A home rule petition that was passed by the Woburn City Council with a vote of 6-3 to offer a special benefits package to a Woburn officer disabled in the line of duty has been sent back to the city pending official mayoral approval.
The benefit package was for Officer Robert DeNapoli, who was shot multiple times and seriously wounded during an armed robbery in 2011. The bill stated that DeNapoli would be able to retire on disability at his current age of 52 and receive 100 percent of the pay he would have received until age 65.
After that, he would receive a disability pension equal to 100 percent of his pay for the rest of his life. It was passed on June 18.
Mayor Scott Galvin originally asked the city council to approve special legislation that also allowed DeNapoli to receive 100 percent of what he would have made until the age of 65, but would have then had his pension cut to 80 percent of his pay after that age. On Wednesday, June 12, a city committee voted to amend the legislation to allow him to receive 100 percent of his pay after the age of 65.
The special legislation was sent to the Massachusetts State Legislature on July 2 for approval there before being sent to Gov. Deval Patrick's desk.
However, on Tuesday, July 9, the legislation hit a snag. According to a letter sent to the city from State Reps. James Dwyer and Jay Kaufman and State Sen. Kenneth Donnelly, the town's representatives on Beacon Hill, they said the legislature cannot take up the issue without it getting direct approval from Mayor Galvin. Alderman Rosa DiTucci confirmed to Patch that Galvin did not sign the bill before sending it to the state legislature.
"We are writing to inform you that after consultation with both House and Senate Counsels, we must report that the Legislature cannot take action on the home rule petition you sent us on July 2, 2013," the letter states. "In order for the home rule petition to be properly prepared, both the Mayor and the City Council must indicate approval before it can be submitted to the Legislature."
Woburn Patch will follow up on the status of the legislation as events move forward. Previous calls to Mayor Galvin's office were not returned and the mayor is on vacation this week.
Read Woburn Patch’s coverage of the shooting and Officer Robert DeNapoli.
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