LAWRENCE - City Councilor Grisel Silva yesterday called on Mayor William Lantigua to "step aside" temporarily, pending the result of an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption at City Hall.
"I reckon the best thing for him would be to step aside until the probe has concluded," Silva said in an audience last night. "Let things bring their course.
This is a difficult situation the metropolis of Lawrence is dealing with right now. It's unjust for the citizens of Lawrence to be passing through something like this.
"If nothing comes out, he's welcome to go backwards to do what he was elected to do," added Silva, who represents the District B North Park neighborhood area. "This is a fortune for him to prove to the multitude that he's done nothing wrong. If not, he should measure out completely. It doesn't feel well and doesn't sound good, based on what I'm hearing. But you're innocent until you're proven guilty."
Councilor Marc Laplante said reports of the mayoral probe show "there's a real crisis in leadership," but he stopped short of career for Lantigua's resignation.
"It's almost becoming a circus show and it does a great disservice to those of us who need to use our positions to make a positive environment in our city," said Laplante, the District F councilor for the South Lawrence East area.
"I would mark a recall petition, but I would want to see more before I claim for his resignation," he said. "There's heaps of smoke, but no fuel for the malfeasance."
Other councilors interviewed last night said they remain neutral on the recall issue and the head of whether the mayor should resign.
Council President Frank Moran said it's not a full clip for any of his colleagues on the nine-member council to be making judgments about the allegations against the mayor.
"I believe it's inappropriate for any of us to be devising a comment based on speculation," he said. "Obviously, these are really strong allegations. But right now, it's 'he said-she said.' It's all speculation right now, Nothing is concrete. It's hard to comment right now, with an ongoing investigation. He's (the mayor) entitled to due process. We'll see what happens after the investigation.
"Unfortunately, it's another black eye for the city because now were on the face page again for something negative instead of positive," Moran said.
Councilor at Large Dan Rivera called the latest report about the mayor "such a big distraction for us.
"I believe most councilors are passing to remain focused on making certain the metropolis is squared away, even though this is a distraction," he said. "We've got to remain focused. We can't get sidetracked with this stuff. Even though it's a distraction, we've got to go together to get a budget passed. We have charter review coming up. For us to remark on that stuff, it's so premature."
Councilor Sandy Almonte of the Territory A Prospect Hill area complained that the allegations cast "another black cloud" over the city, unfairly overshadowing many "positive things that are happening.
"Until there is actual proof, I leave not judge," she said. "I possess no ground to. I receive so many things I'm focusing on in my district - the youth, getting graffiti down - things that I can do something around with my two hands, that's what I'm doing."
Councilor at Large Roger Twomey was unavailable for comment because he is in the hospital undergoing minor hip surgery.
Councilors Eileen O'Connor Bernal, Modesto Maldonado and Oneida Aquino could not be reached for comment last night.