Except for two years after her unsuccessful bid for mayor, Linda Morad has been a member of the New Bedford City Council since first elected in 2003. It may be time for Morad to ponder life after public life. Recent positions by Morad on a number of issues, including the plan to revert the golf course to an advanced manufacturing campus, have left me scratching my head.

Morad was elected to serve the residents of Ward 1 in 2003. She was re-elected three times, serving a total of eight years before deciding to run for mayor in 2011. The seat was open as Scott Lang opted not to seek another term. Morad was one of three candidates but was eliminated in the preliminary election, leaving Rep. Tony Cabral and newcomer Jon Mitchell to battle it out in the finals. Mitchell won and has been mayor ever since.

Morad won an at-large council seat in 2013 and remains in that position today. She and the rest of the council face re-election this fall.

Morad's opposition to redeveloping the golf course seems odd. It is almost as though she opposes the proposal simply because it was Jon Mitchell's idea. That is especially strange since Morad appeared to support a similar economic development philosophy as a candidate for mayor in 2011.

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Barry Richard/Townsquare Media
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It seems to me as though Morad resents Mitchell and is perhaps being petty about all of this. That is no way to govern.

Eighteen years is a long time in public office. Perhaps Morad's focus has become clouded and it's time to find something else to do.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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