REVERE — The city’s election on Tuesday will determine whether former Mayor Daniel Rizzo is elected to the City Council, two years after he was knocked out of the corner office by Mayor Brian Arrigo in a close race that included a recount.
Rizzo, who is running for City Councilor-at-Large, was elected as the city’s mayor in November 2011, and served one term, from January 2012 to January 2016. Prior to that, he was elected to the City Council for six terms, or 12 years. He is the president of Rizzo Insurance Group, Inc.
Arrigo has been critical of the former mayoral administration, particularly regarding a report regarding the Revere Police Department he released earlier this year that he said was kept from the public by Rizzo.
The report was critical of the police department — Arrigo is in the midst of conducting a top to bottom organizational review of the department and aims to change a city ordinance that requires the police chief to come from within the department, and instead expand the pool of candidates.
The mayor chose not to renew the contract of former Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli, who was appointed by Rizzo while he was mayor, and instead appointed James Guido as interim police chief.
Rizzo fired back at Arrigo in September, in both an interview with The Item, and an op-ed piece he submitted, claiming that he never saw the critical report about the police department and that calls from the former police chief to the Edward J. Collins Center, the University of Massachusetts Boston organization that conducted the review, went unanswered.
Rizzo is one of a dozen candidates vying for five Councilor-at-Large seats. Incumbents Jessica Ann Giannino, Steven Morabito, George Rotondo and Anthony Zambuto are looking to retain their seats. The seat of Robert Haas Jr., an at-large member who died unexpectedly in July, will also be filled.
At-large challengers are Rizzo, Todd Braid, John Correggio, Nicholas Moulaison Sr., David Jose Ramos, Dimple Rana, Wayne Rose and Michael Zaccaria.
All six Ward Council races are contested — in Ward 1, incumbent Joanne McKenna faces Cheryl Whittredge; in Ward 2, incumbent Ira Novoselsky faces Sebastian Guiseppe Mancuso; Ward 3 Councilor Arthur Guinasso faces challenger Anthony Saverio Cogliandro; Ward 4 Councilor Patrick Keefe is up against Philip Joseph Russo; in Ward 5, incumbent John Powers faces Eric Lampedecchio; and in Ward 6, incumbent Charles Patch Sr. faces a challenge from Arthur Henry DeMattia.
Nine candidates are vying for six School Committee seats. Incumbents Michael Ferrante, Susan Gravellese, Stacey Rizzo, Frederick Sannella and Carol Tye are seeking reelection. Challengers are Glenn LaCedra, Stephen Reardon, Albert Terminiello and Gerry Visconti. Current member Dan Maguire did not run.
The election also features a ballot question, that if accepted, would provide a new real estate tax exemption for qualifying senior citizens in Revere. Arrigo said Question 1 would give a 10 percent tax exemption to senior citizens with an annual income of under $57,000 who own and occupy their homes, which on average would have saved a senior citizen about $451 last year.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
