Beverly City Council Appoints Dominic Copeland to Fill Ward 6 Vacancy

BEVERLY — December 21, 2020 — Beverly City Council appoints Dominic Copeland to the Ward 6 seat in a unanimous final vote. The council filled the vacancy left by outgoing Councilor John Freddies after two rounds of balloting among nine candidates, with Copeland falling one vote short at four in the first round before securing six votes in round two and a final 8-0 tally on reconsideration. The same meeting saw the council unanimously approve a $3,742,080 supplemental FY 2021 appropriation, including $750,000 for a new pumper fire truck, $867,863 in additional Chapter 70 funding for Beverly Public Schools, and $1,059,808 to eliminate reliance on the stabilization fund. Budget Analyst Jerry Perry told the council the move would cut a projected FY 2022 deficit from roughly $4.5 million to approximately $1.9 million. Three orders that would have raised salaries for the mayor, city council, and school committee were received and placed on file without action.