LUDLOW—In what may be the least climactic open Democratic gubernatorial primary in half a century, on Tuesday Attorney General Maura Healey became her party’s nominee to succeed outgoing GOP Governor Charlie Baker.
Confirming the suspicions of political navel-gazers in the 413, Governor’s Councilor Mary Hurley announced she would not seek reelection in 2022. Jeffrey Morneau announced he was in. However, he will not be alone in the race. Springfield City Councilor Michael Fenton will enter the race on Wednesday.
This week Springfield City Council President Marcus Williams released his committee assignments for the municipal legislature. It comes days after beginning his second year atop the Council and his fourth term as the Ward 5 Councilor.
After 15 years leading the Springfield Law Department, City Solicitor Ed Pikula is filing a motion to withdraw—metaphorically. The longtime city lawyer will retire this year.
SPRINGFIELD—This week the City Council revisited a troubled revision to a drive-through special permit that had hit the skids earlier this year amid an abutter’s complaints. The item has still not achieved passage amid a sluggish review. Frustratingly, the once-complaining neighbor has been MIA, leaving councilors to straighten things out alone with the applicant.
SPRINGFIELD—Gladys Oyola, the head of the Springfield Election Commission, will be the next City Clerk after the City Council unanimously selected her. Last week, a search committee had slimmed down a field of 72 applicants down to three. On Monday, Oyola, an unsurprising though eminently qualified choice, prevailed.
SPRINGFIELD—In what may have become a pattern, the City Council here held a second regular meeting in sequential weeks. This occurred in March, too. Its May 10 meeting consisted of financial orders and leftovers from the prior week. Thus, the meeting sped along an unusual
Flux is returning to the Springfield City Clerk’s office after the current clerk, Tasheena Davis, tendered her resignation effective June 1. Mayor Domenic Sarno, in a press release, announced that Davis would return to her former employ, the city Law Department. More controversially, Sarno has
SPRINGFIELD—The wards were the highlight of Monday’s City Council virtual meeting. Early on, the Council considered a crush of utility petitions that received an unusual amount of scrutiny. Oddly most of these items happened to fall within Ward 2. Its councilor, Michael Fenton, raised the
SPRINGFIELD—The City Council considered and passed a plethora of legislation at its Monday meeting this week. Action commenced on a pair of historic districts—each were at different stages of passage. The ordinance banning the sale of non-shelter animals at pet stores also passed the Council.