New North Citizens’ Council board divided before recent firings
SPRINGFIELD — Months before firings within the New North Citizens’ Council, its board of directors began showing signs of eroding unity — sparking at least one resignation and pitting members against each other.
Longtime Housing Director Maria Perez, who is also the Ward 1 Springfield city councilor, was fired July 21 and escorted from the agency where she worked for 43 years after receiving a termination letter that cited misuse of her work computer for “political purposes.”
Also fired was housing specialist Evelisse Gonzalez, an ally and assistant of Perez, for similar allegations.
Both said they were blindsided.
“I don’t even know why I was fired. This was back door politics. It’s shocking,” Perez said, later adding that she is mulling legal action.
Their firings occurred with the backdrop of a political contest involving Perez and New North Citizens’ Council board member Joesiah Gonzalez, a challenger for Perez’s council seat.
Perez’s exit was made public by Executive Director Maria Ligus and board members Efrain Vazquez Jr. and Gonzalez six days later in a statement Saturday that referenced “embezzlement,” even though there is no such language in her termination letter.
Records kept by the state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance show Ligus, Vazquez Jr. and a third board member, funeral director Jorge Colon, have collectively contributed $550 to Gonzalez’s City Council campaign. No contributions to Perez had been logged since her first run in 2021.
Gonzalez, a Springfield School Committee member, has declined to comment as a board member, but said on the heels of the announcement of Perez’s firing he plans to “pray for her.”
Perez and Gonzalez will face off at the polls Nov. 4.
Though board members are declining to address questions about whether the firings were political, some elected officials interviewed by The Republican say it isn’t credible to see it any other way.
City Councilor Sean Curran, who donated $100 to Perez’s campaign in June, called her a thoughtful and productive colleague. He added that he respects her for her long and dedicated advocacy work in the North End.
“When you serve 43 years for an organization and you are fired three months before a City Council election, it does look political, especially when the individual you are running against is on the board,” Curran said.
Six board members contacted by The Republican did not return calls for comment. Board member Venus Kourouvacilis declined to comment.
Council’s mission
New North Citizens’ Council, with a headquarters at 2455 Main St., was founded in 1973 as a social service organization to help the people of the impoverished North End section of Springfield. With a yearly budget of roughly $11 million, funded mainly by state and federal money, it runs housing, childcare, workforce training and health care programs.
Longtime board member Darryl Williams said he was not consulted on the firings, and believes the agency did not follow proper protocols for firing Perez.
“I was shocked,” Williams said. “We have policies in place. Employees are at least supposed to get a written warning.”
He also objected to Gonzalez’s assertion that the board only has oversight for Ligus, while she is “in charge” of everyone else.
“I don’t know why people keep saying that. Maria is in charge of day-to-day operations but the board is in charge of steering the organization. And if we’re not in charge of personnel, why does the board even have a personnel committee?” he asked.
Ligus has not responded to requests for comment.
Williams said Gonzalez is not a disinterested party in the Perez firing. “He’s running against her,” he said.
Williams said the board has become divided and points to split loyalties. His wife, Kandis Williams, quit the board over “nasty” exchanges during certain meetings, he said. Williams said he is baffled by the firings because an audit was conducted over the past few months and it was reported to the board that the agency passed with “flying colors.”
“During our audit we did not identify any deficiencies in internal control that we consider to be material weaknesses,” said the audit firm, MP p.c.
This spring, the board was divided over how to evaluate Ligus, the agency’s executive director, according to internal records obtained by The Republican. A series of emails circulated in April show Ligus was up for evaluation by the board, using a form she had drafted herself.
At least one board member objected to using that method.
“I am filling this out in protest. None of this has been done legally, according to our bylaws,” board member Sheyla Acosta wrote in an email.
“None of us has had the opportunity to vote for this at a board meeting with a quorum present. This form was created by Executive Director Maria Ligus and distributed for her by others, therefore the form and process should be thrown out,” it reads.
Acosta and fellow board member Carmen Santana went to Carmen Rivera, the council’s human resources director, over the matter and the completed evaluations of Ligus were shredded, correspondences show.
During the same month, the board president, Juana Girona, sent a withering letter to Santana and Acosta — the two board members — after a special board meeting April 3, when other panel members voted on and approved the missive chiding the two for interfering with the evaluations.
It referenced the shredding of documents, which Girona argued was done at the insistence of the two women.
“These actions are a gross overstep of the board’s power and authority ... that shall not be tolerated,” the April 8 letter says. “In line with this reprimand, effective immediately the both of you ... shall be removed from your roles as chairs from the committee in which either of you serve in that capacity.”
Neither Santana nor Acosta were willing to speak on the record.
Girona sent a letter of apology to Rivera, the human resources director.
“On behalf of the board of directors, I want to extend our sincerest apologies for the actions of a couple board members regarding the executive director’s evaluation process. Please know that the board acted swiftly and has reprimanded them,” it says.
That letter was dated April 8, a day before the reprimand was issued.
Additional documents show the board consulted attorney Seth N. Stratton, who determined members were entitled to take any action or no action. Stratton dissuaded them from taking no action, however.
Williams said the April 3 meeting was “contentious” and board members began verbally attacking each other. He declined to give further details as the debate took place in executive session.
He said the board of late has been rife with dissent, and fears the panel has become a “rubber stamp” for Ligus.
“You can’t even ask questions at meetings or you get shut down, being told this is not the time or place for questions. So I’m wondering when is the time and place for questions,” Williams said. “She’s supposed to work for us, not the other way around.”
Read the original article on MassLive .
