Just prior to last night’s scheduled city council meeting, Council President Pam Laliberte informed her colleagues she was resigning her leadership role. The move comes following charges against her of harassment of a Westport couple and witness intimidation in the harassment case.
Councilor Laliberte has not resigned from her position on the council.
Here are the contents of Councilor Laliberte’s letter to her colleagues:
To my colleagues on the Fall River City Council,
I have been very fortunate to be elected to the Fall River City Council by the residents of our City for four consecutive terms. By a vote of my colleagues, I was chosen to serve as Vice President of the Council for my 2nd and 3rd terms. This past January I was honored to be voted in by my current colleagues to serve as Council President. I have always held these positions in high regard.
I try my best to serve as a City Councilor and live my life in a purposefully positive manner. I work hard in both my professions, truly enjoy helping people, and giving back to my community. While I serve a public position, by nature I am a very private person, so these past few weeks have been a very emotionally painful experience for me. I have never been accused of a crime before, but I am certain my experience would not be considered normal. Having to patiently wait to tell the facts, with the report written as it was, has been a struggle for me, because while I value my privacy, I also believe the whole truth needs to be told, not just in the details of the case, but also the manner in which it was handled. This has been such a devastating experience for me personally that moving forward I know I will not be able to give the position of President the attention it deserves. At this time, I respectfully request that the Council choose a colleague at tonight’s meeting to fill this role until we vote again in January.
I am incredibly thankful for the outpouring of support the residents and employees of the city have shown me, and know that I am lucky to have the family and friends that I do. But what I have been especially thankful for is each of my fellow Councilors who have reached out to me. Vice President Dionne, and Councilors Cadime, Kilby, Pelletier, and Raposo. Over the years many City Councilors have found themselves in a not-so-great news story, reported on, or magnified by the fact that we hold this position. But we’re not just Councilors, we’re humans too. Sometimes people forget that, even our own colleagues. Thank you for recognizing there’s always another side to a story, and reserving judgement. I appreciate your kindness more than you know.
Sincerely,
Pam
Pam Laliberte
Fall River City Council
Councilor Laliberte did not attend last night’s meeting. Vice President Councilor Michelle Dionne chaired the meeting in her absence. The council will hold an election for a new president at its next scheduled meeting on September 27.
She will be arraigned on the charges she faces at a court appearance next month.
Comments are closed.