LOWELL -- City Manager Bernie Lynch told the City Council's Public Safety Subcommittee last night not once -- but twice -- that Edward Davis' successor will be home-grown.
"I assure you," Lynch told the subcommittee comprised of Chairman Eileen Donoghue and Councilors Rodney Elliott and Edward "Bud" Caulfield, "that the next police superintendent will be chosen from within the ranks of the Lowell Police Department."
Many City Hall observers hope -- and expect -- that person will be 51-year-old Kenneth Lavallee of Chelmsford.
Lavallee, a member of the Lowell force for 22 years, most recently served as deputy superintendent until Lynch tapped him to become acting superintendent following Davis' departure last month to Boston.
Comments about the city's next top cop were made during a broader discussion on whether the position -- which pays about $130,000 annually -- should be removed from the confines of the state Civil Service Commission. It's something Lynch wants, and he got the support he needed from the subcommittee last night.
In discussing the next chief, Lynch stayed away from mentioning any names.
But Patrolman John Boutselis wasn't bashful. The head of the local patrolmen's union, who sparred with Davis, practically endorsed Lavallee.
"I give a hearty vote of confidence to the interim chief," said Boutselis, who also supports removing the position from Civil Service.
"I presume you will pick someone from within the ranks," added Caulfield. "The personnel over there is extraordinary."
Lynch said he favors removing the position for several reasons, including:
* It would ensure local control over how a new superintendent is selected. "It is imperative that a new superintendent have the leadership and management skills to command and direct the department," Lynch said. "Such attributes are not quantifiable or considered in the ordinary Civil Service written exams that test basic knowledge."
* Greater accountability. Currently, superintendents can only be removed from the job if the commission finds they have mismanaged the department or committed a crime. "In short, the Civil Service system can prevent the total accountability standard that other department heads must meet," Lynch said.
* Initially, Civil Service was created to eliminate corruption and patronage in government organizations. Since that time, other laws and regulations have been enacted to prevent such abuses.
"I think Civil Service has outlived it's usefulness," said Elliott.
Donoghue said she will support removing the position from Civil Service as long as the next chief is given a contract. He or she will, Lynch replied, a pact with a minimum of three years and maximum of five.
Lavallee did not attend the subcommittee meeting. However, he supports removing the position from Civil Service, as long as a contract is offered in exchange.
The full City Council will vote, as early as next week, to file a home-rule petition with the state Legislature to make the change. That's a process that could take about two months.
Across the state, several large communities have removed the chief's position from Civil Service. They include Braintree, Brockton, Cambridge, Chelsea, Haverhill, Lawrence and New Bedford.
Other communities have kept the job in Civil Service, including Fall River, Malden, Medford and Salem.
In Chelmsford, where Lynch formerly worked for 20 years, the job was removed from Civil Service following Raymond McKeon's retirement. Consequently, Lynch appointed Armand Caron, Raymond McCusker and most recently, James Murphy.
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