The trouble erupted after City Council Tracye President Whitfield failed to immediately recuse herself from consideration of a street discontinuance. She co-owns the entity that owns a property that would grow once the city discontinues the street. Plus, her son was presenting the item. While she did not vote on the item, her time briefly presiding during consideration means the Council must purge its vote to terminate the street.
After a seven-year interregnum, Ward 2 City Councilor Michael Fenton is poised to resume the role of Council President in 2024. Fenton, who joined the Council in 2010, served three one-year terms from 2014 to 2016.
UPDATED 2:00PM: To include details of Commission Calvi’s letter and other investigations. SPRINGFIELD—Before his online commenting past became public, Chris Pohner, a retired firefighter, was Domenic Sarno’s candidate for City Council at-large. On the afternoon of September 14, Sarno was rallying the troops at Pohner’s
SPRINGFIELD—It could be easy to overstate the stakes of the City Council’s impending decision on a new City Clerk. Aside from opening another front in the simmering battle over separation of power in city government, the decision’s consequences are hard to fully parse. But both
Further UPDATED 12:42PM: The Globe reports Rosenberg will resign. His last day is tomorrow. Our story has been changed to reflect this. UPDATED 12:22PM: To include new and additional media reports describing local & senators’ comments on Rosenberg. In a report issued Wednesday, the Massachusetts
SPRINGFIELD—To the surprise of few, State Representative Bud Williams announced Monday he would not relinquish his City Council seat after being sworn into the 190th General Court last Wednesday. Resigning mid-way through his eleventh term would have deeded it to 2015 rival, Jesse Lederman. Claiming
UPDATED 9:17AM: For grammar & clarity. Last week the Springfield City Council stood up and demanded that Mayor Domenic Sarno (as well as other appointing authorities) fulfill their obligations and appoint individuals to dormant boards and commissions of the city. As important as that public
SPRINGFIELD—Breaking its summer fast, the City Council returned for its sole scheduled regular meeting in July and August. The agenda ranged from reports and grants to more consequential votes for bond authorizations, action on historic preservation, and ratification of labor agreements. But there was also
UPDATED 9:52 PM: NEPR reports confirm Mayor Sarno has signed the casino ethics ordinance. SPRINGFIELD—Amid some uncertainty about details in the new contract, approval of the city’s pact with its firefighters—the first in years—was nearly derailed as officials scrambled to secure the details. While ultimately
UPDATED 2/14/15 11:35PM: To reflect a correction. The vote to transfer bond proceeds to overruns on other projects was originally reported to be 13-0. It was, in fact, 12-1 with Fenton in dissent. SPRINGFIELD—Finally holding a meeting after a rush of early-week storms scrubbed its typical