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— Quincy Massachusetts News by Quincy Quarry News – News, Opinion and Commentary.

So much for easy money …
An Easy Money Associates/Orion Pictures image

Quincy Quarry News has long provided props to other media that publish stones-busting exposés and this week the South Shore broadsheet crushed the stones of Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch and Quincy City Councillors over their endeavoring to grift themselves 89% and 50% pay raises, respectively.

Specifically, the broadsheet broke word of how the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission has apparently spanked local elected officials over their grifting themselves raises in apparent violation of applicable law.

Conversely, the local weekly tabloid deserves opprobrium over its facilitating the Koch Machine to spin bovine byproduct as regards the Ethics Commission hammering local elected officials over their endeavoring to grift themselves pay raises in ways looking to be illegal..

Adding insult to injury for long suffering local taxpayers, earlier this month Quincy Mayor Koch and Council President Ian Cain concurrently stated that in the face of (only, ed.) public outrage over the raises that Koch and the council would defer their (improperly, ed.) approved pay raises for their positions until the start of the next term of office for their respective jobs.

Not so fast …
A Shutterstock image

For city councillors, their raises are now proposed to be deferred until January 1, 2026 after they all face elections in November of 2025 instead of the fast approaching start of 2025 as they approved last June via a local ordinance without hosting a Public Hearing in spite of serious protesting by locals.

And as for the pending as well as under fire mayoral raise is currently said by Mayor Thomas P. Koch is to be deferred until the start of the next mayor term on January 1, 2028 following the impending November 2027 local elections.

So what, however, for the fact that the pay raise ordinances past both mandate that the raises are to kick in come the start of 2025.

“You’ve got to be kidding me …”
A Paramount Television image

And arguably more importantly, the mayor and city council president clearly look to be caught in a lie as the Ethics Commission has been imposing its sentiments — if not also its will — as regards problems with the way the raises were approved.

Even so, Mayor Koch’s Chief of Staph was quoted as saying that “(w)e think we’re right, but we’re not going to pursue that.”

So what for the fact that the Ethics Commission is tasked to call balls & strikes as well as has far more professional staff to review matters that come to its attention.

For example, the original timelines for providing the raises would clearly appear to be in violation of Massachusetts General Law Chapter 268A, section 19.

Chapter 268A, section 19 bars municipal employees from participating in matters in which they, or their family members, have a direct and immediate financial interest. 

Perhaps they will all end up cellmates
An old Columbia Pictures image

Further, each violation of this law can be hit with a maximum fine of $10,000 or a maximum prison sentence of five years.

In other words, the potential for pension-voiding felony convictions.

Clear language and sanctions that can be imposed if this Massachusetts General Law is violated notwithstanding, City of Quincy City Solicitor James “Dim” Timmins instead offered his advice to his liege lord and the City Council that Massachusetts General Law Chapter 39, section 6A of state law to justify the timing of the raises. 

Section 6A states that “no increase or reduction in salaries shall take effect during the year in which such increase or reduction is voted.”

An old photo of Dim during happier times
A City of Quincy head shot.

So what, apparently for the fact that all 6A looks to say that raises or pay cut cannot be implemented in the same year that enabling legislation is past.

Also unclear is if this latest instance of Dim’s dubious legal advice to look to be wrong was because he stopped his review at Chapter 39 and so missed the robust sanctions posed subsequently per Chapter 268A or if he had  instead just shopped for a law that facilitated the now curiously at least deferred outsized raises for his boss as well as City Councillors.

In any event, it would clearly appear that the City Solicitor will likely keep intact his long ongoing record of ending up overturned upon appeal or otherwise spanked in the wake of an outside review.

Also arguable at this point is if Dim might also be found to be mistaken in his view that local ordinance 17A is invalid.

“Do you, Thomas P. Koch, promise to (finally, ed.), tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
An old Columbia Pictures image.

17A calls for the final step for either approving or rejecting mayoral and council pay raises is to be decided by local voters.

In any event, the broadsheet reached out to the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission for comment, however, it was advised by a spokesperson for the commission that he could neither affirm nor deny the agency’s involvement given confidentiality requirements,

In turn, such would at least suggest that perhaps Ethics is still pondering things, including to perhaps opt to submit a referral to the Massachusetts Attorney General for further review and possible prosecution.

Accordingly, the Quarry has submitted a Public Records request to the Ethics Commission if for no other reason to obtain a sense if these pay raise griftings may still under review and thus the Quarry will report updates to its ever-growing legions of loyal readers as might be appropriate.

And in the meanwhile, neither the mayor nor the city council president have indicated that there are any plans to formally address the problems with the offending pay raise ordinances either by duly voiding them or at least amending their text.s

Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time
Old image from Metro PIctures’ Convict 13

Needless to say, Quincy Quarry News’ ever-growing legions of loyal readers can count on the Quarry to call on cancelling the pay raises ordinances and then perhaps schedule proper do-overs, including Public Hearings so as to only properly allow public comment about the unpopular pay raises as well as so press for raises more in line with what city employees have seen over the time since the mayor and councillors last received raises.

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