SPRINGFIELD—Eliciting boos from the gallery for hesitating on one issue, the City Council moved a matter to committee, while finally making progress on another Monday night. Nevertheless, the issue set the stage for what may be many confrontations between the mayor and the Council in
SPRINGFIELD—Earlier this month, City Council President Mike Fenton had urged residents to apply for four ad hoc committees he was forming, prompting a flood of applications into the Council office. The response exceeded expectations, leading Fenton to regret Monday night that he had “turn down” many people who had
SPRINGFIELD—The new City Council President moved quickly only a day after his election to appoint committees for the Council’s 2014 term. Ward 2 Councilor Michael Fenton shuffled the seats on the Council’s committee Tuesday and announced the formation of two policy-centric proactive committees, which will
SPRINGFIELD—For the first time in over a decade, Domenic Sarno was not taking an oath in an even year January. In the middle of the city’s first four-year mayoral term, he along with a packed Council chamber of family, friends, elected officials and city department
This is a fourth post analyzing the election results of the 2013 election. As much as the elections at-large and in Ward 8 last month in Springfield captured attention because of their upsets, in a lot of ways the lessons derived from them tell some
SPRINGFIELD—With a burst of legislation and a handful of grants, the City Council here closed out the year and, for that matter, itself with the last bit of business before the new year and the new Council is sworn. After some deliberation on a new
UPDATED 9:41PM: For grammar and minor edits. This is the third post in a series analyzing the results of the 2013 election. SPRINGFIELD—In retrospect, at-large Councilor Jimmy Ferrera may owe his political career to chance. When former State Senator and later clerk of courts Brian
UPDATED 12/5/13 10:57AM: To reflect a CORRECTION. Upon reviewing the tape of Monday’s council meeting, neither the Fire nor the Police Commission ordinances received first step. They were both referred to committee. SPRINGFIELD—This Monday at its penultimate regular meeting of the term (there is a
SPRINGFIELD—Not quite two weeks after voters went to the polls, the Springfield City Council got back to work grinding out its last meetings of the new year. Tackling a modest, but diverse agenda, the tenor of the meeting was largely restrained and positive. Council President
This is the second post in a series analyzing the results of the 2013 election. Last Tuesday was a big day in Springfield. The turnout was embarrassing, but the result was historic. Both the City Council and School Committee will feature a majority of minorities