Editorial: Temporary chief in uncomfortable position

Fall River Mayor Edward M. Lambert Jr.'s decision to leave office 2 1/2 months early puts City Council President William Whitty in an unenviable position: keeping warm the seat he has unsuccessfully tried to fill several times.

Whitty will be sworn in as acting mayor on Oct. 26, the day Lambert leaves after nearly 12 years in office to accept a position at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Lambert decided last year not to seek a seventh term and will be replaced by either State Rep. Robert Correia or Rep. David Sullivan, who emerged as the top candidates after the Sept. 11 preliminary election. Whitty finished sixth in the eight-way race, garnering 1,957 votes, 454 fewer than Sullivan and 2,168 fewer than Correia. Still, Whitty will hold the Fall River's top post, if only temporarily.

It's a difficult job. Whitty is charged with running the city without having a voter mandate to implement the policy changes he campaigned for. His is a caretaker role, serving as a transition between elected mayors. The city charter states the acting mayor "possesses the powers of mayor only in matters not admitting of delay, but shall have no powers to make permanent appointments."

Whitty can make appointments for up to 60 days, which he said he plans to do to fill a couple of critical positions, namely chief of staff and municipal services director, both of which are vacant.

Whitty has begun the transition process already, having met with Lambert last week to begin discussing policy. After the Nov. 6 general election determines the next mayor, Whitty should also meet with him to ease that transition and maintain the continuity of services to residents. That, in essense, is Whitty's duty: to make sure the government continues to provide for the residents.

While it is a difficult task, there is no reason to doubt Whitty's ability, and voters clearly do not. They have elected him to the City Council eight times. His colleagues also clearly believe in his ability, choosing him as president for nine of his 15 years on the council.

William Whitty has the leadership experience to effectively serve as the city's chief executive, and we wish him well in his role. Even though it will be for just a short time, he has earned the right to be called Mayor Whitty.

The Herald News