Portland council picks mayor, bypassing Greens again

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PORTLAND — City councilors chose Nicholas Mavodones Jr. on Monday as Portland's next mayor. It's the third time the council has given Mavodones the job.

Once again, the council broke with tradition to keep a member of the Green Independent Party from being mayor.

In the past, councilors took turns being mayor, giving the gavel to the most senior member who had yet to take the post.

But this year and last year, the council bypassed Green party members who were next in line.

Last year, the council gave the post to Jill Duson, a Democrat who had held the post before, bypassing Councilors David Marshall and Kevin Donoghue.

On Monday, David Marshall, a Green, was the only declared candidate besides Mavodones. He was the most senior councilor who had yet to be mayor, except for Kevin Donoghue, a Green who didn't want the job.

After the council selected Mavodones, a Democrat, at its caucus, Marshall said the selection showed that the tradition of giving every councilor a turn as mayor was a "fallacy."

"The reality is that you need to get the majority of votes to be mayor," he said.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=296660&ac=PHnws

[ccharles000]

1. kick

[Vidar]

2. K&R. Sorry to hear this.