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Category Archives: Springfield City Council

Springfield

Take My Council, Please: Breaking Up with Land Is Hard to Do…

SPRINGFIELD—Following a more scintillating conversation with the city’s State Senators on the budget, the City Council held its first full meeting in nearly a month clearing end of fiscal year transfers, committee reports and somewhat embarrassing special act. Following one of the bigger WTF moments

Briefings: It’s Official. Round 4 in Ward 8…

SPRINGFIELD—Following his defeat in 2013 at the hands of his longtime rival, Orlando Ramos, it was quite possible John Lysak would not seek to take back the seat he had held since 2010. Yet, after three similarly casted elections, two of which he did win,

Springfield City Council 2014

In the Community, What and to Whom Things Are Granted…

UPDATED: 3:30PM: For grammar and clarity. SPRINGFIELD—On the surface, last week’s Committee of the Whole meeting seemed to be a dispute about casino jobs. However, complaints that the job training program is available only to certain residents of the city belie a broader mistrust, one that has grown up

Take My Council, Please: What Has Been Will Be Again…

SPRINGFIELD—An agenda of some consequence confronted the City Council last night, as it echoed past debates and issues. From lobbying the PVTA to police oversight, these matters have been before the Council several times in recent years. A hint of frustration with Beacon Hill was

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Springfield Politics Go Bragh? At a Few Events, Yes…

UPDATED 3/24/15 8:47PM: For a Correction. A previous version of this post incorrectly identified Don Ashe as the Register of Probate. He is the Register of Deeds. UPDATED 3/23/15 2:25PM: With expanded comments from Aaron Saunders. SPRINGFIELD—Like many old industrial cities, the Irish have a prominent

Mike Fenton Seems to Be Everywhere, but Where Is He Going?…

UPDATED 3/8/15 7:34PM: For grammar and clarity. SPRINGFIELD—Mike Fenton might have never joined the City Council. In early 2009, Fenton had a tuition-free offer from Western New England’s law school, but his choice was BC Law, even though he would incur a six-figure debt to

Springfield

Take My Council, Please: We Didn’t Start the Fire…

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

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Take My Council, Please: It Becomes a Term of Years…

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

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At His Kickoff, Far More than a Game of Follow the Lederman…

SPRINGFIELD—Entering after a rousing introduction from his political mentor E. Henry Twiggs, longtime city activist Jesse Lederman, a McKnight neighborhood resident, formally kicked off his bid for City Council at-large Wednesday night. Promising to bring a smarter, more innovative direction to 36 Court Street, Lederman called