The Democrats on the New Rochelle City Council have reversed course on their announcement last week, and now do want to immediately fill the District 3 seat, left vacant when former Council Member James Stowe died earlier last month.
New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson put out a statement declaring the Democratic Party’s intention to nominate Roxanne “Roxy” Stowe to fill her husband’s seat until a winner is declared in the special election.
Bramson called Roxy Stowe “the only individual with the standing to uphold Jim’s legacy through an appointment and to honor the will of the voters as expressed in the last election”.
Stowe said she would agree to step down after the November 2nd Special Election to fill the unexpired term of Jim Stowe “if the Council agrees to seat the people’s choice immediately and not wait needlessly until January 1st.”
ANALYSIS:What Mayor Bramson is proposing is not accurate. Mrs. Stowe cannot both fill the District 3 seat until “a winner is declared in a special election” and fill the seat so that District 3 has representation at all times from the moment of her appointment through when the winner of the Special Election is seated until the end of Jim Stowe’s expired term. The City Council, in the event of a vacancy, has the authority to appoint a replacement until a winner of an election is seat, n this case until December 31, 2010. If Mrs. Stowe were to resign from an appointed position on the Council at any time after she was appointed to replace her husband, including after a winner is declared in the special election, the seat will be vacant at which time the Council can vote to replace her. Mrs. Stowe’s resignation would create a vacancy allowing for the winner of the special election to be appointed until December 31st and then take office on January 1st, but at that point the Council would again be split 3-3 and may not appoint anyone. If they do not agree to appoint someone — and that appear likely given the high stakes nature of the last two months of the year –then the seat would be vacant from the moment of Mrs. Stowe’s resignation until December 31st. The terms under which Mrs. Stowe is proposing to serve if appointed will either entail her being an active member of Council during what is sure to be a complex and acrimonious budget season or dropping out just as things heat up and very likely leaving District 3 without representation, the opposite of what she says she intends. This is to say nothing of what happens if Pearl Quarles chooses to run in the Special Election. She would be a formidable candidate with a wealth of relevant experience. Will the Democrats be so anxious to appoint the winner of the special election if the Republican candidate wins? Not likely.
Developing…
What a disgrace to James Stowe and his legacy
The Democrats have sunk to the level of Donkey Dung using a grieving widow as a pawn in their political game of chess. Bramson has flip-flopped once again and is floundering as his house of cards comes tumbling down around him. This is an affront to James Stowe the man, his legacy, his widow, the citizens of district 3 and the City of New Rochelle.