Mayor Greg Sparrow is blasting the four council members who voted against his nominee for 3rd Ward alderman Monday night.

Sparrow charged members who voted against nominee Gary Wiggins had either a personal or political vendetta against himself, Wiggins or both.

Second Ward Alderman Michael Welsh, 4th Ward Alderman Rita Tewksbury, 5th Ward Alderman Bessie Chronopoulos and 6th Ward Alderman James Pennington voted against Wiggins. First Ward Alderman Amy Polzin, 3rd Ward Alderman Bill Hanna and 7th Ward Alderman Jeff Monroe voted for the nominee.

None of the aldermen disputed Wiggins’ qualifications. “If he’s qualified, that should be enough to elect him,” Sparrow said.

The mayor said the reasons aldermen gave for voting against Wiggins did not make sense.

Sparrow said Wiggins’ recent change of residence to the 3rd Ward is a “bogus” concern. “He (Wiggins) was practically born and raised in that ward,” he said.

Wiggins’ return to the ward was motivated by his recent divorce and not for political reasons, Sparrow claimed.

Sparrow also criticized council members who said the nomination was too close to the election.

There was none of this concern when Polzin was nominated a month ago, Sparrow said. Now the 3rd ward must go unrepresented for the next five months, he said.

“This is the first time I’ve had one of my appointees rejected,” he said. “The process is for the mayor to make the appointment with the advice and consent of the aldermen.”

The mayor should be the “hub” and the aldermen the “spokes” of the process, he said.

Sparrow said he had no problem allowing Hanna to vote for his successor.

When it comes to issues that are specific to a particular ward, that alderman’s opinions should be highly regarded, he said.

None of the other recent appointed aldermen were voted for by the outgoing aldermen because the ones who resigned were students who left on short notice.

The mayor was not bothered that only three people applied for the position.

“Gary may be the consensus choice of many in the ward,” he said.

Sparrow said he thought Chronopoulos and Pennington voted against Wiggins because the mayor supported candidates against them in past elections.

“They didn’t have to take it out on the people of the 3rd Ward,” Sparrow said. “Gary Wiggins did not deserve what he got last night,” he said.

“I have a very serious concern about the running of the government if this is how decisions are going to be made,” Sparrow said.