Residency Matters, Except When It Doesn't
Errol Louis has more on the residency problems facing newly elected City Councilman Mathieu Eugene, whose swearing-in ceremony was just postponed. because he lives outside the district.
[UPDATE: Eugene's campaign manager called to say that neither newly elected Council member was sworn in today because the outcomes were not certified by the city's Board of Elections.]
A reader reminds of a certain irony in the fact that Eugene's strongest supporter in this race, former Council member and current Representative Yvette Clarke, lambasted her opponent last year for moving three blocks into the district a year before the race started.
Eugene's campaign manager, Joe Placide, told me yesterday that his candidate is still looking signed a lease February 1 for an apartment.
Where are the Jerrys? Goldfeder and Skurnik, that is. We need a legal opinion. Are the results not being certified because Eugene did not live in the district on Election Day? Wow
Ask Goldfeder - I'm not a lawyer and know just enough election law to get you into trouble.
Skurnik knows more than he is letting on!!
Assuming he didn't live in the district on election day, he is not eligible to serve. The Board of Elections cannot certifiy his election and the City Clerk cannot swear him in. Moving into the district now does not rectify the problem because the legal eligibility requirements were not met.
So what to do? There is yet another vacancy. The Mayor should call for another special election, Mr. Euguene should make sure that he lives in the district on the new election day.
This is such a shame because his victory is of such significance. But if he won this time, he will certainly win again.
It doesn't matter who Jerry Goldfeder is working for. Either he's correct or he's not correct. Are you saying he's not correct?