Scott Memhard
Ward 1 City Councilor & Cape Pond Ice
Endorsement Statement
“I feel it is important to weigh in on this Gloucester election: I am voting for Greg Verga for Mayor, and I urge fellow voters invested in the integrity and future of our City to join me.
Heading into a 4th term as City Councilor for Ward 1, I will be working with the next administration — and for all our sakes, Council, City staff, and citizens of Gloucester, I sincerely hope that our Mayor will be Greg, not Sefatia.
Don’t get me wrong — I have known Sefatia for over 30 years. Her brash “authenticity” is moving and entertaining, but comes at great expense to us all, as she crudely dumps on City managers, employees, elected officials, volunteers and citizens. Sorry, but I think the Godmother has taken her role as Mayor of “Her City” too far, in a way that is dangerous, unethical and unfortunately self-serving, and that it is time for her to step aside. As your City Councilor, I am seeing the damage it is doing to our City firsthand.
Greg Verga will be a breath of fresh air as Mayor. Greg has solid experience on our School Committee and City Council, and I have faith & confidence that Greg will grow into the challenges of the job of our Chief Executive. Most importantly, I trust Greg. I believe in his honesty and integrity, and that he will conduct himself for us all in a way that is truly fair and open, not just a slogan, given lip service. And he’s a musician - which speaks to his soul! I don’t trust Sefatia, I am afraid of her volatile anger & the way she holds grudges and routinely shows favoritism, shutting out those not in her favor, for whatever perceived reason — political, personal or business, both recent or in the distant past.
Greg Verga will lead us forward into our 400th Anniversary with mutual respect, working with and trusting professional City managers to do their jobs. Greg has shown no propensity to bully, to crudely denigrate or belittle staff, volunteers and citizens. Greg will set a higher standard of professional leadership, not consistently embarrassing behavior that can’t be “trained” out. Sefatia’s behavior is unbecoming of any City employee, let alone for our Mayor. Harassment, embarrassing city officials and others, making false, malicious and derogatory accusations that are designed to harm others’ integrity and damage reputations — these are all clear grounds for termination according to our own City regulation and policies.
Early in Sefatia’s term, CAO Jim Destino was able to moderate some of Sefatia’s misbehaviors by babysitting and running interference for our City managers. But he stepped away, and we should not accept her usual apologies and requests for forgiveness when she bluntly repeats the same awful, egregious behavior. Now she seems sadly out of control, acting and again with conduct unbecoming of any City employee, let alone a Mayor, our CEO.
As we love our City, it is past time to elect a new, trustworthy, honorable Mayor. Sefatia loves our City, it is time for her to let go.
- Scott”