The Brockton City Council is blasting its mayor over his interest in attracting recreational cannabis shops to town.
Councilors say the Mayor Bill Carpenter is trying to ram through his own rules and regulations when it comes to recreational cannabis in Brockton.
One city councilor described it as a “slap in the face,” while another said it was “a kick in the teeth.”
“That’s bogus. That’s shenanigans,” Councilor-at-large Robert Sullivan told Boston 25 News. “What I don’t understand as a city councilor is why would we rush to get this done?”
At least three city councilors said they are frustrated with the mayor for keeping them in the dark when it comes to regulating the shops in Brockton.
Last week, the council was caught off guard when Mayor Carpenter dropped his detailed, proposed ordinances regarding recreational marijuana. Councilor Sullivan says this was done with almost no input from the council.
He says the mayor is using strong-arm tactics.
“I think we’re pigeon-holed,” said Sullivan. “We look like we’re weak. We’re supposed to be a strong council and a weak mayor. It’s vice versa. That’s a misnomer.”
Tuesday morning, councilor Winthrop Farwell went after the mayor on Facebook, calling out city hall for being “misleading” and lacking integrity.
“It makes you feel as if you’re dealing with people who are ethically bankrupt,” Farwell said.
Mayor Carpenter’s chief of staff told Boston 25 News the mayor was not at Monday night’s council meeting. We tried to get a response from Mr. Carpenter but we were told he did not want to go on camera. They said he would provide a written statement to us instead.
Right now, the city has a moratorium on cannabis stores. The state begins the application process for retail licenses next week.
Two councilors told Boston 25 News they feel they need to act quickly to figure out exactly how they will regulate pot shops in Brockton.
