SPRINGFIELD—The skimpiness of the evening’s agenda was no impediment for a lengthy and at times Byzantine City Council meeting. Though subjects like tax rates, snow removal and parking bans are familiar matters, councilors managed to expend considerable time and summon from the well of procedural
Not 24 hours after the polls closed Tuesday, Springfield City Council President Orlando Ramos declared he had the votes to remain Council President for another year. It was a swift, but not unanticipated announcement. By now it has become habit for Springfield council presidents to
Edge of 2017 is a series analyzing the results and aftermath of the 2017 elections in the Pioneer Valley and beyond. SPRINGFIELD—Though just a blip against a national political earthquakes in New Jersey and Virginia, Election Day in the Pioneer Valley did mark both transition
Springfield has a unique opportunity with so many open seats, all at-large, in this year’s election. It represents a paradigm shift away from the pre-ward representation Council. With nearly all of the (incorrect) institutional memory about the Council’s weakness fading, there is a real possibility
UPDATED 9/21/17 11:28AM: To include a quote from Ryan. SPRINGFIELD—Amid anemic turnout, voters in the 413’s largest city narrowed its unusually large at-large fields for City Council and School Committee. Incumbents seeking reelection romped in their races, leaving most of the action among who those
Courting 36 Court Street is a series of quick interviews with Springfield’s at-large candidates. **All interviews are edited and condensed for length.** Two years ago, Jesse Lederman fell short of an at-large Council seat in a year with no retirements. Now two councilors are retiring.
This is the second of two-part series on the impact of retirements on the 2017 Springfield at-large Council race. SPRINGFIELD—Only hours before the deadline to pull papers, word hit the City of Homes that not one, but two open at-large City Council seats in this
SPRINGFIELD—In politics, the City of Homes likes a comeback story. Over the last twenty years, the most successful at-large City Council challengers have made a stab at the office—or even held it—once before. That factor favors Ernesto Cruz and Jesse Lederman as they seek one of five
SPRINGFIELD—An early wave of enthusiasm has greeted the start of only the second mayor-less election cycle in the region’s largest city. A sizable clutch of candidates for City Council and School Committee took out papers Tuesday, the first day they were available for the 2017
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