Attorney Scott W. Lang served as Special Assistant District Attorney in the Bristol County District Attorneys office from 1978 to 1990. He has taught Labor and Employment Law at UMass Dartmouth since 1991 as well as participating as a faculty member in many continuing legal education seminars. He currently serves as an Arbitrator with Commonwealth Mediation & Conciliation Inc.
Scott is a member of the American Bar Association, Bristol County Bar Association, Boston Bar Association, New Bedford Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association and the American Trial Lawyers Association.
Scott currently serves as Mayor of New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Scott's mayoral / campaign website can be found at:
http://www.mayorscottlang.com.
June 28, 2007
City Council President Leo Pimental and
Honorable Members of the City Council
City of New Bedford
133 William Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Dear Council President Pimental and Honorable Members:
Please be advised that I have vetoed City Council paper 0002521, which was passed by the Council on June 18, 2007.
I am very appreciative of the Council for creating a Chief Financial Office position for the City pursuant to the recommendation of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
As you are aware, in July of 2006 the Department of Revenue issued a report on the City’s financial organization and systems. The report stated that the City should create a full-time Chief Financial Officer position to manage and monitor the City’s financial status, holding financial department heads accountable, and developing long-term financial planning practices. Establishing a Chief Financial Officer position is a vitally important city ordinance.
The reason I am exercising the Mayor’s veto authority in regard to this ordinance is not related to the creation of the Chief Financial Officer position. The reason for this veto is because the Council has attached a raise for its Legislative Council to the ordinance. This completely unrelated subject matter, an increase in salary for a City employee, who serves the City Council, is inappropriate combined with this ordinance.
I request that the council resubmit the Chief Financial Officer ordinance for my signature.
Further, if the Council is seeking an increase in its budget for the purpose of giving the legislative council a raise, please follow the normal operating procedures for requesting such an increase. This request can then be determined based on its merits, rather than combining this increase with the ordinance that creates the Chief Financial Officer position.
As Mayor of the City of New Bedford, I request that the City Council sustain this veto and resubmit the Chief Financial Officer ordinance as a separate distinct ordinance.
Thank you for your anticipated cooperation on this matter.
Sincerely,
Scott W. Lang
Mayor