Special City Council 04-09-26

• Governing Body: Everett City Council
• Meeting Type: Special City Council Meeting
• Date: April 09, 2026
• Attendees:
  • Councilor Stephanie Smith (President)
  • Councilor Guerline Alcy Jabouin
  • Councilor Michele Capone
  • Councilor Anthony DiPierro
  • Councilor Holly Garcia
  • Councilor Michael Marchese
  • Councilor Wayne Matewsky
  • Councilor Vivian Nguyen
  • Councilor Peter Pietrantonio
  • Councilor Katy Rogers
• Absent: Councilor Stephanie Martins

Three residents provided testimony regarding the appointment of the Assistant City Clerk:

• Peggy Serino: Questioned why resumes were sent to the City Clerk's office rather than Human Resources and raised concerns about transparency. Quote: "You should invest in a dictionary and look up the definitions for truth, honesty, transparency, and change."
• Paulistri: Criticized the position as a "do-nothing job" with a $96,000 salary. He questioned Michael Mangan's past performance on the School Committee and mentioned financial concerns, including a $90,000 consulting fee for a superintendent search and $5,000 for meeting notes. He urged a freeze on non-essential positions.
• Maria Melchino: Expressed frustration over rising taxes and the cost of the position. Quote: "To pay somebody $96,000 a year to do absolutely nothing is ridiculous. This should be a freeze."

President Stephanie Smith provided an overview of the hiring process for the Assistant City Clerk position, governed by Section 2-8a of the City of Everett Charter.

• Process Overview:
  • 23 resumes were submitted directly to the City Clerk's office (as the office falls under the legislative branch, not HR).
  • The City Clerk, Council President, and Clerk of Committees reviewed all resumes.
  • Seven candidates were interviewed by the Legislative Affairs Committee.
  • Two finalists were recommended to the full City Council: Karen Antonelli and Michael Mangan.

The two finalists addressed the Council to outline their qualifications:

• Karen Antonelli: Highlighted 15 years of municipal experience, including her current role as Assistant Registrar of Voters. She noted her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Suffolk University and her experience with payroll, accounts payable, and election operations.
• Michael Mangan: Highlighted his eight years of service as a Legislative Aide for the City Council. He noted his experience clerking meetings, processing business licenses, and his familiarity with the daily operations of the legislative branch.

Councilors discussed the merits of the candidates and the procedural aspects of the hire:

• Councilor Matewsky: Emphasized that the Assistant City Clerk must work physically within the City Clerk's office to ensure smooth operations, noting the position has existed since 1923.
• Councilor Alcy Jabouin: Expressed disagreement with the procedure, stating that all salaried positions should go through HR and that the full Council should have had access to all initial resumes.
• Councilor Marchese: Expressed a "comfort zone" with Mr. Mangan's work ethic and availability.
• President Smith: Noted that Mrs. Antonelli holds a Master's degree and has effectively run the elections department for two years, while Mr. Mangan provided a strong interview and demonstrated direct experience with Council-specific tasks.

The City Council conducted a roll call vote to appoint the Assistant City Clerk.

Vote Results:

• Michael Mangan: 7 votes (Capone, DiPierro, Garcia, Marchese, Matewsky, Nguyen, Rogers)
• Karen Antonelli: 3 votes (Alcy Jabouin, Pietrantonio, Smith)

Outcome: Michael Mangan was appointed as the Assistant City Clerk.

Following the vote, Michael Mangan was called forward to take the official oath of office.

Direct Quote of Oath:

"I, Mike Mangan, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me as Assistant City Clerk for the City of Everett... according to the best of my abilities and understanding, agreeably to the rules, Regulations, Laws, Ordinances and Charter of the City of Everett. So help me God."

The meeting was adjourned immediately following the swearing-in ceremony.