Fall River council votes no confidence in mayor
Fails to recall embattled Correia
The Fall River City Council says it has no confidence in indicted Mayor Jasiel F. Correia II and called on him to resign, but narrowly defeated a measure declaring him unfit to perform his duties.
At a meeting Tuesday night, the no-confidence vote and measure requesting Correia’s resignation passed 8-1 and 6-3, respectively. But the council, by a vote of 5-4, stopped short of removing the defiant 26year-old from office.
Yesterday, City Council President Cliff Ponte and the mayor’s attorney, Mark A. Berthiaume, did not return calls seeking comment. Correia’s office said in a statement only that he “remains focused, every day, on serving the residents of Fall River.”
At a press conference last month, the mayor refused to step down, calling his arrest on federal fraud and tax charges politically motivated.
His attorney also told the council in a letter that he would take “appropriate legal action” if the council forced Correia’s ouster.
The fight to remove the embattled mayor is far from over, however.
Last month, 10 Fall River residents began the process to recall Correia.
Yesterday, Dawn Saurette, who started the petition, said “well over 1,000” residents have signed. That’s roughly half the approximately 2,500 signatures — or 5 percent of the city’s 49,999 registered voters — needed.
If they meet that requirement and the petitions people sign are certified, the City Council would give Correia five days to resign. If he refuses again, then a special election would be held 65 days from the date the city clerk notifies the council of the certified petitions.
The mayor can run in that election, and the ballot would ask voters to choose whether he should be recalled and, if he is, who should take his place.
Correia was released on $10,000 bond last month after pleading not guilty to charges of wire fraud and filing false tax returns.
Over the course of four years, beginning in 2013, the mayor persuaded seven people to invest $363,690 in SnoOwl, the company he founded, U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said, and is accused of funneling that money to his mayoral campaign and “extravagant” lifestyle.