It’s election season
It’s August already…I hate that. Summer just flies by. It seems just like a few weeks ago we were in those heady days of collecting signatures and trying to force some sense into our city council. Oh, it was a few weeks ago? Weird.
As we head into late summer, the big sprint of election season is upon us. A primary election is coming up on September 3rd, and two of Quincy’s city councilors are facing races — Councilor Noel DiBona for Norfolk County Register of Deeds and Councilor Ian Cain for US Senate.
In my opinion, neither of these city councilors has acquitted themselves well in recent months. Both voted in favor of the exorbitant raises for the mayor and city council, the same raises that led to the creation of the website I am posting from. As of this writing, 24 residents have reported sending Councilor DiBona an email asking him to meet and discuss the raises he supported, with none reporting a response from him. Seven people have reported sending a note to Councilor Cain, with one person reporting a response. It makes sense that Councilor Cain would receive fewer emails, since he represents residents of Ward 3, while Councilor DiBona represents the city “at-large.”
Register of Deeds
The Registry of Deeds is where property records are maintained for Norfolk County’s 28 communities. The register supervises this office and serves as an assistant recorder of the Massachusetts Land Court. Property owners can contact this office to obtain a copy of their deed, file a homestead declaration, record mortgage discharges, and seek assistance with historical or genealogical research.
The incumbent register has held the office since 2002. There have only been 11 registers since the office was established in 1793. The registry staff appears to be small, consisting of the register and two assistants, all of whom are attorneys.
Register of deeds candidates as they appear on the Commonwealth’s sample Democratic primary ballot.
This past week, many of you may have seen the mayor’s endorsement of Councilor DiBona in your mail:
Mayor Koch sent out a mailing endorsing Noel DiBona
I leave it to you, dear reader, to decide if the mayor’s description is accurate. However, I would like to draw your attention to this section: “Ultimately, the Register’s office is highly focused on customer service, and that makes Noel extremely qualified…” This stood out to me because I did not find Councilor DiBona’s recent silence regarding resident concerns to be in service to the many who have asked him to address his position on the mayor’s raise. It’s natural to wonder if the mayor’s endorsement influenced the councilor’s decision to support the extremely high salary increase.
US Senator:
Republican Senate candidates as they appear in the Commonwealth’s sample Republican primary ballot
Ward 3 Councilor Ian Cain is running to be the Republican candidate for the US Senate, who will go on to challenge Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Warren in November. Like Councilor DiBona, Councilor Cain also touts an endorsement from Mayor Koch: “In all the time I have known Ian, he has been a man of his word. When he promises something to the people of Quincy, he delivers, which is a quality we desperately need in Washington. I am excited to support his campaign for Senate, and I know the people of Massachusetts can count on him to lead us into the future.”
Councilor Cain is also a founder of QUBIC Labs, an incubator that works with entrepreneurs in the blockchain technology space (e.g., cryptotechnology). This spring, Quincy became the first US municipality to issue a bond via blockchain. Quincy issued $10 million in tax-exempt bonds, with the entirety purchased by JP Morgan for distribution to its investors.
QUBIC also received a $2 million grant from the outgoing Baker-Polito administration in 2022. At that time, Mayor Koch said, “I’m incredibly proud of the work QUBIC Labs has done right here in Quincy in just a very short time, and this award is a firm recognition of its potential to grow, create good jobs, and make Quincy a hub for the tech economy in the years ahead.”
It will take time to unpack the meaning and implications of these developments, but the links between the city’s finances and its leaders are worth watching.
A Just Quincy came together to protest the links between the mayor, who proposed the pay hikes, and the council, who approved and benefits from them. Does it feel unsettling to you that the financial prospects of city councilors and the mayor are so intertwined? Does connecting these dots make the council’s lack of pushback on the raises less surprising?
NINE NINE!
Speaking of Quincy’s city council, its first meeting back after the summer break is the evening of Monday, September 9th. A Just Quincy is organizing another rally to protest the raises the mayor and council have given themselves (79% and 50% respectively). We have been seeing some interesting notices around town lately inviting the residents to attend and participate in what we are calling the NINE NINE! rally.
Share your favorite — clearly real :P — pic on your social media channels!
— Joe Murphy, A Just Quincy co-founder
