission, stating that there is no conflict of interest.
They’re holding a public hearing on Tuesday, and Edwards said her goal is to hold a vote on the home rule petition on February 3rd.
WBZ NewsRadio's Suzanne Sausville reports:
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Written by Brit Smith
(Photo: Mario Jarjour/WBZ NewsRadio)