Speculation that John Leahy would step down from the Lowell City Council to take a job with the Lowell Public Schools Facilities Department has become reality.
The long time Councilor from Belvidere tells InsideLowell he will step down July 24th, the day after the body’s July 23rd meeting. Leahy also tells us his first day on the job with LPS is July 15th.
The development has been rumored for months and last week led to contentious exchanges on the council floor, as well as away from it, between some of Leahy’s colleagues. Whether the move would pass Ethics Commission muster has also been the subject of much speculation in media and public circles.
To that end, the District 3 representative shared a June 24th email from a Staff Attorney with the State Ethics Commission in Boston. The letter, in its entirety, is included at the bottom of this story with permission from the City Councilor.
The lengthy letter references an April 16, 2024 phone conversation in which Leahy was advised that “the conflict of interest law, G.L. c. 268A, will not prohibit you from applying for the Facilities Manager position while you are serving as a City Councilor provided that you comply with G.L. c. 268A, sections 19, 23(b)(2) and 20.”
Rather than imposing a much-debated cooling off period, the Ethics Commission advice further states “if you are appointed to the Facilities Manager position, you would need to resign from the City Council within 30 days of your appointment to the Facilities Manager position. See G.L. c. 268A, section 20(a).”
The political speculation and potential fallout from the hiring actually led to Superintendent of Schools Liam Skinner holding up the hiring until the Ethics Commission weighed in.
“I look forward to the skill set John Leahy brings to the Facilities Manager position with the Lowell Public Schools Department,” Skinner told InsideLowell. “His experience in the private sector, combined with his intimate knowledge of our school buildings, make him a great fit for our team.”
The Superintendent pointed out he ordinarily wouldn’t get involved in filling a position like this, saying he “delayed the appointment, probably longer than I should have, until receiving assurances from the appropriate agencies that it was a proper hire.”
While looking back fondly at two plus decades of serving in elected office, Leahy is looking forward to what the next chapter brings.
“In a lot of ways, this is a bittersweet day,” he said when contacted. “I was fortunate to have the opportunity to represent the residents of Lowell for ten years on the School Committee and another twelve on the City Council. I will miss interacting in that capacity with residents and my colleagues. At the same time, I’m excited about the opportunity to help improve our school buildings so that they can allow the best learning environment for the students who are our future.”
Leahy’s departure from the high profile Belvidere District seat is likely to touch off another hotly debated political storm; who will replace him and how that process will play out, given the Home Rule Petition recently sent to the State Legislature has yet to be approved, along with the fact he ran unopposed in the 2023 election, meaning there’s no 2nd place finisher to fill the void.
