Aldermen Explain Stance on DeNapoli Pension

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include a comment from City Council President Paul Denaro.

No members of the Woburn City Council argued that Woburn Police Officer Robert DeNapoli's actions when he was shot in the line of duty were anything less than heroic. But what has been up for debate since that day is what DeNapoli's pension should look like.

City Council’s approval last week of DeNapoli's pension plan has been the hot topic among residents in recent days.

The vote was taken on Tuesday, June 18, during a brief City Council meeting. As a result the plan, which would award 100 percent pay to the injured officer, is awaiting a decision by Mayor Scott Galvin. The Mayor can sign off on the plan, veto it, or take no action which would allow the plan to go into place as though he approved it.

Ward 4 Alderman Michael Anderson said that while he praises DeNapoli’s “heroic actions,” he voted based on what he believed was best for the city.

“As was noted at our committee meeting when discussing this package, a guaranteed 100% after attaining retirement age is at risk of being rejected in light of what other officers in similar circumstances from other towns and cities receive,” said Anderson. “I was in favor of the package that guaranteed Officer DeNapoli 100% until age 65 at which time his retirement benefit would be 80% like his fellow officers. That package had the highest likelihood of passage at the statehouse.”

(Click here to read Anderson’s complete analysis of why he voted against the package)

Also voting against the pension plan was Darlene Mercer-Bruen, the Ward 5 alderman. 

Mercer-Bruen said she is “truly grateful” for the sacrifice of DeNapoli and other first responders, but she also did not believe the approved package was best for the taxpayers of Woburn.

“I have the difficult task of weighing all of the information and to make sure that the city strikes a balance between what is fair and reasonable for all tax payers and Officer DeNapoli,” said Mercer-Bruen, who believed the plan initially submitted by Mayor Scott Galvin was the best option. “I fully support the package as it was originally submitted and believe it to be fair for all involved.”

(Follow this link to read Mercer-Bruen’s thoughts on the issue in their entirety)

City Council president Paul Denaro was the third vote against the pension plan. Denaro said that while he did not support the plan during last week's vote, he is hopeful it will now pass at the state level.

"The package presented by Mayor Galvin was extremely rich in benefits and contained several precedent setting components," said Denaro. "In my opinion our modification opens the package up to yet an additional reason for the legislature and or Governor to deny the package and now moves forward without the Mayor's signature."

Ward 1 Alderman Rosa DiTucci was one of the six officials to vote in favor of giving Officer DeNapoli 100% of his pay through the retirement age of 65.

“When one of our own is hurt, we need to come together as a community to show our support and not abandon them when they need us,” said DiTucci, whose entire explanation can be read here. “What kind of message does this haggling send to our public safety personnel? How do we measure heroism and what kind of a monetary value do we put on the changes to Officer DeNapoli''s life? The criminals that did this will be out of jail and their time will be served. Officer DeNapoli has no end to the sentence they imposed on him. He will never be the same as he was before that day. That is why I fully supported giving Officer DeNapoli 100% of his pay.”