By Adam Swift
The City Council unanimously approved a $30,000 supplemental appropriation on Monday night to pay for this weekend’s mayoral election recount.
Last week, the Board of Election Commissioners approved Dan Rizzo’s filing for a recount in his race against Patrick Keefe on Nov. 7. The unofficial count had Keefe on top by approximately 360 votes.
The recount will take place beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2 at the Revere High School gymnasium.
“This recount was not anticipated as part of the FY2024 budget process,” stated Richard Viscay, the city’s finance director. “To ensure that funds are available to cover the costs of this recount, I have requested the Elections Commissioner to send me the estimated costs that the city will incur to administer a recount. It is estimated that the costs will be approximately $25,000 to $30,000 depending on the length of time needed and legal services required to complete the recount.”
Viscay requested that the council approve the appropriation of $30,000 to ensure that the city would not incur any costs associated with the recount without an appropriation in place. Any money that remains after the recount will be returned to the general fund at the end of the year.
In other business, the council approved Mayor-Elect Keefe’s request that parking meters throughout the city business districts not be enforced on the first four Saturdays in December to encourage shoppers to patronize local businesses during the holiday season.
“After doing so in previous years, I am confident that this will be a great opportunity for residents and visitors to enjoy the variety of shops and restaurants available in our city, and at the same time benefit both the businesses and shoppers,” stated Keefe.
