New Council President Eyes Teamwork, Changes to Budget Process

The New Bedford City Council unanimously elected Councilor at Large Linda Morad as 2016 City Council President.

This will be Morad's first stint as president, and she already has her eyes set on a number of goals.

Her first message to her fellow councilors was to work together as a body.

"I know from time to time we won't agree with each other but I hope we will listen together and work together to promote the city's agenda," Morad said during her remarks.

Morad is considering creating new committees, one of which may revolve around the way the city handles the budget process and making sure the council has a fair say in the matter.

"Several of you have spoken to me over the last several months about the budget process and how it really doesn't work in the city of New Bedford," Morad told her colleagues. "I'll look forward to your ideas and to work with the administration to figure out how we can make the budget process in the city of New Bedford more effective with the administration, with the department heads and with us as a body."

Committee assignments are expected to be announced in January, earlier than usual, in order to allow the bodies to work through items still on the committee's agendas and determine what matters should be kept and which should be placed aside.

Morad is also planning on boosting the council's visibility and providing it with more of a driving force rather than the current "reactionary role" it's played in previous years.