Springfield city councilor fired from 40-year job for ethics questions

SPRINGFIELD — A city councilor and longtime activist was suddenly fired from her job at the New North Citizens' Council and escorted from her desk last week.

Maria Perez, the agency's chief of housing programs and the Ward 1 city councilor, was terminated "effective immediately" after an internal review, according to a statement released Saturday night from Efrain Vazquez Jr., clerk of the New North Citizens' Council board of directors.

In an earlier interview this week, Perez denied any wrongdoing during the 43 years she has worked at the nonprofit organization.

Perez, who earns about $51,000 a year, said she has devoted her entire career to helping the people of the North End, particularly people living with HIV.

Perez did not respond to requests for comment Sunday after the council issued its statement but has shared her dismissal letter, signed by Executive Director Maria M. Ligus, that accuses her of using company equipment for political gain.

"I have conducted a forensic audit of your NNCC computer. Upon careful review of the files, I discovered an immense amount of political documents and files, multiple files for the Women of the VanGuard (sic) and lots of document not even remotely related to your job as chief of housing," the letter said.

While some documents go back several decades, others are recent, the letter said.

Perez founded Women on the Vanguard in 2008 as an advocacy and empowerment group especially designed for Latino women. She remains as a leader in the organization.

The letter explains it is against policy for any employee to engage in activities that make the agency appear dishonest or damage its reputation. Workers also cannot use public office or their public position for private gain or give preferential treatment to any person or entity.

"(The New North Citizens' Council) prohibits individualized partisan political activities inside our agency facilities during working hours by employees, consultants, volunteers and any other paid staff. This includes the use of agency computers, phones and program supplies," the letter said.

The results of the review have been referred to the state for examination.

The statement from the New North Citizens' Council said the board has contacted the "Attorney General's Ethics Commission" to ensure integrity and accountability, but the Ethics Commission and Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office are separate entities. Vazquez declined to clarify if the board reached out to both or one of the agencies.

The three-paragraph statement did not directly say why Perez was terminated but explained, as chief of housing programs, she managed federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, much of which is funneled through the city's Department of Housing.

"NNCC strongly condemns the ... the misuse of 501(c)(3) (nonprofit organization) resources for political purposes," the statement said.

Perez was one of the early employees of the neighborhood organization that has grown to provide a wide variety of assistance, including child care, housing help and workforce development programs aimed at people in their teens and early 20s.

"Our organization is committed to maintaining the public trust and operating with the utmost integrity," Juana Girona, board president, said in the statement.

Perez also has been involved in city politics since 2017, first as a School Committee member, representing Wards 1 and 3. She has served as a city councilor for Ward 1 since 2021.

She is running for reelection this year against School Committee member Joesiah Gonzalez, who represents Ward 1 and 3, as she did previously. Gonzalez is also a member of the New North Citizens' Council and a former employee.

"Overall, it is unfortunate, and I pray for Maria (Perez) and her family," Gonzalez said, speaking as an elected official and candidate, not as a board member.

He said the board only makes employment decisions when it comes to hiring the executive director, and he is only one of at least nine members.

"Integrity and ethics are important for public officials," he said.

Read the original article on MassLive .