LYNN — The City Council overwhelmingly rejected Mayor Jared C. Nicholson’s proposed Administrative Code Tuesday night, sending the document back for revisions after councilors argued it did not provide enough legislative oversight of city departments under Lynn’s new city charter.

The Administrative Code, required under the city charter approved unanimously by the council in April 2025, is intended to establish the city’s administrative structure and define the responsibilities of departments, boards and commissions.

The council voted 10-1 against the proposal after a motion by Councilors Cardeliz Paez and Nicole D. McClain to table the matter and continue discussions failed. Because the charter allows the council only to approve or reject the Administrative Code, a “yes” vote rejected the proposal, while a “no” vote would have approved it.

Voting to reject the code were Councilors Jordan T. Avery, Brian M. Field, Fredrick W. Hogan, Brian P. LaPierre, Obed A. Matul, Nicole D. McClain, Peter D. Meaney, Natasha S. Megie-Maddrey, Cardeliz Paez, and Council President Constantino “Coco” Alinsug. Councilor Hong L. Net cast the lone vote in support of the proposal.

Before Tuesday’s vote, Nicholson presented a revised version of the code that incorporated feedback from councilors following individual meetings. The changes clarified the council’s ability to work directly with department heads on constituent services, policy matters, and routine administrative coordination, and added language requiring the code to be reviewed every four years and during the first year of each mayoral administration.

“I believe that the code will allow us to improve city operations and get better results for our residents,” Nicholson said. “I think by creating a structure that supports deeper collaboration among departments, we can expect more cohesion and better coordination, whether we help with programming for veterans or parking considerations in development.”

After the meeting, Nicholson said the proposal had been developed over the past six months by his administration, experts from the Collins Center at UMass Boston, and department heads through multiple meetings that included council representation. 

He also said the administration informed the council eight months ago about the process and its plan to hire an outside consultant, a step the council approved. Nicholson added that the city’s Law Department advised that amendments to the code by the council would violate the city charter, leaving the council with the option to approve or reject the proposal as presented.

Despite the revisions, several councilors said they remained concerned the code would shift too much authority to the executive branch and limit the council’s ability to oversee city departments.

“This is a simple message that we want to be at the table and work to develop an administrative code that is passed for our residents, and not for just this administration, from many administrations that come to pass this one,” Avery said. “We need to make decisions that make sense for our future as well.”

McClain said the council has an independent responsibility to evaluate city departments when making legislative decisions.

“While I understand the mayor is the city’s chief executive, I believe the council also has an independent responsibility to evaluate department performance as we (make) legislative decisions,” McClain said. “Structured reporting is one way to strengthen, not weaken, the government.”

McClain also said she had suggested language encouraging appointments to city boards and commissions that reflect Lynn’s diverse community.

“I viewed that as an opportunity to affirm our shared commitment to ensuring that many voices and experiences within our community are represented in the work of city government,” she said.

Megie-Maddrey said one of her primary concerns involved language stating the Administrative Code would prevail over city ordinances in the event of a conflict.

“Ordinances are enacted by the elected legislative body after a public hearing debate,” Megie-Maddrey said. “They reflect the policy-making authority entrusted by this council to the people of Lynn. I believe we should be extremely cautious about adopting language that could diminish that authority.”

LaPierre said he would like to see examples of similar administrative codes from other municipalities before approving Lynn’s proposal.

“That would help inform us, I think, toward a better representation of the document that we have before us right now,” LaPierre said.

Although he voted against the proposal, Alinsug said he hopes the administration will continue working with councilors before bringing the code back for another vote.

“I also recommend that his honor the mayor consult with two city councilors, selected by the council president, while preparing your revised administrative code for the city council,” Alinsug said. “I will further add Council LaPierre’s motion to include our city solicitor with this discussion.”

Under the city charter, Nicholson has 60 days to submit a revised Administrative Code for the council’s consideration.