February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Flaherty, who came second to Menino in the September 22 preliminary vote, will face off against Menino in the November 3 election.
In an effort to bring third-place finisher Yoon’s supporters into his fold, Flaherty offered Yoon a job as “deputy mayor” in a Flaherty administration, an offer which Yoon accepted last week.
Menino won the preliminary election with 50.5 percent of the vote. Flaherty had 24 percent and Yoon 21 percent. South End businessman Kevin McCrea earned four percent.
The last Boston mayor to use deputy mayors was Kevin White, who served from 1968 to 1984. Raymond Flynn succeeded White and served until he became U.S. ambassador to the Vatican in 1993. Menino took over and has been mayor since. That’s time enough say Flaherty and Yoon supporters.
Flaherty said last week that Yoon’s role would include identifying wasteful spending and helping Flaherty set policy. The cabinet-level position of deputy mayor would likely carry a salary in excess of $100,000.
A spokesman for Menino has called the tag-team approach a “political gimmick” by a desperate candidate.
McCrea, meanwhile, is expected to jump onto the Flaherty bandwagon in the near future. He has accused Menino of fostering a culture of corruption at City Hall.