Boston City Council President Ed Flynn said Wednesday it is "premature" to discuss whether City Councilor Kendra Lara should resign as she faces charges stemming from a car crash on Friday. But he said that the council has "failed" the public by not providing ethical leadership.
"These accusations are troubling," Flynn said. "And residents of the city are concerned and are expecting positive and ethical leadership from all of our leaders. And at times, they're not getting it from members of the Boston City Council."
The City Council president spoke with GBH News after releasing an open letter in which he expressed relief that Lara, her child and others were not seriously injured, but also said Boston residents want their elected officials "to follow the same basic rules and norms as the people they serve."
A Boston Police report says a woman whose name is redacted was driving with a revoked license in an unregistered, uninsured car with an expired inspection sticker when she crashed into a house on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain last Friday. Multiple news reports have identified Lara as the driver.
According to the incident report, Lara claimed she swerved left to avoid a car that was pulling away from the curb, causing her to crash into the house.
The driver of the other car said Lara was driving "at a high rate of speed," and claimed he stopped pulling out of the parking spot when he saw Lara's car approaching.
Lara's office has not responded to requests for comment from GBH News. Her chief of staff, Lee Nave Jr., said in a statement to NBC Boston that the councilor "asks for privacy at this time."
Another Boston City Councilor, Ricardo Arroyo, recently acknowledged breaking conflict-of-interest law by representing his brother, Felix, in a civil lawsuit brought against him and the city, even after joining the City Council.
Arroyo agreed to pay a $3,000 fine last month.
Flynn said the City Council has lost the public's trust and needs to refocus on the "nuts and bolts" of city government to regain it.
"I come into this office every single day," Flynn said. "I don't take weekends off. I don't take vacation, and I observe a lot by being here, by being in my district seven days, seven nights a week. It's up to each city councilor to evaluate how they conduct themselves and make changes accordingly."
Lara's court date has not yet been set.
