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Category Archives: Springfield City Council

For the House This Time, Edwards Again Looks East…

SPRINGFIELD—Only two major similarities exist between Melvin Edwards’s run for Senate in 2012 and his bid for the House this year. In both races, the primary will effectively decide the election and in both races Edwards is a candidate. Then things diverge considerably. While primary

T.J. Plante

Springfield’s Chancellor of the Exchequer…

UPDATED 7/14/14 4:02PM: For grammar, clarity, and additional quotes & links. Welcome to the Sunday Feature: An effort to bring you lengthier, more in-depth stories on some Sundays. SPRINGFIELD—“More than sufficient, the budget passes.” Those six words from City Council President Michael Fenton on Jun

Editorial: Councilor Jekyll and Candidate Hyde…

Some of the winners from Friday’s State Ballot Law Commission decision are obvious, starting with Eric Lesser, the former White House aide running in the contest to replace retiring senator Gale Candaras. The voters and indeed other contestants in the race are winners, but the

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Take My Council, Please: Community Unanimity on the Budget…

SPRINGFIELD—Weeks after the release of a budget with far less pain and sacrifice than years past, Mayor Domenic’s Sarno’s spending plan passed the City Council without so much as a hiccup. With up to four hearings scheduled to debate and pass the budget, only the

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Briefings: A Senate Run with a Little Help from My Friends…

SPRINGFIELD—The day before his hearing to object to the qualifications of one of his opponents, Ward 7 Councilor Timothy Allen secured some political reinforcements in his quest to matriculate from the City Council to the State Senate. Allen, representing the ward that includes the city’s

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Briefings: Judge Not Lest Ye Be Bonded…

Minor tremors of political news in the Pioneer Valley as District Attorney Mark Mastroianni finally received US Senate confirmation as a US District Court Judge. Meanwhile, the Springfield City Council advanced bonding authorization to clear out a deficit for the construction of the new Putnam

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Take My Council, Please: Overrunning on Empty…

UPDATED 6/4/14 6:15PM: The Springfield City Council gave final approval to the Putnam Bonds after brief debate. The vote was 11-2. More details here. SPRINGFIELD—Facing an agenda laden with some heavy issues, for the first time in a while, the Council stayed in session late

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Take My Council, Please: Historic Preservation Law & Order…

SPRINGFIELD—Another light agenda greeted the City Council Monday night shortly after it city finance officials presented the budget for fiscal year 2015, which begins on July 1st. Few if any items engendered much discussion most had virtually no opposition ahead of the beginning of the Council’s

Springfield

Take My Council, Please: You Have 13 Friend Requests…

SPRINGFIELD—Despite the best efforts of the its finest inertia, the City Council finally agreed to dip its toe into social media while tackling a budget that was more complex than it appeared. A slew of financial measures ahead of the new fiscal year and a

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Take My Council, Please: The Wheels on the Bus Go Round & Round…

SPRINGFIELD—Once again a light agenda confronted the City Council Monday evening. Even divisive and controversial concept like a Council Facebook page were not voted on that night. Most of the city and the region’s attention was focused a couple of miles away at Van Sickle