Councilor John Lysak (Facebook)

John Lysak (Ward 8)

Contact:
Phone: 413-342-9232
Email: [email protected]
Website: Campaign
Twitter
Facebook

First Elected: 2009
Committees: Intergovernmental-State/Federal Relations, Chair; Public Health & Safety;
Education: Unknown
Work: Unknown
Prior Public Service: none known
Other Elections: 11th Hampden House General 2004 (l), Springfield City Council 2005, 2007 (l)
Political Distinctions: (Historically) Member, Springfield Republican Committee

Poll of last contested election: City Council Ward 8 2011 general:

*winner

Key votes:

Repeal biomass:         Yes
Police Oversight Board:    No
For Mayor’s FY2013 Budget: No
For Mayor’s FY 2014 Budget: No
Tightening Residency Ordinance Waivers: Yes

Selected WMassP&I Stories (all tagged stories here):
Who, Not What, Should Now Go to Committee
He Who Would Be Council President
Take My Council, Please: Rules of Engagement
Take My Council, Please: Cheers & Jeers
Take My Council, Please: Pushing Paper
Take My Council, Please: Financial Cobwebs
Campaign High Finance
Take My Council, Please: REVOKED!

Political Note: The attribute that makes John Lysak stand out most is also the one that should be least relevant in a non-partisan municipal government.  Still, Lysak can claim the novelty of being the Council’s sole Republican member, or he could until registering as an independent to vote for friend Melvin Edwards in the Hampden Senate race.  On policy, he appears about as moderate or even liberal as any politicians should be when considering the often greater needs of urban constituents.  Somewhat conservative, but not unrealistic.  He wholeheartedly rejected trading health for jobs on biomass, the plant for which was slated for his ward.  He has argued, albeit more theoretically, for taxing multiple family dwelling owners as businesses, despite the howls of the Sears family, a politically connected family of real estate agents.  His votes on behalf of business or against tax/fee increases are rarely cast with some other councilors’ support.  There are allegations out there that he nevertheless is targeted by the city’s Democratic machine.  He may be targeted, but by somebody else as the many Democrats of Springfield hardly act collectively enough to target somebody out office, or at least to do it well.  Indeed when somebody began leaking smears to the press about Lysak during his 2011 reelection, it was the Valley Blogosphere’s godfather, the seemingly politically omniscient, right-leaning, but history-minded Tommy Devine who published them.  Yet Lysak prevailed, in part because of his adamant opposition to biomass, which likely endeared him to voters across the political spectrum.  Lysak challenged Ferrera for the Presidency for 2013, and kept the contest close until the end when some inexplicable reversal led him to not even put his name forward.  Reasonable and affable, most of Lysak’s votes have been fair.  However, other votes on matters of varying degree of importance are inconsistent and remain inexplicable.