After serving the residents of Warwick for a combined total of 26 years, Ward 9 Councilman Steve Merolla and Ward 1 Councilman Rick Corley delivered swan songs Monday at the final meeting of their elected careers.

But the occasion wasn’t without political drama, including Mayor Joseph J. Solomon’s thwarted late efforts to appoint political allies to the Sewer Authority and the Zoning Board of Review and his refusal to sign resolutions commending Merolla and Corley on their service.

Those appointments, requiring City Council confirmation, were shortstopped when council members refused to suspend their own rules requiring that the appointments be docketed in the “business” or first meeting of the month. The mayor emailed a second set of mayoral appointments not requiring council confirmation to Merolla late Monday afternoon.

The email also contained a message of appreciation from the mayor.

“As Mayor and as a former City Council colleague of so many of you over my past two decades of public service, it has been a pleasure working with each and every one of you,” he said. Solomon spoke of initiatives and policies they collectively worked on.

“I offer you all my heartfelt best wishes for continued success, and hope that you and your families have a joyous and memorable holiday season and a New Year filled with good health and happiness.”

Merolla, who stepped in as council president when Solomon became interim mayor after former Mayor Scott Avedisian resigned to accept the job of president and CEO of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority in April 2018, touched on the work involved in representing the public and how in his 22 years representing Ward 9 it often meant time away from his family. In an interview Tuesday, he observed his daughter Bella, a senior at Prout, has never known him not to be a councilman.

Merolla’s colleagues on the council spoke of his leadership, but none more effusively than Ed Ladouceur of Ward 5. Ladouceur said Merolla also kept the “big picture” in focus and was fearless in doing what was at the best interest for his constituents and the city regardless of the flak from special interests. He said Merolla’s perspective and institutional history would be missed.

In offering his best wishes, Ward 7 Councilman Steve McAllister, who is set to succeed Merolla as council president, noted Merolla has been a councilman since he was in high school. McAllister said he was making the point not to bring attention to Merolla’s age but his extended public service.

Corley, who lost in the September Democratic primary to William Foley, spoke of the challenges of learning the job as councilman. He identified the restoration of school funding enabling athletics last year as a high point. He applauded the work of city employees and he said his votes reflected what he believed best for the citizens that were not always consistent with the wishes of the administration.

Praise of Merolla and Corley came from their colleagues. In his remarks, Merolla also spoke of working with Solomon – the two and Ladouceur were allies during Avedisian’s administration. Merolla noted Solomon was elected to the council two years after he came aboard.

“This is my last opportunity to publicly thank him for his years of service to the city of Warwick and I wish him well in his future endeavors,” he said.

No such wishes were forthcoming from the mayor. Donna Travis, Ward 6, requested resolutions honoring Merolla and Corley of the mayor’s office in early December. She told the council there were none.

Further fueling comments of pettiness and childishness from Merolla and Ladouceur, Merolla confirmed a report that as he was about to start the last meeting of his council career, he received an email requesting that he promptly return the council gavel so that its plaque could be removed and replaced with McAllister’s name.

“How much is the gavel? I will pay for it and the City can buy a new one. This is ridiculous, after 22 years of service to the City of Warwick, Council President Merolla deserves to keep the gavel,” Ladouceur said in an email.

Appointments Solomon sought to have the council confirm included John B. Giusti to the Sewer Authority for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2025, and to the Zoning Board of Review, Paul R. DePetrillo, expiring Jan. 1, 2026; Everett O’Donnell Jr., a reappointment for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2024; Jeffery Ursillo to replace Beverly Sturdahl for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2022; and William Muto to replace George Shuster Jr. for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2026.

In a telephone call Tuesday, Shuster questioned whether Solomon could have replaced him before he completed his term without due cause. It’s no surprise Shuster was targeted, as he was highly critical of Solomon in a letter to the editor published during the mayoral campaign.

When informed of the council rule requiring that appointments requiring confirmation be introduced at the business meeting, Ward 4 Councilman James McElroy made a motion in committee to suspend the rules so the full council could vote on the appointments. He waited for a second to the motion but never got one. The council didn’t take up the matter.

As for appointments not requiring council approval, Solomon reappointed James H. Paolucci to the Board of Public Safety for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2023; Thomas McGovern to the Board of Public Safety for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2024; Philip C. Slocum to the Warwick Planning Board for a expiring Jan. 31, 2025; and the new appointment of Michael Penta to the Warwick Planning Board to fill the position of Wayne Hemond, who has resigned. Penta’s term expires Jan. 31, 2024.