Everett City Council to review mayor's payments and bonuses

The Everett City Council decided to hire an independent auditor to review payments made to Mayor Carlo DeMaria over the last ten years. This decision was made during a unanimous vote on Monday. This action follows a report by the State Office of the Inspector General. The report revealed that DeMaria received $180,000 in bonuses that were hidden in the city budget. The Inspector General found that this was done so that city council members would not notice. Although there have been calls for DeMaria to resign, he recently announced that he is running for re-election. He insists that he is entitled to the bonuses and claims the report was politically motivated. DeMaria expressed his disbelief that the report was released during his campaign. Everett city councilmember Rob Van Campen emphasized that the investigation is serious and that the council will thoroughly implement the Inspector General's recommendations. Some residents are now questioning who is funding DeMaria's legal defense. DeMaria stated that he is using public funds to pay for his attorneys. He also noted that the city council is spending public money on legal counsel as well. DeMaria said he would not back down despite being targeted by critics.