WOBURN - Mayor Thomas McLaughlin will not be required to affix the city's seal or letter his city-owned vehicle, pending a vote of the City Council on Tuesday, March 7.

This week, the council's Ordinance Committee voted to recommend that the mayor be exempted from the vehicle identification ordinance, which has been on the books for years but has never been actively enforced.

In January, Ward 2 Alderman Richard Gately sponsored a resolution that would bring every city vehicle into compliance, within a 30-day period. Previously, former Ward 5 alderman Paul Medeiros had championed compliance with the ordinance, which applies to all city employees (except certain unmarked police cars) who use city-owned vehicles.

"This has been an issue for 12 years and we need to get it squared away so we can get those 13 or 14 vehicles lettered," said Gately.

Gately noted McLaughlin - a former State Police officer - asked for an exemption from the ordinance because he occasionally uses his car in an "undercover" capacity and desires anonymity.

"He does some investigating," said Gately. "He doesn't want a bull's-eye on his car."

Ward 3 Alderman Scott Galvin said the exemption for the mayor "doesn't make sense."

"If we're lettering all cars, let's letter them all," said Galvin.

City Council President Charles Doherty noted the mayor's car was used differently and more frequently than those driven some other municipal department heads, who are supposed to drive their city-owned cars during business hours.