SPRINGFIELD—The Dean of the Springfield City Council may have summed it up best himself. “I think people are still trying to figure me out,” at-large Councilor Tim Rooke said, contemplating his place in the city’s politics. Rooke, who has served on the Council since 1995,
SPRINGFIELD—Three incumbents. Three challengers. Two-thirds of the field for the at-large City Council race appeared Wednesday evening for a debate at American International College for the at-large seats on the City Council. It was a debate that featured differing styles among both the challengers and
Only a week out from Election Day in Springfield and throughout the region, there is precious little time other than Wednesday’s big debate to make news. Luckily in the past week, there is just enough Council news to worth a brief mention. The Republican had
SPRINGFIELD—In the Walsh household, politics is a family affair. In a room off the main entryway there are photos of Walsh ancestors standing with John F. Kennedy and Adlai Stevenson. While “Walsh” is itself a ubiquitous name in American-Hibernia, this particular family has been rooted
SPRINGFIELD—Politics in the City of Homes, like anywhere, as they say “ain’t beanbag.” For very few, however, can say with direct certainty, that playing the politics game may have nearly killed them. Ward 3 Councilor Melvin Edwards, however, may be the rare exception, but it
UPDATED 11/20/13 10:23AM: For grammar & additional facts. The Springfield City Council can’t help, but bring up a number of things before this upcoming election. Some like the raise for the mayor have been floundering for years. Another, new regulations for pawn shops, has been
SPRINGFIELD—The battle for Ward 8’s council seat is a familiar one. Incumbent John Lysak is seeking reelection and the challenger is Orlando Ramos, whom Lysak beat twice, sometimes very narrowly. Even if the race may seem like rerun, the players are anything but conventional in
UPDATED 10/10/13 3:32PM: Comments from the Council’s Public Safety Committee Chair Thomas Ashe added; clarification between last month’s defeated pawnbroker ordinance and the one referred to committee; and confirmation as to when the old holding period was shortened to the current 10 days. SPRINGFIELD—With elections
SPRINGFIELD—During a marathon session Monday night that was largely driven by the sheer weight of the agenda and not the outsized volume of councilors’ egos, the Council digested a massive list of financial orders and considered several ordinances. The meeting opened with a Audit Committee
Edited for Clarity This is a developing story, more details will be added when we have them. SPRINGFIELD—In defiance of Constitutional concerns and contractual obligations, at-large Councilor Jimmy Ferrera will introduce an ordinance Monday that would cancel existing waivers and potentially lead to a flurry