Boston City Council President explains why he posted letter criticizing two Latino colleagues

• Ed Flynn interviewed on “La Hora del Café” 

By Henry Brier

Two Boston City councilors will not be asked to resign but they must abide by a higher bar and demonstrate “positive, ethical leadership” so they may effectively serve constituents who rely on them, the Boston City Council president said Thursday morning on El Mundo Boston’s morning show, “La Hora del Cafe”.

Appearing via video call, Ed Flynn, was asked about his open letter posted on Twitter this week in the aftermath of his co-councilors’ recent appearance in media reports for what he called “ethical and legal lapses”. Flynn noted that such distractions “draw negative attention” away from assisting constituents.

Kendra Lara of District 6 faces court appearances for several unsafe driving counts and Ricardo Arroyo of District 5 agreed to a $3,000 conflict-of-interest fine for legal representation of his brother with an issue that also involved the City of Boston during his employment as a city councilor.

“Boston deserves positive, ethical leadership. I’m asking my colleagues to provide that to their constituents,” the council president told La Hora del Cafe on Thursday, later adding: “But residents demand and expect neighborhood services from district councilors and at times they’re not getting it because of these distractions.»

When asked if he had received any reactions from members of the Latino community regarding the scathing letter which blasts the two Latino city councilors, Flynn said that he and his staff had received many calls on the matter.

He noted that his office includes two young women who, like Lara, are of Dominican descent and speak fluent Spanish so he has had the opportunity to hear from many Latino residents, especially from his district in the South End.

“We had calls in support of both Councilor Arroyo and Lara from folks who thought I should not have weighed in on this issue, I also had other Latino residents who thought that my comments were accurate, fair and honest”.

Flynn was asked to clarify if he was asking Lara to resign.

“I am not asking them to resign… but Boston deserves ethical leadership and I’m asking my colleagues to provide that to their constituents”, said Flynn.

“I also think it’s important that Councilor Lara has her fair opportunity in court to be heard, so there is no action to be taken by me or hopefully this body,” added the son of former Boston Mayor Ray Flynn.

He did say he took one measure.

He called the offices of the mayor and city property management making sure that all personal vehicles of city employees parked on city premises need to be registered and insured, a reference to Lara facing charges for driving without a license, an unregistered and uninsured vehicle, and an expired registration sticker. Lara is also facing charges that she failed to secure her young son in a booster seat during the June 30 incident.

When prodded on why he felt the need to do this now and why he had never done this before. He responded:

“I’ve been city council President for a year and a half, the term ends December 31st, but when you’re the City Council President you have an obligation to the residents of Boston to inform the residents of what you’re thinking, what your opinion is and what you’re going to do about it.”

Flynn explained that he felt an obligation to speak up after the avalanche of negative press the actions of some his colleagues have received over the past year.

“I didn’t want to come forward and do this, and criticize my colleagues, but I felt like I had to. I get no personal satisfaction in doing this, but I could not stay silent when I see something happening on the body that is troubling. Residents deserve positive leadership and at times they are not getting it from this body. There is nothing glamorous about being a district councilor. It’s constituency services, it’s neighborhood services, it’s returning phone calls and emails and its about quality of life services and residents expect and demand these neighborhood services from district councilors and, at times, they are not getting them because of these distractions.”

Flynn also made it a point to express the fact he was relieved knowing that no one was seriously injured in the car crash and that he wished both Lara and her child a speedy recovery.

• La Hora del Café airs daily from 7am to 8am and is live-streamed via Facebook, Youtube and Twitter @ElMundoBoston