SPRINGFIELD—It is not exactly an open secret that Massachusetts’s third largest city has a number of unmet needs both small and large. Because of any number of disparities, there are few tools Springfield can apply that its neighbors can: except one. Virtually all of Springfield
SPRINGFIELD—The battle over charter schools dominated Monday City Council meeting, injecting the body into the fraught battle over the ballot question that would raise the charter cap in Massachusetts. But that issue did not monopolize councilors’ attention, as the body also spent a considerable amount
SPRINGFIELD—Fairly or not, Thomas Ashe’s political scorecard perhaps invites charges of being a political climber. An ambitious run for mayor and a stab at Clerk of Courts were unsuccessful. But unlike those other bids, the four-term councilor appears to have many of the goods voters Hampden County
On June 20, the Springfield City Council unanimously authorized a $1 million transfer into a reserve account for the city’s beleaguered pension system. The Council’s approval was hardly a surprise. Yet, the mere fact that it happened at all was a welcome development as the
SPRINGFIELD—At-large city councilor Thomas Ashe had been positioned to do well here in the Hampden Sheriff’s race. A sitting councilor who has appeared on residents’ ballots no fewer than eight times in the past fifteen years—including topping the at-large council vote once or twice—a decent
SPRINGFIELD—In a somewhat wonky meeting on a dreary May Monday, the City Council considered a host of financial measures from grants to appropriations to bonding. While most sailed through the body, there were speed bumps, which may presage a rockier path for Mayor Domenic Sarno’s
When Springfield at-large City Council Justin Hurst released his General Government Committee’s Thursday agenda, there were signs that the Council was inching toward a Rubicon. The meeting will discuss compliance with the city’s residency’s ordinance, expiration of waivers and the applicability to the fire chiefs,
This story is developing. A fuller account of Monday’s meeting will be posted soon. SPRINGFIELD—In a strong rebuke to Mayor Domenic Sarno, the City Council here overrode a veto of a law intended to tighten the rules thatrequire city employees to live in Springfield. The
UPDATED 10:26AM: For grammar & clarity. Touching off a fresh battle in a politically fraught issue, the Springfield City Council voted to strengthen the city’s employee residency ordinance Monday night. As expected, if surprisingly quickly, Mayor Domenic Sarno vetoed the measure the next day and sent
Campaigns are not static. As the field gels they change, but even after it is set, elections can remain fluid. Look no further than this year’s presidential race. Republicans are in chaos, having abandoned their post-2012 reboot, and, while Hillary Clinton’s nomination seems near-certain, her