SPRINGFIELD—Amid a flurry of financial orders for the closing fiscal year, the City Council acted on several items Monday night, many it had considered recently. Most notably, it advanced the chief diversity office (CDO) ordinance to the mayor, prompting executive freak out. The stated reason
SPRINGFIELD—Scheduling conflicts prompted a rare regular Council meeting only a week after the last one. Consequently, the agenda was spare especially when compared to the last few. Nonetheless, it included potentially significant staffing items on a key Springfield commission and in the Finance Department. The
SPRINGFIELD—The annual tug-of-war between residential and commercial property owners and their tax rates ended slightly in favor of residents this year. Each year, the City Council must set the rates, which distribute the property tax burden. The total amount to be collected was already determined
Courting 36 Court Street is a series of quick interviews with Springfield’s at-large candidates. **All interviews are edited and condensed for length.** Tracye Whitfield says she knows her way around Springfield’s fiscal books, the oversight of which is among the Council’s duties. She’s a first-time
Courting 36 Court Street is a series of quick interviews with Springfield’s at-large candidates. **All interviews are edited and condensed for length.** Victor Davila is no stranger to Springfield politics. He majored in political science and economics in college. Now the operator of a small transportation
SPRINGFIELD—Its agenda was long and several items dragged, but the City Council’s mid-summer regular meeting largely featured uncontroversial items and housekeeping. Potentially big matters like an MGM request for more time to build its housing units prompted questions, but won acquiescence. Typically hum-drum matters hit
SPRINGFIELD—Without dissent, the City Council approved Mayor Domenic Sarno’s $629 million spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The budget included several topline increases in preparation of several downtown projects, most notably the opening of MGM next year. The mayor also touted the
NEWTON—Along a hilly street, one of many here, a crowd of all ages scarfed down ice cream and waited. It was a warm spring day, but a canopy of tree shaded much of the block party below. Perched on the undulating landscape was a podium
SPRINGFIELD—The City Council set the tax rates for the next year Monday night, rejecting Mayor Domenic Sarno’s recommendation and instead freezing residential rates at the current level. However, because the values of both residential and commercial property have risen, bills on both are likely to
UPDATED 8:40PM: Both Houses of the legislature approved the conference report Sunday evening. The Massachusetts legislature faced a glut of work during two, rare weekend sessions following the political conventions this month. Major bills on energy, ride-hailing services and non-compete clauses in employment have still